Getting a reality check
or actually a kick up the butt; which applies to me!
I have known Man Wonderful since 1998 when we were work colleagues before we started a relationship in summer 2000.
Since 2000 I have been on a diet of some kind.
If I had only kept off all the lost weight rather than put it on again over those years, I actually wouldn't be here!
I am a diet expert - no I'm not, I'm a diet failure!
Regular readers will know I've written about and analysed different weight-loss plans before. . .
Then given in to temptations.
I do say that there are no banned foods, it is different portion sizes that matter; but for me, if there is a 'naughty' food in the house, I want to eat it.
It is better for me to avoid certain foods:
- biscuits
- chocolate
- puddings in general
- chocolate
- fried foods like batter and chips
- bread
- chocolate
In fact, most processed foods.
The other issue I have is the amount I eat.
When I am in a really good space mentally, I can avoid overeating.
I know the tools to do this.
When I am not great, I feel like I need to destroy myself, like I just don't 'deserve' to be healthy.
If you are in this category, what actually works for you?
These are the things that work for me, and why.
- weighing myself every day, first thing in the morning
I then have that weight in my working memory all day, so I can use this to make better choices around food.
- Setting a healthy daily calorie amount, and recording what I eat honestly.
This works for me because if I want to eat something calorie-rich like chocolate, then I know I can have it - it's just being aware of the right portion size.
- Writing in my diary the time I have set aside for exercise.
This helps me again, because as it is visual, I am more likely to stick to it.
How do you manage to change habits?
Take care,
Tracey xx
Hi, I've not been reading your blog for terribly long, but I find the way you talk about diet & exercise, body image, weight, and all that associated stuff just so incredibly relatable. Particularly this entry. I'm the same; I understand that CICO is inalienable (but it doesn't stop me from buying into all manner of pseudoscience at times!), I understand calories, portion sizes, know my own weaknesses, etc and I definitely know how my mental wellbeing affects my best laid plans.... But it doesn't stop me from falling off the wagon all too often!
ReplyDeleteWeighing daily, first thing is something I do too. I find it keeps me accountable - I sometimes even look forward to it! Some people seem to find it a bit extreme, but I've gotta do what I've gotta do, you know?
The other thing that really struck a chord with me was treaty, calorie-rich things. If it's in the house, I want to eat it. I find it difficult to stop thinking about it, honestly. It's just better if I don't buy it in the first place.
Anyway, all this to say... I don't know... You've got company on your journey? Haha!
Thank you for your lovely reply. I know we are not the only ones who have this issue with food controlling us rather than us controlling it: I think the gastric band I had a few years ago should have been put around my mouth rather than my stomach!! Do keep commenting, it's really lovely to get little bits of feedback xx
DeleteI confess to being much like you! I hate to think of all the weight that I have lost - and then regained over the years.
ReplyDeleteNow, I try not to beat myself up about it. Yes, I have gained during this very stressful past year - I'm not alone. I have health & financial reasons for losing this weight so I am back on the plan that works best of me. Intermittent fasting and eating within a set number of hours. Mostly 16 & 8 but 18 & 6 some days. I also eat low carb (not No carb) and lots of veg to fill me up.
I tend to eat just two meals - sometimes one large meal and one snack - it can vary from day to day and depends upon how hungry I might be on that day. I keep some treats around but keep them in the back pantry so that I have to actually remember they are there. I have also gone back to my rule that if I want a treat I need to bake it - not buy it. That also seems to help.
Good luck.
I went on my first diet at the age of seven. I am 60 now and have spent my whole life either on a diet or overeating and feeling guilty about it. I know exactly what I need to do to lose the weight, but I really have to be in the right place mentally to be able to do it. I lost three stone last year and then put back a stone during winter. I am now back in the right frame of mind and trying hard to lose more but it has been a lifelong struggle. Like you. if I had kept off all the weight I have lost I would have disappeared by now!
ReplyDeleteOh my. I am SO like you. I lost a lot of weight in 2017 but it was hard and I counted calories and then found out I had Lyme Disease and I gave up. Since then, have gained it all back, tried many many diets, do NOT want to count calories. Then I found Starch Solution and the Knives Forks documentary online and I tried that... basically Whole Food Plant Based No Oil/Fat... and the weight started to MELT away. BUT I cannot do entirely plant based, as I ran into some other health issues, so now I take Vit B12 daily as I seem to be a poor absorber, sadly, and I eat an egg or two a day, and sometimes fish or occasional meat on the weekends, one meal. So, I too weigh myself daily, I have learned to keep frozen bananas to whip up some banana strawberry jam NiceCream when I get emotional eating urges, or add a touch of powdered coffee and chocolate powder for a deep dark chocolate taste... and that is how I fight my emotional eating. I also track my meals and snacks. I use dots on a calendar, just dots... so I eat oatmeal with tsp flaxseed and spoon of jam for breakfast, dinner is one of seven or eight pre-planned meals I do all the time, just things we like that are easy to make, and if I feel like it on the weeked, I can do a fancy meal... still WFPBnoFats... and then I allow myself apples and raisins for snacks, trying to stick to two a day, and the evening "meal" is more just a boiled egg with curry powder on a slice of toast with pickles or with salad and tomatoes. And again, dessert if I "need" it is the banana nice cream... and I rarely deviate as I feel best when I eat this way as in tummy, energy etc... and then the weight is sliding off. And I am over 50 and have not had a period for a bit, but not long enough to say I am in menopause, not yet. And I have some other health issues that make walking hard and exercising near impossible, so I do very little... just some yoga like moves, stretches mostly and some ...well, it is not strength training, more just trying to tighten muscles, isometrics I think it may be called? Just trying to preserve what I have. I did have to give up dairy, due to asthma, and that has helped a lot too... but I try not to replace it with "vegan junkfood" but try to stick to plants mostly, lots of greens and if I have starches, it is no more than 1/3 of my plate. There, I guess that was quite a lot... but it works for me, and I feel good and my health is better than it has been, and the weight is steadily dropping still. They say it will stabilize naturally eventually, but we break this plan for Christmas, Easter... so I sm hopeful that keeping on this summer and into fall will bring some big changes. And then I plan to add back nuts and some small servings of fats. I do use a tsp of oil to start frying, then I add water to finish off.... ok, bit of a ramble, but that is what it is working for me and I do feel wonderful and am not counting a calorie, altho... I have limited my meals and if my weight loss stops, I do plan to figure out the calories if I need to make adjustments, but so far, no need. Best wishes, sorry so long!!
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