Eating Well

Part of what I learned during the two year process of losing 100 pounds is that it is a never ending process.  I almost wrote "struggle" but I honestly don't look at it that way.  The older we get the harder it is for us to lose weight.  I used to be able to drop 20 pounds in a few weeks.  It took me two years to lose 100 pounds but I did it and I'm grateful for it but it was such a challenge I certainly don't ever want to go through it again. 

The way I lost weight worked for me.  It might work for you but it might not.  My suggestion is that you must do something that makes sense for you and your lifestyle and it must be something that you can live with for the rest of your life.  I still eat the same things as I did while I was losing weight for the most part....I just get to eat more of it (and sometimes I get to cheat and not feel REALLY guilty about it.)  The fact is I have been eating what I love for the most part and in the process of really learning about what my body craves and what it needs (and also what triggers me to eat poorly) I have adjusted my diet to foods that make me feel good, give me energy and satisfy my hunger.

I am a compuslive over-eater.  I have to know what I'm going to eat every day or I will probably over eat.  That's just a fact.  I guess I could go through therapy and try to figure out why I am a compulsive over eater but I really just don't care.  I just have to know my limitations and accept them. 

Dozens of people asked me how I lost weight when they noticed such a drastic difference in my appearance.  I told them the truth:  I ate less and exercized more.  That is the big secret.  I didn't take any pills, cut out major food groups or put my food in a blender (well, except smoothies).  I'm not saying that none of those programs work.....they probably do but they weren't something that I knew I could live with.  I just ate less food and exercized more. 

Over time I began to really know my body and what it needed.  I cut the things out that made me feel sluggish and bloated.  Turns out that I was eating less meat, more whole grains and more fresh fruits and vegetables.  Not because they are what everyone tells you to eat but because those were the foods that fueled me. 

Throughout the process I have learned a lot about food and health and I would like to share these things with you here. I will try not to preach because I really understand that everyone is different and everyone will come to know what they need in their own time.  But there are enough crazy diet programs out there that I thought I might add a more sensible voice to the screams.  I hope some of what I have to say  is helpful if you. 

More Posts

In The Beginning
Choices
Normal
Re-thinking Food
Fat
The Right Size