We are fat.
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We like to eat a lot and once we start it is very difficult to stop. There are very few foods we don't love, and we binge like most people wouldn't believe. If there is food around, we will eat it. We have terrible self-esteem because of this. We are fat. We go on spirals and gain 10 pounds in a month of eating very little but junk food. However, when we set our minds to it and have a strategy, we can lose weight very effectively.
I've lost 50 pounds in the last year. That's a big deal for me, but I still have about 30 pounds to go before I reach my goal, and it's been months since I've actually lost a significant amount without gaining it back almost immediately. Being around other people who aren't dieting makes it very difficult for me to stick to my own plan. However, exercise is fun for me once I get started--the problem is getting started.
Anyway, here's a list of strategies that people like me can use to lose weight despite our flaws. The main trick I guess is knowing our weaknesses.
1.Don't buy snack food. This sounds obvious, but it can be difficult. We tell ourselves that we will only eat small portions every day and that we deserve a treat, but once we get it home and have our first portion, it becomes almost impossible to prevent a binge. We will eat the whole box of crackers in one sitting. Resisting the temptation to buy them in the first place is much easier than resisting the temptation to eat them once we have them. We don't get snacks unless they're vegetables.
2.Eat breakfast. This is another obvious one, and one that almost all nutrition people will tell you. Eating breakfast reportedly has many health benefits. The reason that we eat breakfast though, is because we don't like food in the morning. Food before we've been awake for a few hours sits in our stomachs and feels disgusting. Then when we get to the next meal, we're inclined to eat light and healthy, because our stomachs just want to feel good.
3.Drink water before meals. Every time we are hungry, we drink as much water as we can without getting that weird tingling at the back of our mouth. This fills up our stomachs and prevents us from overeating. We feel like we've eaten more than we have.
4.Prepare only enough food for one meal at a time. If we have to work for our food, we won't be inclined to binge on snacks. If there are leftovers in the fridge, easily eaten, we will eat them. This ties back to #1. We aren't allowed snacks. The only food we should have in our house should require at least some preparation. There are exceptions, of course--namely fruits and vegetables. Because we're allowed to eat those. But if we only prepare as much food as we should be eating, we won't even have the option of eating more without feeling awful about cooking twice.
5.Have bedtime snack. I know I said we aren't allowed snacks, so maybe this is actually our final meal of the day. I know that a lot of people claim that eating after 6 PM is a bad idea, but my research shows that this is a myth. And even if it isn't a myth, I still think the benefits of a bedtime snack outweigh any possible metabolic disadvantages. Nighttime binges are a huge problem for us. We can stick to our food plan very well during the day, but when night comes and our roommates are around eating junk food, it becomes very very difficult not cave. And once we start eating, it's very hard to stop. However, if we know that we'll be allowed to eat before bed, we will have the willpower to wait. Why wait? Because if we eat at bedtime, we'll be going to bed as soon as we're done, and once we're in bed, we're not going to risk binging, because we're much too lazy to get up again. Also, going to bed on a fuller stomach helps us sleep.
6. Utilize Salsa. We really like salsa. It's very flavourful and yet very low calorie. A lot of the foods we eat are sort of bland, because a lot of sauces and condiments we love are high-calorie and therefore off limits. Salsa is this exception. We put salsa on our eggs in the morning. We use it as a dip for our cucumber slices. We add it to stir fry. It's rad.
7. Weigh yourself constantly. A lot of people say that it's better to only weight yourself occasionally, but we find that constant reminders of where we are and where we want to be serve as great motivations. We can see ourselves getting closer and closer to our goals, and when we're creeping up to a milestone, even one day without progress is frustrating, and therefore inspiring.
I've lost 50 pounds in the last year. That's a big deal for me, but I still have about 30 pounds to go before I reach my goal, and it's been months since I've actually lost a significant amount without gaining it back almost immediately. Being around other people who aren't dieting makes it very difficult for me to stick to my own plan. However, exercise is fun for me once I get started--the problem is getting started.
Anyway, here's a list of strategies that people like me can use to lose weight despite our flaws. The main trick I guess is knowing our weaknesses.
1.Don't buy snack food. This sounds obvious, but it can be difficult. We tell ourselves that we will only eat small portions every day and that we deserve a treat, but once we get it home and have our first portion, it becomes almost impossible to prevent a binge. We will eat the whole box of crackers in one sitting. Resisting the temptation to buy them in the first place is much easier than resisting the temptation to eat them once we have them. We don't get snacks unless they're vegetables.
2.Eat breakfast. This is another obvious one, and one that almost all nutrition people will tell you. Eating breakfast reportedly has many health benefits. The reason that we eat breakfast though, is because we don't like food in the morning. Food before we've been awake for a few hours sits in our stomachs and feels disgusting. Then when we get to the next meal, we're inclined to eat light and healthy, because our stomachs just want to feel good.
3.Drink water before meals. Every time we are hungry, we drink as much water as we can without getting that weird tingling at the back of our mouth. This fills up our stomachs and prevents us from overeating. We feel like we've eaten more than we have.
4.Prepare only enough food for one meal at a time. If we have to work for our food, we won't be inclined to binge on snacks. If there are leftovers in the fridge, easily eaten, we will eat them. This ties back to #1. We aren't allowed snacks. The only food we should have in our house should require at least some preparation. There are exceptions, of course--namely fruits and vegetables. Because we're allowed to eat those. But if we only prepare as much food as we should be eating, we won't even have the option of eating more without feeling awful about cooking twice.
5.Have bedtime snack. I know I said we aren't allowed snacks, so maybe this is actually our final meal of the day. I know that a lot of people claim that eating after 6 PM is a bad idea, but my research shows that this is a myth. And even if it isn't a myth, I still think the benefits of a bedtime snack outweigh any possible metabolic disadvantages. Nighttime binges are a huge problem for us. We can stick to our food plan very well during the day, but when night comes and our roommates are around eating junk food, it becomes very very difficult not cave. And once we start eating, it's very hard to stop. However, if we know that we'll be allowed to eat before bed, we will have the willpower to wait. Why wait? Because if we eat at bedtime, we'll be going to bed as soon as we're done, and once we're in bed, we're not going to risk binging, because we're much too lazy to get up again. Also, going to bed on a fuller stomach helps us sleep.
6. Utilize Salsa. We really like salsa. It's very flavourful and yet very low calorie. A lot of the foods we eat are sort of bland, because a lot of sauces and condiments we love are high-calorie and therefore off limits. Salsa is this exception. We put salsa on our eggs in the morning. We use it as a dip for our cucumber slices. We add it to stir fry. It's rad.
7. Weigh yourself constantly. A lot of people say that it's better to only weight yourself occasionally, but we find that constant reminders of where we are and where we want to be serve as great motivations. We can see ourselves getting closer and closer to our goals, and when we're creeping up to a milestone, even one day without progress is frustrating, and therefore inspiring.
