To control your weight, or lose if that's your intention?
Low-fat? Low-cal? Low-carb? Weight Watchers? Weigh Down? Do-it-yourself?
I'm currently going to Weight Watchers but it emphasizes low-fat/low cal and I don't really believe in that. I believe more in fat-burning via limiting carbohydrates, and/or in eat-when-hungry, don't-eat-if-not-hungry, stop-when-full.
Except I can't stick with any of those for more than half a day. Actually I can't stick with WW for more than that long either.
I WANT FOOD!!!! I want lots of food, even though in a global sense I consider it vaguely obscene to have to plan and follow programs (even pay for them) to lose weight when in so many places it's impossible to get enough to eat to achieve a normal weight.
But we live where we live, including in the body we live in.
It's hard to believe that just a few months ago I was too thin.
Not anymore. I ate my way right back to the size I was when I started hiking last April 1. I would have been OK with putting back 10 pounds, but not all 20 plus a couple more. I have moments (heck, out with it, call it days, weeks) of self-hate and self-disgust because I can't reign in my desire for food.
Unlimited salad and leafy greens don't cut it. Weight Watchers calls anything that's mostly water a "Filling Food" and says eat them liberally, they'll keep you full longer. Like fruits and vegetables and lean protein and skim milk. Fat-free milk is called a "Filling Food" whereas milk with any fat content is not. Tuna packed in water is "filling," while tuna packed in oil is not.
I guess anything works if you work it. Which I mostly don't. For more than half a day.
3 comments:
Ellie, I am right there with you. I have trouble sticking to any "eating plan" for more than a day or two. WW just flat out doesn't work for me anymore because I don't eat a lot of processed food and whole food, no matter how filling, generally carries points. Right now I'm just trying to eat healthy food and not stuff myself. I wonder if turning 50 and all that's associated with it, has anything to do with it.....
Happy New Year, Ellie!
I found it got a lot easier to maintain my weight when I quit eating processed foods and started making everything myself. I have no idea if it was something about the packaged foods (plastic packaging, preservatives, or whatnot), or if I'm just more careful of my portions because I'm the one who did the cooking, but I eat less and I'm more satisfied. No more white-knuckling my way through hours of hunger!
I'm mindful of calories, but I don't count them. I'm very mindful of portions and I try to limit sugar. I eat very little meat, but that's just how I feel best. I don't worry about fat like I used to in the 80s and 90s, and I use butter, full-fat cheese, nuts and olive oil.
Whole, healthy foods that my great-grandmother would recognize seems to work best for me. I can't even eat packaged foods now. They taste weird, like plastic and chemicals.
Ellie,
Could the stress of your mother's health be part of what's going on?
Are you working, hard work like raking and fixing up sites like you did in the past? Are you still training, running or biking like before?
Food input is one part of the equation. Don't forget about the emotional part or the physical side.
Happy New year. Sounds like you have a journey this year too.
Steve
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