Diets don't work. Don't be stupid, of course they do! What doesn't work is the ability to stay on them. That's why it's so important to find out what works for you. Identify your problem. Pull yourself out of denial. Keep an honest food journal and accept that you're in it for the long haul.
I am a true believer in calorie counting. Every diet trend that comes along ultimately suggests lower calories. It's the type of calories that can be different for different people. I know that too many carbs make me hold water and make me feel bloated. I also know that too little carbs cause me to crave sugar and feel weak. I know that raw vegetables work better than cooked vegetables at keeping me "regular". And NO vegetables will plug me up. I know I have to vary my total calorie count to keep myself off of a plateau. And eating the same basic meals day after day makes it easy to prepare food in advance and takes away having to make yet another choice about food. Also when I "screw up" I can have some mental releif knowing that I just have to be honest and count those crappy calories along with the good ones, and as long as the math works out I can recover. And these discoveries have evolved during the last 2 years.
My problem is overeating. Not any particular foods just food in general! For some it's sodas, wine/alcohol, fast food, eating out, bread etc.. Some things you can work around by simply cutting back on. Sometimes you have to go "cold turkey" and just remove them from your life! For instance, I have to have cream in my coffee every morning, real cream! I started out with 2 tbls. in each cup of coffee in the beginning and I have weaned myself down to 2 teas. over the last 2 years. I could now drink it black if I had to. Now fast food, on the other hand, I knew was shit and I had to remove it from my life (cold turkey!). Know what you can and are willing to change.
Unless you have an incredible memory and/or you are highly motivated, keeping a food journal helps you look at all of the details. If you think you're ready, if you think you're motivated to finally do something about your weight and you're not willing to at least try keeping an honest food journal, question your commitment.
You can never, never, go back to eating the same way you are eating now, if you're currently unhappy with you body weight or body composition. You will know you are successful when you don't want to go back to eating the way you're eating now. You have to find heathly, nutritious foods that you love. If you eat healthily and nutritiously your diet will evolve from a weight loss diet to a diet for life.
A friend asked me the other day if it ever gets any easier, if you do it right it absolutely gets easier. Eating heathly, nutritious foods will no longer be a choice but evolve into need. You'll need to feel good, you'll need to feel stong and lean, you'll need to feel in control, you'll need to make the right choices about food. To be continued...
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
The congregation of body compisition gives a hearty AMEN.
Seriously though, really good stuff. If we as a nation folwed this we would all be fit.
The last point was that it's not that hard. The hardest part of course is the "head" part.
But as you're finding out establishing new habits is a big piece of the puzzle.
Post a Comment