WEIGHT LOSS UPDATE
Total weight lost to date = 23 pounds. I surprise even myself folks. I struggled for over 2 years to lose 13 pounds, every pound lost an uphill fight. With my new approach it's been relatively easy. Changing your relationship with food is half the battle.
THE BALANCING ACT
When you think of the foods you prefer to eat, categorize them into 'eat often' and 'eat once in awhile'.
The eat often group should mainly consist of low calorie foods that supply good amounts of protein, fiber and healthy carbs. In other words, lean protein, fruits and veg--and in modest amounts, whole grains and healthy fats.
While your eat often group mainly includes those healthy low calorie foods, it may also include a small calorie daily indulgence that is not healthy.
This may not seem wise, but the benefit is this: a daily dose of a small treat might save you from a binge.
I 'need' a sweet in the afternoon--every single day. And it needs to be chocolate. As well it must not be a trigger food. Chocolate fudge might trigger a binge, but a 100 calorie pack of Hostess Chocolate Cupcakes won't. Get it? Choosing wisely is important.
While I don't forbid myself eating fudge, I do avoid eating it often, because of the associated risk.
Hence, I strategize-- and allow myself that daily indulgence-- in a small amount. It gives me something to look forward to, satisfies my palate for chocolate, and spares me the danger of restricting food and making it more enticing.
Restricted foods often become the stumbling blocks in our diet path, causing us to fall and eventually fail.
Embrace them, and put yourself in the drivers seat. You 'run' them...don't let them 'run' you. Take away the power they have over you.
You render them powerless when they are no longer forbidden. The forbidden 'fruit' is always the most desirable fruit in the garden. It's our nature, the human nature to want what we cannot have. Savy?
Note though--taking a food off the restricted list does not mean you should become bed fellows with it. You might do well to avoid it routinely. Put it on your 'eat once in a while' list. That way it is not restricted, but the temptation to overindulge in minimized.
Indulge, but avoid overindulging.
As well, avoid the thinking "I shoudn't be eating this". If you've chosen to eat it, then eat it with joy. If you are unable to do so, you may want to examine why you made that choice in the first place.
Perhaps there is a choice you would enjoy just as much, but minus any angst.
Angst and eating do not make for good digestion. Eat without regret. Life is too short to regret that which you have almost total control over.
If you are at 'the worlds best' whatever and unlikely to ever return, then go ahead and eat it--whatever it is-- with relish. Eat it with delight. Lick your lips and rub your tummy.
But if you find yourself, say, at a place you can visit anytime, them you might want to give some second thoughts to your choice if it yields angst.
If your food choices are in your control, then TAKE CONTROL. Rarely do we have so much opportunity to be in control of our fate, our destiny.
While your eat often group mainly includes those healthy low calorie foods, it may also include a small calorie daily indulgence that is not healthy.
This may not seem wise, but the benefit is this: a daily dose of a small treat might save you from a binge.
I 'need' a sweet in the afternoon--every single day. And it needs to be chocolate. As well it must not be a trigger food. Chocolate fudge might trigger a binge, but a 100 calorie pack of Hostess Chocolate Cupcakes won't. Get it? Choosing wisely is important.
While I don't forbid myself eating fudge, I do avoid eating it often, because of the associated risk.
Hence, I strategize-- and allow myself that daily indulgence-- in a small amount. It gives me something to look forward to, satisfies my palate for chocolate, and spares me the danger of restricting food and making it more enticing.
Restricted foods often become the stumbling blocks in our diet path, causing us to fall and eventually fail.
Embrace them, and put yourself in the drivers seat. You 'run' them...don't let them 'run' you. Take away the power they have over you.
You render them powerless when they are no longer forbidden. The forbidden 'fruit' is always the most desirable fruit in the garden. It's our nature, the human nature to want what we cannot have. Savy?
Note though--taking a food off the restricted list does not mean you should become bed fellows with it. You might do well to avoid it routinely. Put it on your 'eat once in a while' list. That way it is not restricted, but the temptation to overindulge in minimized.
Indulge, but avoid overindulging.
As well, avoid the thinking "I shoudn't be eating this". If you've chosen to eat it, then eat it with joy. If you are unable to do so, you may want to examine why you made that choice in the first place.
Perhaps there is a choice you would enjoy just as much, but minus any angst.
Angst and eating do not make for good digestion. Eat without regret. Life is too short to regret that which you have almost total control over.
If you are at 'the worlds best' whatever and unlikely to ever return, then go ahead and eat it--whatever it is-- with relish. Eat it with delight. Lick your lips and rub your tummy.
But if you find yourself, say, at a place you can visit anytime, them you might want to give some second thoughts to your choice if it yields angst.
If your food choices are in your control, then TAKE CONTROL. Rarely do we have so much opportunity to be in control of our fate, our destiny.
The eat once in awhile group is anything else, including empty calorie foods and calorie dense foods.
The balance comes in here: when you do eat them, eat very small amounts of the once in awhile foods; and for the rest--the eat often foods-- feel free to eat a bit more of those.
The balance comes in here: when you do eat them, eat very small amounts of the once in awhile foods; and for the rest--the eat often foods-- feel free to eat a bit more of those.
However you don't want to overindulge in those either-- because the goal is balance, and eating large volumes of any kind of food--even low calorie food--is unbalanced.
Eat wisely. And eat small to be small. Let this be your mantra.
Not only will you save money, you may also save your health.
Not only will you save money, you may also save your health.