Man oh man, do I love food!! I feel like I need to give it a "shout out", it's that delicious! It seems like every event involves some sort of food or drink; concerts, sporting events, family parties, movies, hanging out times.. heck even our Weight Watcher open house had food at it! It's almost as if we cannot do something without food being included. So being on a "diet" or "lifestyle change" can be quite difficult, especially when food is so available to us. I remember thinking, man if I was addicted to drugs that would be so much easier because it costs a lot more and not as convenient to find. (no I do not support being addicted to drugs) During my weight loss journey I have stumbled with food several times. I have found some ways, though, that help me in a great way when it comes to food. Have you ever tried cutting something off totally! Like going cold turkey?! I have, several times. Many times I would "give up" something.. pop was always my first thing I would quit. But then that's all I would think about. Pop this and pop that.. when my kids would ask for help with homework, I would think "PEPSI" when a friend called, I would think "Cherry Pepsi" and when my husband would try and flirt with me, I would think "MMMM yummy!! Homemade Cherry Coke!!" That's all I wanted and focused on and as soon as I would cave in to the craving, I'd be a goner! This is something I LOVE about the Weight Watcher program, you can eat anything you want! Nothing is off limits! You just take the points (or calories if you're counting calories) for it. So that's the first thing I did, I didn't cut off any foods that I wanted. If I want ice cream I have ice cream. Something else I have learned is that I know what foods are my weaknesses. I love ice cream, but I know that if I have it in my house, often, I will more than likely go to the freezer over and over and eat it until it's gone. So what I do is buy smaller containers of ice cream or go out for a special ice cream treat. I know chips can be a weakness, so I suggest to buy the individual bags of chips. I am the only one that knows what I can handle. I am the only one that knows what I can sneak into when everyone else is in bed. So I have to hold myself accountable and I have to know my limits and not set myself up for a fall. I think that if you allow yourself those special treats that you like then you are less likely to fall into the trap of overeating. Something I've heard is "When I lose all my weight I'm going to treat myself too... (fill in the blank with your favorite food that you don't allow yourself to eat)" if you allow yourself those favorite foods then they don't have to be a "prize" and I don't believe food should be a "prize" I think clothes or money or jewelry or trips should be ;) I hope this helps.. I know applying some of these small tips to my life has helped in a tremendous way! Thanks for reading!!!
Mel
I think most people grew up with different kinds of food being a "prize" or celebration for one thing or another. Birthdays, holidays, get-togethers, Little League games, good behavior, and so on. It is hard to break a lifelong mentality like that, but I think it is definitely one of the keys. I always struggle with how to approach these things with my kids, because even though I don't intend to bribe them with food, it inevitably happens in a moment of weakness. I do think it is important that every parent thinks about that, though, even if we slip sometimes.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that while everyone is different, losing weight for me can never be about denying myself things completely, only about trying to improve my overall habits.