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Thursday, May 31, 2018

Checking In

It’s been a few days since I have posted to this blog, but things have been going very well in the world of eating only till I feel full (conscious eating). I must say that this is probably the easiest diet that I have ever tried.  I’m not fixing any special food for myself. I’m eating the things I like and want. I don’t really feel deprived. And the pounds are slowly, but surely disappearing! My formerly tight jeans are now almost too loose to wear.

The truth is though that the only way I will ever be able to maintain a smaller jeans size is to maintain now and forevermore a conscious style of eating. I must never look at a plate full of food and decide to eat it all, full or not. I must always be aware of whether or not I have reached the “full level” of my tummy gauge.

It’s not complicated. It’s not even hard, when compared to things in life that are truly difficult. One of the best parts is that my future self with thank me one day.

Tuesday, May 22, 2018

To Exercise or Not To Exercise, That is the Question

In none of my recent posts have I discussed exercise. Yep. Exercise. For a naturally non athletically inclined” person, exercise is not something I eagerly do. It takes time. I have to work it into my already “busy” retirement schedule.  It’s lots of trouble. I have to keep my gym bag gym ready. If I already have makeup on before I go to the gym, I have to take it off then reapply it after exercising. Yada. Yada. Yada. I can find a million (ok. Maybe that’s an exaggeration) excuses for not exercising.

I have at times in my life been a regular exerciser, but for me currently, the discipline of eating with the proper control and restraint is a higher priority. Eating too much can and does easily negate the benefits of regular exercise. “You can’t out exercise a bad diet.” (Biggest Loser quote.”) Therefore, I am focusing on conscious eating rather than disciplined, regular exercising.

That said, I am exercising. Lap swimming is my exercise of choice. I love to swim. I lap swim for an hour; 1200 yards. My goal is to swim two to three times a week. If the pool at my gym is full, my second choice is the elliptical, on which I also spend an hour. Exercising is serious business for me. I go in, get it done, and get on with my day. Retired people are very busy, you know.

I don’t really have a choice about whether or not to exercise, because it is critical to keeping my blood pressure under control. If I miss a couple of weeks in the pool, my blood pressure jumps up 20 points, and I feel lousy. Soooooo I keep doing it.

So I believe exercise is important because of the health benefits, and I tend to put it in the same category as medicine. I just take it. I just do it. That said, I am always happy and feel great once my exercise sessions are done.


Monday, May 21, 2018

After almost 10 weeks of conscious eating, and 16 pounds of weight loss, I’m finally beginning to get comfortable with the adjustment in the size of food servings that I put on my plate.  In other words, I’m getting accustomed to and being satisfied with seeing my plate empty rather than completely full. If I put less food on my plate, then I have less food to throw away, therefore a “smaller” decision to make when I get full.

A couple of nights ago, I was enjoying a small baked potato, complete with all the trimmings, when I realized that I was almost full.  Uggg. I didn’t want to stop eating my potatoe. However,  I knew that if I continued to eat from everything on my plate, I would be full before soon, and not be able to finish the potato. My decision was to ignore everything else on my plate and finish my baked potato (complete, with all the trimmings). Yep. That’s what I did. And I was happy!


Thursday, May 17, 2018

My Life Long Dieting Challenge

Another  challenge. This has been a dieting difficulty all my life,  and so far with this particular eating style, it has not been a serious problem. However, the circumstances that set up this challenge for me has not yet arisen. Yet.......

I am a serious stress eater. When I am stressed about something, my desire, my natural instinct is to eat, and eat a lot.

I first realized seriousness of my stress eating when both my parents had stage 4 cancer at the same time. During the months that they were in the hospital together, I thought about food all the time. I was continually planning where and what my next meal would be. I sought out every form of comfort food I could find. During every meal I ate till I was not just full, but stuffed. I had no control at all.

Since that time, I have eaten my way though many stressful experiences. Most of which have been family illnesses. However, the truth is that even after mildly stressful experiences, I often want a hamburger. That is not good.

Conscious eating and stress eating are not compatible. If you are doing one you can not do the other.  So far the conscious eating plan has worked quite well, and even while helping to prepare for our son’s wedding, during the wedding, and after the wedding, I never, not one time, ate beyond the full feeling in my stomach. I consider that a victory, and it gives me hope for being able to control my eating during future stressful moments.

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

The Second Reward That Comes to Mind

2. After having lost almost 17 pounds now, one of the really fun rewards (wins) is to be able to look in my closet and pull out clothes that were too small just a few weeks ago. I try them on and say to myself either, “Ok. This will fit soon because it’s not a tight as it was.” Or “Yea, this fits now! I think I’ll wear it today!”.

With worthwhile challenges come worthwhile rewards.

Sunday, May 13, 2018

Oh, Yea. One More Challenge

There is another challenge I have had to face since making the decision to change my eating style. I almost forgot about it because, well, truthfully it’s not much of a problem right now.  I will never say that I have conquered this or any other challenge, because thinking I have victory when it comes to food, is for me the moment when defeat becomes a reality. 

4. In previous days, I would nibble and “graze” while cooking meals. Then I would eat the meal, and then nibble and “graze” again while cleaning up afterwards. It was almost like I was eating three meals instead of one. That is an eating problem.
      During approximately the last 8 weeks, I have gained more and more control over this nibbling, grazing challenge. I know that if I eat anything just before a meal, then I will actually be eating less during the meal, because I will get full faster.  I don’t want that to happen, so I “save room” for my meal by not eating anything beforehand. This alone has made a huge difference is my weight.  

