The Weight Loss Continues

Life is a series of 'ups' and 'downs' with periods of 'evenness' in between.  That's just the way it is. Nothing we can do about it, and nothing we can do to change it.  Except for the problems that arise as consequences from poor decision making on our part, the only thing we have control over is the way we react to the 'ups' and 'downs'.  It is our reactions, our responses to these 'ups' and 'downs' that can, for some of us, influence our diets and eating patterns.

I am working on separating my desire to eat from my feelings.  There have been times when I find myself walking into the kitchen to get something to eat, knowing that I'm not hungry because it's only been and 'hour' since I had a meal.  That's not hunger, that's a response to feelings. Permanent weight loss will be impossible for me as long as I'm 'eating my feelings'.

Fortunately these last few weeks.....so far....every time I'm about to get something to eat, just because I'm 'feeling' it, I have stopped myself from indulging and turned around and walked out of the kitchen.

Therefore, the weight loss continues!!!!! Yea, me!!!!!

Too Stressed to Eat? I Wish!

I have a precious friend who is one of those naturally thin people. Always has been. Always will be.  Naturally thin.  We were talking about stress one day, and I shared with her the problem I have always had with overeating when I'm stressed or when I've been through something traumatic like the death of a family member.  I remember quite well her reply, "Oh, not me.  When I get stressed, I can't eat." Really. Too stressed to eat.  What a concept! When I get stressed, I want a hamburger, no, a bacon cheeseburger.  Who's with me on this?

I was reminded of our conversation a couple of days ago. In the middle of the afternoon I found myself in the kitchen looking for something to eat.  I'm only allowing myself to eat certain things for snacks between meals. A handful of nuts, a banana, or an apple.  On this day I didn't want any of those things, and I really wasn't hungry.  It had not been long since I had eaten, and I knew hunger was not the reason I was in the kitchen.  I was just stressed for some reason.  I was feeling the stress, not hunger.

This has been a dilemma all my life. I have covered it in previous posts from an emotional angle. I've heard it described as 'eating my feelings'. Obviously as a 'conscious eater' I can't be governed by my feelings when I eat.  I must be guided and controlled simply by whether or not I am truly hungry. 

As I have written about these challenges that are ever present, serving as pot holes and speed bumps on my weight loss journey, I have also tried to write about a strategy that I plan to implement to assist me in dodging these obstacles.  My strategy for this dilemma of the desire, the compulsion to eat when I am stressed, is simply to borrow and modify my friend's reply, "Eat? Oh no, I can't possible eat. I'm too stressed right now."  I'll let you know how well it works. ;-) 

McKenna's Four Golden Rules; Are They Realistic?

I've read those rules before in other places. You know. The articles in Reader's Digest that share how to lose weight and keep it off. The nutritionist on TV sharing their wisdom with us. I have always listened to and read that information with the attitude of "Yea, right. You don't even know how hard it is to lose weight and keep it off. I bet you have never been overweight one day in your life. I bet you have no clue what it is like to want to eat everything in sight even though you know you are not hungry." Have you ever wanted to tell those people off? I just wanted to say, "SHUT UP!"

Well, when I watched Paul McKenna's show, "I Can Make You Thin", I had already looked at his website, www.mckenna.com,
and knew something about him. I was intrigued by his message. Soooooo when I watched his show I really watched and listened with an open mind. What he says makes sense, so I have started endeavoring to follow his Golden Rules.
If this interests you also, I suggest that you log on to his website. Then read and watch the videos.
I am going to share my thoughts about his rules.

Golden Rule #1, When you are hungry, eat. That makes sense. The problem for most of us compulsive overeaters is that we also eat when we are not hungry. The very sight or smell of food makes us want to eat. Right? However, if we are ever, ever to have a hope of being a normal weight and maintaining that weight, we absolutely must learn to recognize the difference between being physical and compulsive hunger, and then program our minds to only want to each when we are physically hungry. On his website, McKenna does address that issue and even has a technique for helping us work through those horrible moments when we just want to eat. I have used his technique the last couple of days and it does help! Hmmmmmm Perhaps there is hope for me after all!!

Tomorrow: Golden Rule #2

What Are You Willing to Lose In Order to Win?

Hmmmmm. What? I know that when I lose pounds, I win many things such as a smaller body, better health, more self esteem and self confidence, and more energy. But there is more?
Yes. In order to 'win' at the 'losing weight' game, we must be willing to lose (give up) things that stand in the way of our victory.

For me there are many things I must lose (give up). As a compulsive overeater, there are foods that are 'slippery' for me. Foods that could cause me to 'slip' back into my old eating habits and gain back every pound I have lost and more.

I could list these foods for you, but I won't. There are too many of them. However, I will use one as an example. I love peanut butter. I don't just like it. I looooooove it. Peanut butter is good for you, right? Well, not in the amounts I like to eat. What is this eating only a tablespoon? I certainly can't do that. Not consistently anyway. No. No. I like, no, love to take a tablespoon, dip it in the peanut butter jar and load up that spoon with as much peanut butter as possible. Then I will sit and eat it from that spoon. See I told you I live peanut butter.
Eating that amount of peanut butter frequently is counterproductive to weight loss. Even if I ate properly for the entire day, except for the loaded spoonful of peanut butter, my weight loss will be much slower than it would be otherwise.

The truth here is that peanut butter is a dangerous food for me. I can not eat one 'measly' tiny spoonful. It is again one of those times when 'ONE is at the same time too much, yet not enough'.
In order to WIN at downsizing my size, I must be willing to LOSE (give up) permanently foods such as peanut butter that fit into the category of 'slippery foods' in my life.
What are you willing to LOSE in order to WIN???