After struggling with food for months, and being stuck between 186 and 188 forever, finally, something clicked.
I have been strictly on SBD for a week today. I stayed on over the weekend; I'm following the program to a tee, and I'm down 5 lbs.
So, what caused that lightbulb to come on? Why, all of a sudden, am I motivated and determined enough to actually follow through with my intentions? Why do I suddenly have the courage of my convictions?
Beats me.
I honestly have no idea what happened. I'm just in the zone. I even went to the mall with Julia twice this past weekend, and we did not have ice cream, popcorn, German roasted nuts, or Macaroni Grill (all mall standards for me; I have at least one of those things at any other mall trip).
If I could figure out what gave me my willpower back, I would write a book and be filthy rich.
4 comments:
Congratulations Nena, keep up the good work. My wife, Ann, went through a similar lightbulb moment about a year and a half ago. She was looking at her 40th birthday party pictures and felt horrible about the way she looked. She was at 195 lbs and gaining, but she was determined never to hit 200 lbs. She lost 45 lbs in 6 months just by exercise and healthy eating - no diets, but a lifestyle change instead.
One resource that really helped her was SparkPeople
Take a look and if you do decide to join look her up, she's northerngirl40.
BRIAN!
I have found that if I don't use some sort of structure (aka, diet), I will not eat reasonably. I have an addiction to food the way alcoholics have an addiction to alcohol. The difference is, I can't stop food cold-turkey; I have to learn how to eat "in moderation."
Thanks much for the kind words!
I will look up your wife on SparkPeople!
We've found that these fad diets don't really work long term and they can actually be very unhealthy. Switching to healthy foods and counting calories fairly prescisely is the way to go. My wife alternates between one low calorie day (1200 calories) and two at a more normal level (1500 calories) and finds it really speeds up the metabolism. We've also found that by eating whole grains and lots of fruits and vegetables, you can feast like a queen all day long and not have a problem staying under the calorie limit. The counting is a bit of a pain, but it makes you more conscious of what you are putting into your body and helps you to make better choices.
The other secret is findy healthy recipes that taste great and that you enjoy. When you cut out a lot of the fat and sugar and salt you suddenly realize there are all these flavors you never knew about. I've always been naturally thin, but I love the new foods we've been eating and I feel a lot better and more energetic. I'd highly recommend Tosca Reno's Eat-Clean cookbook. She has a new one out for families that we're dying to get.
You're right about fad diets; they can be terrible. South Beach is right in line with what my trainer is telling me to do, so I think it's fairly safe (whole grain carbs, fruits and vegetables, healthy fats, lean protein).
It's really the recipes and menu planning that helps me so much with SBD (I use the online tools); I stay so busy with work, daughter, and the gym, that I just wouldn't do the planning if left to my own devices.
I'm very interested in that cookbook, though. I'm a cookbook-hoor. :-)
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