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Edited on Sun Jan-27-08 02:22 PM by supernova
It's a combo of things that I am still figuring out and hope to learn more as I go along. :-) Here's what I've learned so far:
Getting control of eating and appetite
I figured out that I might have a couple of food sensitivities, namely milk and wheat/grains. So I removed them from my diet. I've learned, just by trial and error over the years to pay attention to my body after I eat certain foods. I had the feeling of being puffed up (as in an allergic reaction.), especially in my face, and some stomach upset. I removed these things from my diet for good and voila! I feel much better (energy and mood are definitely improved) and my lower torso is a lot happier. ;-) I am not anal about it (as in, no wheat will ever pass my lips again!) but I do minimize my contact with these foods at home. Gluten and dairy free foods are OK, but I want to save them until I get down to a proper weight.
I do very well on managed/low carb plans. There are still a lot of lies being told about low/managed carb ways of eating. Get a book on the subject and read it for yourself. For example, I do fairly well on Atkins. It is not an all bacon all the time way of eating. South Beach is also good if you can tolerate grains and milk. Low/Managed carb plans are really about eliminating a lot of carbs at first, all but the lowest of the low-GI ones, then slowing adding them back into your diet to see which carbs work for you and which don't. This literally means, which carbs can you eat and lose, maintain, or gain weight. It's about regulating your weight through eating the right carbs for you. I can eat the right amounts of food and I don't feel hungry. Five years ago, for my 40th birthday, I decided to try the Atkins system and I discovered that I felt a lot better without the bread, pasta, and rice. Breads, pastas, even corn, dial up my hunger levels: the more I eat, the hungrier I feel. Rotten cycle to get into. So I simply don't eat them most of the time.
Now, this is what I think based on my experiences. I hope the next time I can go to the Dr, that I can have these "educated guesses" about food sensitivities confirmed with tests. (I'm unemployed right now, so I can't get to the Dr. to be sure.)
If anybody else feels bloated, or way too big for the amount of food you're eating, and you seem to be attracted to, can't live without, a certain food group over and over again, definitely explore the idea that you have a food sensitivity.
I think my smaller waist at the moment is from eliminating foods I was having a mild reaction to.
I now concentrate on poultry, fish, and low GI fruits and veggies. And some nuts. That's all I buy and cook.
I cook in olive or canola oil and that means that everything is either sauteed, broiled, or baked. Some boiled/poached is OK too, though it's not my favorite. Sorry, it just tastes bland to me.
I scour food labels like mad, not just the nutritional information, but also the ingredient list: I look for wheat and wheat by products obviously, milk (whey usually). I am not sure if I have a problem with whey, still working on it; salt levels (low sodium is good), and fat content (not only how much, but what kind of fat (is it trans fat, or sat fat, or is it olive or canola oil?) As a result, I don't eat a lot of processed food. I cook. My usually habit is to make a dish and eat on it for 3 days or so. Not many people enjoy that; but it works for me.
Salad is my friend. It's a great way to get my veggies, and no cooking. ;-)
I drink tea and decaf coffee along with my water. Regular coffee gives you a shot of cortisol, the fat-storing "fight or flight" hormone. Yes, people who drink coffee all day are dosing themselves with cortisol all day long. :wow: Tea does not do that to you.
As for meal times, I try to eat with a snacking mentality in mind. I eat breakfast every day. I make an omelet of egg substitute on weekday mornings. (no toast and jelly) It makes me eat less the rest of the day. I try eat something every 3 hours or so. For me, that means a small snack about an hour before a main meal. I try not to eat past 6 pm, 7 at the latest. I also eat a snack during the 3-4pm energy lull. No point in fighting it. Protein and fat and fruit are a good idea for me at this time. So nuts and an apple or other fruit is good. Or a little piece of meat and some veg or some peanut butter.
I am following the old adage: eat like a king a breakfast, a prince at lunch, and a pauper at dinner. That is before the end of lunch time, I've eaten a majority of my calories for the day. Seems to be working.
This is at home; obviously I make allowances for eating out.
Exercising first thing in the morning.
Really, really tough at first, but worth it. I am not a morning person, and never have been. I was always trying to fit in exercise in the evenings after work. Sometimes that works, sometimes not for me. I now exercise when I get out of bed and before breakfast. Right now that's about 25 minutes on the treadmill. It's a better wake up than regular coffee.
My goal is to get up to 30 mins of fast walking/jogging in the AM and maybe a little strength/flexibility training in the evenings. Quieter exercises I can do while watching TV or chatting seem to appeal to me in the evening, rather than aerobic activity. This is during the weekdays: I'm still working up to having an exercise session on the weekend. But I'll get there.
I look at it this way: I get in my basic aerobics in the morning and any other activity I do during the day is a bonus. :-)
That's what I've learned so far. I hope it all will lead to permanent weight loss.
edit: :D I did expect to write such an epistle but I really have changed the way I look at food and only eat that which is good for me and feels good too. Thanks for reading this long. :-)
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