So... as someone who has experienced success in this department, I figured maybe y'all might like to know how I've done it. I do need to point out here that I'm not an expert by any stretch of the imagination. I'm not a doctor or nutritionist - this is just what has worked for me, so please remember to take everything I say with a grain of salt.
First of all... the numbers. I'm 5 feet 8 inches tall. At my peak I tipped the scales at about 175 pounds and wore a size 16, or thereabouts. At my skinniest I got down to 120 pounds and a size 2, but ultimately decided that weight was a bit too skinny for me, and not the healthiest.
These days my weight ranges from about 132-142 (I always wish those would be nice round numbers like 130-140, but they just refuse to be). I usually wear a size 6, but I've got stuff in my closet that includes sizes 4-8 - it all varies depending on how much I'm exercising, sleeping, and stressing, how good I'm being about sticking to my eating principles, and of course the cut of the clothing (why are some size 4's bigger than some size 8's?)
So here's my basic approach to this stuff.
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First, and most importantly, you have to completely forget the idea of "dieting" as most of us understand it. This is not some sort of temporary thing where you follow a bunch of crazy rules for a short period of time and then go back to "normal".
You have to think of this as creating a new way of eating and moving that is sustainable over the long haul. Trust me, if you return to your old behaviors, you'll return to your old body too.
OK - so the cliff notes version of my system can be boiled down to two words: Vegetables and Exercise! Basically, in a nutshell, my success is due to increasing the amount of those two things in my life.
Of course, it's not that simple, so here's an outline of my basic principles.
- Three Meals a Day. I have the best luck when I eat 3 square meals every day with no snacks. I know some folks say you should eat 4-5 small meals per day but this has always been a disaster for me because it leaves me feeling hungry ALL. THE. TIME. I do best when I keep it simple an stick to breakfast, lunch and dinner.
- Carbohydrates are for Energy. I vary the amount I consume considerably depending on how much exercise I'm getting. Unless I'm gonna be out cycling for 2-4 hours that day, I try to keep my consumption down to about 2 small servings per day.
- Sweets are Treats. I used to think that it was OK to have sugar regularly if I ate it in moderation. But for me, this is a recipe for disaster because A) I have no willpower... once I start I can't stop. And B) it just wreaks havoc with my blood sugar and throws me into a cycle of exhaustion and hunger. So while I don't completely abstain from them, I only have them once in a while. For me that means once every few months. To get my day to day sweet fix I eat fruit - about 3-4 servings per day.
- Beware the Simple Carb. Things like white flour, white rice and even alcohol are converted to sugar almost the instant they hit your system, so they can end up having the same effect as eating a pile of candy. I limit this sort of thing to my once a week movie night with CatMan. Usually this means either some white rice with Chinese food or pasta in lasagna, popcorn and a glass or two of wine.
- Protein is Power. I make sure that I've got a nice serving of protein at every meal because it makes me feel satisfied and keeps my blood sugar stable. For me that means one of the following: 2 eggs, one small piece of chicken, or one small piece of fish. On rare occasions I'll have a small serving of beef or maybe some legumes, but things like tofu, soy and fermented veggie proteins give me migraines so I try to avoid them.
- Veggies are your Friend. I try to build all of my meals around a big hefty serving of veggies. They're filling, low in calories, low in carbohydrates and loaded with nutrients. I think I heard somewhere that you should try to "eat like a gorilla" so I enjoy hefty portions of greens, salads, roasted veggies, stir-fry's and vegetable casseroles.
- Move to Live. Somehow in the modern world we've managed to separate "exercise" from every day living. Part of my approach is to make movement a part of my day to day existence. This means that I do things like walk or bike to run errands, garden, fix things around the house and just generally try to make sure that I include movement in my day to day life.
- Sports are Fun. Since I was a little kid I've always enjoyed sports. I'm a huge sports fan and unashamed of it. During my fat years I used to feel like I needed to "work out" all the time and it felt like a big chore. But then I re-discovered sports and remembered how much fun it was. These days it's mostly cycling, but at other points I've been obsessed with hiking, skiing, swimming, softball and yoga. (OK - yoga isn't really a "sport" but you know what I mean.) If you can find something that you love doing for the pure joy of it, it stops feeling like work.
