Quote:
Originally Posted by JustJo
Welcome BigButchMistie....so glad you joined us! 
I see you're already getting lots of good advice. I'm a big advocate of making small, progressive changes. Usually when we try to do everything at once, it's a lot harder to stick to. |
I could not agree more. In my experience, if I go from completely out of control to 800 calories of celery and twigs a day, I find myself foaming at the mouth in a Baskin Robbins within a month.
I am by no means an expert, but I stay within 25 pounds of my preferred weight ( I know that is a lot. I have food issues, ok?
) because of changes I made about 10 years ago. I exercise a lot, and while that is good for your overall health too, I have found that it is not the answer to weight loss for me. I have to eat less and eat better.
I hate that part.
Anyhoo...
Things that help me when I need to get a handle on food again :
1. No fast food. Even if they have this "great new XYZ that is only 100 calories!" Eventually I will be ordering a Double Whopper with fries/Burrito Supreme/etc. etc...
I call fast food the 'gateway drug' once i allow myself to go there, it is only time before I am recognized and called by name when I come into the store.
2. Drink a glass of water before I eat a meal.
3. Find a salad dressing that I can stand that does not have a ton calories (like 100 cal/2 tbsp I like any of the light balsamic vinegrettes), and salad toppers that you like (no more than 50 calories Here is the one I like
)
and then eat my salad before the stuff I want to eat
(I dislike/borderline hate veggies too. It makes me eat them and takes the edge off my hunger so I am less likely to chip a tooth on the plate, as I try to inhale my dinner because I let myself get too hungry )
4. Drink water all day long. I carry it with me. I drink until I feel like I am going to float away. Then I drink some more. It helps me by making me feel fuller. I tend to binge eat and eat portions for a person twice (or three, four, five, times) my size. Feeling fuller helps curb the need to fill with food.
5. Pack my lunch and snacks to work. When I my little bag is out of food. I am done. Hopefully that is not by 10 am, like today.
Progression not perfection, as they say.
5. Be honest with myself and write down everything I eat. It makes me make better choices when i know I have to look at the whole bloody list and see just how bad it was.
I am currently doing Weight Watchers and I find it to be a pretty realistic and sustainable program.
Is it perfect? No, but am I going to eat perfectly? No. I loves me some cake and shortbread cookies too much for that.