We are what we eat. I can't remember where I heard or saw that, but it can be a true and fair statement in many cases. When I got to my heaviest weight ever, I was eating lots of junk food and slouching in front of the TV most nights. I remember saying to myself, as I sat there ramming cup cakes down my neck, "how on earth did I get like this"? It wasn't until I got a grip with my obesity that I realized I was living in denial that genuinely thought I was a victim of my own metabolism..
Anyhow, I did get a grip as I say, and it was easier getting back into shape than I thought it would be, and the reason is this: I followed through! Another realization that hit me was that I never followed through with anything, including diets, exercise regimes, and personal goals. The problem was that I always wanted success like yesterday, and being an impossible target, it was easier to say something wasn't working than I wasn't working something.
My success came from a totally new approach that was much kinder and more reasonable to myself. I used the cliché 'Easy does it' but followed this with the phrase 'But do it'. Easy does it, but do it', was pinned everywhere around the house and so I got to work on my plan of action which I hope will benefit others.
Firstly, set mini goals. Short term goals are far easier to achieve than long term ones. Make sure they are realistic. My previous goals were I had to loose 15 kilos by summer, but my new goals were I will lose 1.5 kilos a week and I also had a specific plan on how I was going to do it. In my case it was a gentle 25 minute jog every other day.
I also made a list of foods to eat, or more specifically what not to eat. I cut out all the junk but didn't go on a specific diet. So the simplicity of this was to not eat this food as it piles on the pounds. I also attempted to balance my food better and made sure my main meal consisted of meat and at least 2 veg. Desert, supper and snacks meant I kept plenty of fresh fruit min the house. Fruit is great as it can be eaten or juiced for those in between meal moments.
I kept a simple food journal too. This was really useful as I couldn't believe how much "unconscious eating" I was doing. I soon realized I was eating a lot out of habit and not because I was really hungry. Identifying this unhealthy eating pattern made it easy for me to rearrange my eating habits. Keeping a log was satisfying because I can look at each day and see with my eyes that I'm changing my lifestyle. It's very rewarding to give yourself little ticks of achievement at the end of each day.
I also became aware that I did a fair bit of emotional eating. That is eating when stressed, bored, or angry. In fact any mood swing would have my head in the fridge. I never knew I did this so once again, knowing the problem allows for a resolve.
There are lot's of little tricks and tweaks that I discovered along the way, but to summarize I set tiny targets, kept a journal, and got to know what I ate and why. As a consequence, I got to know me better and learnt to respect myself more. I've never felt better and as a result of that I'm naturally more active which helps keep the pounds off.
Remember - Easy Does It. But, Do It
Andy Maingam is a proficient writer and webmaster for Slender Folks dot com where he writes on such issues as The Zone Diet and reviews the Bowflex exercise equipment. He also has many other health and weight loss related pieces on the site.
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