- Muscles, Muscles, Muscles. The one place where I do a bit of traditional "working out" is with strength training, but it's not what you might think. I do what's called "slow weight lifting". This just means that I keep some hand & ankle weights along with a yoga mat by the television and try to turn some of my "Netflixing" time into "NetFLEXing" time. I find that having a bit more muscle mass really helps me to maintain my weight, plus it just makes everyday stuff easier because it's easier to lift things etc.
- Sleep is Sweet. I read a completely non-scientific study once where they took a group of stressed out women and had them commit to getting at least 7 hours of sleep every night. They all lost about 20 pounds effortlessly. I think there are studies that show that when you don't get enough sleep your body actually metabolizes food differently, and you go almost into a pre-diabetic state. I know from my own experience that when I'm sleeping well it's much easier to maintain my weight.
- Drink More. Water, that is. They say you should drink 8 glasses of water per day, and while I don't always get there, I try. Staying well hydrated gives me more energy and satisfies my need to "have something" between meals.
- Be Happy! I know it sounds crazy, and that it's sometimes easier said than done, but keeping my stress levels down and just generally giving myself a break makes it soooo much easier to maintain my weight. I think there's actually science to back this up - stress releases cortisol which is a steroid hormone that causes you to gain weight. Anyhow, allowing myself to goof off when I feel like it and not sweating the small stuff is a big part of my system.
So there you have it! I'm not sure if it will work for anyone else, but that's the plan I used to lose weight and I really have kept it off for 20 years now.
Sorry this post was so long, but believe it or not, this was the condensed version! Anyhow, I'd love to hear what has and hasn't worked for you!
First of all, good for you! What an accomplishment!
ReplyDeleteI have had a similar experience. I went through the Weight Watchers program 6 years ago, lost 60 pounds, and have kept it off. I think you hit the nail on the head--"diet" is a temporary mindset for most people. It needs to be changed to "lifestyle". I'm not sure exactly what made me decide "this is it--no more half-hearted weight loss efforts" but it made all the difference. I think your advice above is sound and is based on good science, not some current fad. I find for myself (I'm hypoglycemic) that I have to have small snacks during the day, so I just extend what I would otherwise eat in one sitting (for example, I'll have a bowl of oatmeal with milk for breakfast and have a yogurt and a piece of fruit mid-morning). That's where it's helpful to know your body and eat accordingly.
Other things I find helpful--I only buy junk food (chips, etc.) as an occasional treat--if you can't resist it, get it out of your home/workplace. Using smaller plates and bowls. Keeping around fruit and veggies that I actually like. Getting rid of my "fat" clothes so there's no going back. Taking the time to really enjoy my food--it's so easy just to wolf it down without truly tasting it. Finding exercise/activity that appeals to me and committing to doing it at least 5 days/week (if I let myself have too much time off in between, I keep putting it off and then it never gets done--I have learned to treat it like brushing my teeth--it's just an expectation I have of myself).
The biggest joy I had after losing weight was to realize that I could keep up running with my then-3-year-old-son. I didn't want to be on the sidelines of my children's life AND I wanted to set a good example for them.
Great post! I don't think it was too long if you don't think my comment was too long! :)
Congratulations on your success! That totally rocks!
DeleteI think maybe my body is just weird with the 3 meals thing, because if I eat enough to feel satisfied, then I don't get hungry again until mealtime. So the only way I can manage the small frequent meals thing is to stop while I'm still hungry, which just never works.
I totally agree about the junk food thing... for me it includes things like dried fruit - once it enters the house I'm doomed! If I can maintain willpower for a few minutes while I'm at the store, I'm not tempted the rest of the time.
All of our bodies are unique. My favorite thing about this article is how you explained that certain ideas work for you and some do not.
DeleteOne weird thing about me are that my resting and exercise pulse are higher than expected--like I'm some sort of tiny animal rather than a grown person. So if I make sure to keep my heart rate at only 60 - 80% of my estimated maximum, then I'm only walking fast with a knapsack. Jogging, swimming, dancing, and aerobics class all get me to 90 - 95% of of my so-called maximum heart rate, and if I don't go there, I get out of shape.
My mom's body temperature is lower than average, so it's hard for other people to realize when she has a fever.