Friday, May 11, 2018

All Worthwhile Challenges Have Worthwhile Rewards

     My last three posts have been about challenges I face as I continue to practice and continue to learn this new eating skill.  As I move my writing past the challenges, I am reminded that all worthwhile challenges also come with worthwhile rewards.  Hence, "Winning by Losing" is an appropriate name for my blog.  Hmmmm. So what are some of the rewards that emerge from facing and conquering these challenges?

1. One of the first things I have noticed is that my food 'wants' have changed.  Eating a large hamburger and french fries does not sound good to me at all.  Perhaps a small, kid sized hamburger might occasionally be appealing. (Notice: perhaps, might, and occasionally?)
     I continue to think about food a lot, but not in the same way as before.  For example, I know what we are having for dinner - turkey chili, home made.  However, I am not thinking about having a giant bowl of chili at all.  I just want a small bowl with a small serving, and I will be very happy.  I plan to enjoy every bite, because it does taste great (yes, I made it).  However, once I am full, I will stop eating, and what's left of my chili will either be covered up and saved for another meal, or will go in the trash.  That's it.  Done. And I'm happy.  That, my friends, is a reward.     

By the way, my weight is now down 16 pounds since I started on this particular leg of my weight loss journey.

Wednesday, May 9, 2018

Another Challenge?!?

3. I have read that it is best if we eat 10 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Before I changed my eating style, I ate fruit at almost every meal, and a couple of servings of vegetables and a salad at lunch and dinner. Now I am eating fewer and smaller servings of fruits and vegetables because I get full. Even though I’m losing weight, my diet might be as nutritious as before. Hmmmmm. For example, today I have eaten no servings of fruits and vegetables. I just know that there is no way I can eat 10 servings a day, especially if a serving is considered to be about a half cup. That would be 5 cups of food. I’m not eating that much food in a day.

This is my solution to the issue. It might not be the best, but it’s all I’ve got right now. No fruits and vegetables all day is not acceptable, so here’s what needs to happen. I must make sure that I include at least one fruit and one vegetable at every meal, even if it’s only a fourth cup. Then I can at least get a few bites of each in before I get full. There ya go. Problem solved.

Monday, May 7, 2018

Next Challenge

2. My cooking style needs to change.  I have always cooked family sized meals.  Before my children were born, While they were growing up at home. After they left home and its just my husband and I.  I have always cooked family sized meals.  Then we were would have leftovers for another meal or two.  Well, now with me eating much less than I have previously done, these leftovers are being 'left over' for more than a couple of meals, and we are eventually throwing them away.  Since I am so 'old school' about the starving children in China, and since I hate wasting food that costs so much, throwing away food is very difficult for me.  Therefore, something must change.  Either I must start cooking smaller meals, or get used to tossing leftovers in the trash.  That's my choice, because I'm not going to start eating more so that I can save those starving children or not waste money.  Nope. That's not going to happen.  Most likely I will begin do both things: cook smaller meals, and get used to throwing away leftovers. Problem solved!

Saturday, May 5, 2018

The Challenges are .......

Because nothing is perfect this side of heaven, and all positives have associated negatives, there are some challenges I face with trying to lose weight with this method.
1. The first and most challenging challenge I face at every meal is knowing when I have had enough to eat, that is, knowing when I am “full”. Previously I didn’t try to determine if I had a full feeling in my tummy to signal me that it was time to stop eating. I just ate until the food on my plate was gone. Now I must pay attention when I am eating to how my tummy feels. There are changes that happen, which turns on the “full” signal. After about 7 weeks of practicing this skill, I know when that signal is about to turn on, and I then begin to wind my meal down to a full stop.  Sometimes I don’t want to stop eating at that moment, but I also now don’t like to eat beyond that full feeling. See!?! It’s working!

Thursday, May 3, 2018

Eating Six Times a Day!?!

On TV there are often commercials about various kinds of diets. I don't need to name the diets because you have heard the commercials also and know the names as well as I do.  One of the commercials reminded me of why so many of our diets don't work.  This commercial talked about the food that can be ordered to accommodate this particular diet.  It was enough food to eat 6 times a day!  I have also heard of diets that are built around 6 small meals a day.

I totally understand the research behind this type of diet.  Eating 6 times a day does keep blood sugar leveled and keeps the dieter from becoming two hungry.  I am just concerned that our bodies get used to eating that often whether or not we're hungry.  Then if we fall off the diet, our bodies still expect food 6 times a day.  Soon we have regained whatever weight we have lost, and are back in the same place we were in before, or perhaps worse.

That's my opinion, and I'm sticking to it.  :)


Tuesday, May 1, 2018

Slender Eating

My newest weight loss, as of this morning is 14.8 pounds, and my most recent blood work shows a decrease of .2 in my A1C.  Those are great wins! I'm now wearing a smaller size in my blue jeans (fortunately I still have them in my closet.) My clothes are feeling more roomy and fitting better.  All wins!

I'm headed in the right direction and that feels good also.  I encourage any of you who are have the same eating challenges I have to think about what in my opinion are two facts:
      (1) Naturally slender people generally have a certain natural 'skill', which is the skill of knowing when they have had enough to eat, and further, they have the ability to not eat once they have reach the 'full' sensation.
     (2) Naturally non-slender people do not innately have the above mentioned skill.  We will eat till the food is gone or they are 'stuffed' (you know what I mean by that), which ever comes first. We can snack even though they are not hungry. It only takes the presence of food (doesn't always have taste great either) to motive us to eat.

Because of these two facts, I believe that the only way for us (non-slender people) to become permanently slender is to practice and hopefully learn the skill of 'slender eating'.