Eating is such an innocuous thing. Everything that moves--even machines--require fuel to sustain operations. Human beings eat in order to keep going and going and going. The problem, of course, is that when humans take in more than they burn off with their "going", the extra energy they have consumed gets stored for potential future use by way of that ugly word "fat". No future use = more fat. And so it goes.
I could blame my weight on age and infirmity. Those are huge contributing factors; however, there are millions of people the world over who are old and infirm, but not fat. I am not one of those. I live alone, so (obviously) I'm going to fix foods that I like. I eat to celebrate. I eat when I'm bored. I eat when I'm lonely. I eat because I love the taste of food. As Dr. Phil would ask, "How's that working for [me]"? My response in two words: Not well!
If you want to quit drinking, you cannot tell yourself, "I will never have another drink for the rest of my life". That will only put you in panic mode and make you think of drinking all the time. The same with smoking. And sex. You have to retrain your brain to take things in tiny increments. 'Tis the same with dieting. If you tell yourself that you can't have the things that you love, you will begin to feel deprived and unsatisfied which will overtake what your brain tells you is good for you. At least, that's how it is for me.
Here I am in physical therapy for my knee after surgery. Last week's workout nearly shot my efforts for the rest of the week due to using muscles I haven't used in awhile. I became acutely aware (as I've always been but just kept it under wraps) that my weight hampers everything I do and feel, including my self-image. I became an old lady almost overnight, in appearance and feelings. It was at this point that I decided that I'm tired of being fat and hiding from the world and needed to do SOMETHING to change it. I spent a couple of days preparing my brain and the foods in my house to get real about things!
In case you want/need to know:
1. I've been watching what goes into my mouth for a week now. I write everything down, using an old Weight Watcher's program as my guide.
2. I plan meals in advance, and calculate the WW points BEFORE I cram stuff, mindlessly, in my mouth.
3. I work to make meals lighter, however I can. I've had to invest in fat free things that are not as tasty as the real thing, but work in a pinch. Spray butter, pan spray, fat free salad dressings and cheeses. I'm looking for satisfaction in having something I like rather than perfection.
4. I calculate the number of points (or calories, if you prefer) in a whole recipe, then figure how much of it I can have, based on what I have eaten so far.
5. I base my mealtimes on whether or not I am hungry, rather than what the clock says.
6. If I want ice cream, I get ice cream. Just not as much as I would normally take. I have found that it satisfies.
7. I don't weigh myself every day. Once a week is enough to determine whether my efforts have paid off.
8. If I go off limits, I don't kill myself, mentally. I get back on the wagon immediately. It all balances out over time.
9. I eat the stuff that doesn't send me--vegetables--first. And I eat slowly so that my stomach has time to tell my brain that I'm full.
10. In the last week, I have had candy and ice cream, as well as a chicken stir-fry, tortilla chips and salsa...and more vegetables and fiber than my body normally digests.
I am aware that this weight-loss business isn't something that is going to happen fast. I am happy enough that my weight hasn't fluctuated much for the past few years, in spite of all of the whacko eating that I've done, but I am also happy that, over the last week, my weight is down. It isn't down by much, but I've been SATISFIED. I'm such a carbohydrates whore, I manage to make sure carbs are in there, just so I don't feel deprived.
Wish me luck. I have a loooong way to go!
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