Scientists know about the average person. Doctors, too, though they do see the variability. We are the experts on ourselves.
OK Debbie, this one made me chuckle big time. I'm like the person who's off the scale in terms of what's "normal" for soooo many markers. My body temperature generally hovers around 96.5-97 degrees, my resting pulse hovers around 60 beats per minute, and last time my blood pressure was measured it was around 100/60 - the nurse practically did a double take when she read the numbers!
DeleteMaybe you should have one of those medical cards listing not only your allergies and medications but also what is normal for you.
DeleteHa! Well, technically I don't think any of those numbers qualify as "out of range" as the medical folks like to put it - just at the low end of normal. I have thought about getting one of those medical bracelets though - especially for bike rides. But most of what I'm allergic to is food not medicine, so it's not really so worrisome as it could be - I doubt the ER docs would be feeding me IV Kung Pao Shrimp! :-)
DeleteMy greatest "success" with weight loss has clearly been stress and my emetophobia. Fearing that food will make you sick clearly makes it easy to avoid it lol! I have the opposite reaction to stress--I lose tons of weight. I've been known to lose 15lbs in less than a month just due to stress. I actually couldn't get over 100lbs (other than when pregnant) since my first was born...almost 6 years ago! It was only once we moved that I was able to put on almost 10lbs. I still have no clue how. I think it was because I was home more, so I was able to make things the way *I* like them, all OCD-like. I wish I could eat veggies the way you do. I have a horrendous diet filled with carbs and fats and sugar. I'm known to go days without a fruit or veg. I actually love fruit, so I'm not sure why I'm not eating more. It's probably because I generally have to wash it, and I am lazy. I know many who hate me for the fact that I eat a bunch of crap and am barely 100lbs, but I just try to remind them that they will surely be healthier longer than I will because this diet will take its toll at some point. The Husband and I are trying to eat more veggies + less processed food in general, but that means I have to learn to cook/like foods other than pastas, sandwiches + Mexican. On the plus side, my boys eat far better than I do, so there may be some hope for them...I may just not be around long enough to witness it lol! (but cookies are too damn good!)
ReplyDeleteOK... you're the kind of person we all love to hate! My best friend is just like you - she weighs around 105 and is trying to gain weight. Grrrrr... She's also the world's pickiest eater, hates veggies and frequently "forgets to eat." Sigh.
DeleteI guess it all just goes to prove that people metabolize food differently. When I eat things like pasta or sweets I become ravenously hungry within a few hours, but it obviously doesn't effect you the same way, so rejoice!
p.s. In terms of fruit, have you ever considered frozen fruit? I know it's not quite as eco-friendly, but it's nice and convenient and you don't have to wash it!
DeleteYou can make your pasta, sandwiches and Mexican food healthier without losing the yumminess. Use whole-wheat pasta and whole-grain bread. Add veggies to your pasta sauce and Mexican food--I'll chop frozen spinach very small and/or grate carrots or zucchini very fine.
DeleteOne more note. Cooking is a lot more fun (though also more time-consuming, at least at first) when it is a group project. Get your boys to help. Does your husband like to cook? My sister likes to ask for help with the "manly" parts of cooking, like chopping things up or crushing the graham crackers--use your imagination for ways to make different tasks sound fun.
Debbie- Thanks for the suggestions! We already do whole grain everything. I think the only times my boys have ever had white bread/pasta were at restaurants. I usually buy the organic brown rice pasta since I think my 3 yr old's eczema is triggered by gluten. Our issue is that we have 4 very different palates. My hubby is the omnivore and is generally responsible for the cooking of meat. My boys rarely eat meat. I try to add veg to everything, but each kid likes very different veggies. I'm a vegetarian/near vegan who can't eat straight eggs or dairy. I'd get my boys to help cook, as long as it's their own meals. I have food issues and don't like other people preparing/touching the food I eat. And since I see where my boys put their hands, I'm not sure there's enough soap to clean them off for my taste lol! Our meals usually end up where I make the kiddos food, hubby makes his meal, and I forage for random crap. Rarely do we have a meal where all 4 of us sit down and eat something similar. Last night was one of those rare nights since I made nachos, which could be tailored to all the different needs/tastes.
DeleteYikes! You have a lot of orchestrating to do!
DeleteMaybe you can thing of more foods that can be individualized like nachos. And occasionally make a big batch of something for you (or anyone) that you can eat for several days.
Holy Moly Megyn, feeding your family sounds quite similar to feeding my cats. I'll open a can of food and Smoky's like "quick, cover it up, it smells like shit!" and Sputty's like "eeeewwww... junk food only please, none of this healthy crap." And then there's Princess, who is really appropriately named "What?!? No dehydrated chicken sprinkles on top? Well, I never...."
DeleteBut then there's Jasper, the easy cat, "Well I liked it."
Sigh.
We joke that we stay slim due to the poverty diet. When all you buy is the healthy stuff, it's really hard to gain weight.
ReplyDeleteBut seriously, over 30 years ago I lost the 20 pounds of chubby teenager that I was carrying around. I did it by not focusing on food, and finding new hobbies that didn't involve dessert orgies. I busied myself with a daytime job, evening classes at a nearby comm. college, and a summer of trying to water ski. But the real thing for me was learning to like, appreciate and love myself, for me, so I didn't need to fill myself emotionally with food.
Good sleep and nutrition go a long way towards making good food choices. When I find myself reaching for too many sweets, it's usually because I haven't had enough sleep, or I'm not eating a balanced diet. Not enough protein and too much sugar just make me feel the need to boost my energy, with more sugar!
"But the real thing for me was learning to like, appreciate and love myself, for me, so I didn't need to fill myself emotionally with food." Oh, you said a mouthful with that one. I think so often we try to look at eating in a vacuum, as a purely scientific endeavor, but it just ain't so. I think that for many of us, we try to make food stand in for love or acceptance, and it really is a poor substitute.
DeleteHmmm, does this have relevance to your previous post about alcohol/drug use? Methinks I see a trend ....
DeleteNo doubt. Being raised by a compulsive eater there is little doubt in my mind that a huge chunk of the "obesity epidemic" in this country is an emotional problem, not a nutritional one.
DeleteAgreed. My mother is also a compulsive eater and it's no wonder -- she's absolutely miserable in life. It took a while to realize that food really isn't the best thing to use to soothe myself with. And it's not okay to eat cheesecake for breakfast just because I need calcium. Seriously, my mother thought cheesecake was a perfectly acceptable normal breakfast. Maybe on occasion. But not every day!
DeleteHey Zoe - it's kinda no wonder we developed eating disorders isn't it? For me, it was a bit like being raised in crazy-land where food was concerned, with wildly changing rules about what we could eat. When she was on a diet - no treats of any kind were allowed. Then she'd fall off the wagon and the house would be filled with donuts and candy and ice cream. She'd do things like give me a candy bar and then say she wanted a "bite" - at which point she'd shove the entire thing into her mouth while I stood there screaming and stomping my feet.
DeleteIt all makes me shudder just thinking about it. As an adult it's pretty easy for me to look back on it and see that she was using food to try to get away from her feelings, but as a kid it was all just crazy-making.
I think the real turning point with my ED was the moment I realized that my problem was really about anger and control, and that it had absolutely nothing to do with food.
I'm definitely still figuring out the anger and control part. I really appreciated this post from you because I hit my heaviest weight courtesy of the antidepressant and now I'm trying to figure out how to get down to a normal, healthy weight and stay there. I appreciate hearing that maintaining a healthy weight isn't something you never have to think about or work at, because sometimes I feel like Renfrew wants me to never think about my weight again. I'd like to be the healthy weight I was 20 pounds and one anti-depressant ago but without having thoughts about weight and food consume my life. You presented a very well-rounded way of looking and food and life here and I'm grateful for it!
DeleteYes well... it's not like I have the anger and control thing completely figured out, but at least I've learned to recognize the feelings for what they are and keep food out of the middle of that equation. But honestly, I didn't even start dealing with my weight until I was about 3-4 years beyond my eating disorder because I just felt like I needed to let myself "settle" - whatever that means.
DeleteWhen I did decide to start eating healthier it was in an effort to deal with my out of control migraines, and the weight loss was just a nice bonus. But it's certainly true that when I slip back into unhealthy habits my body follows suit.
I think you have a good sensible post. Generally, I don't have problems with being overweight, but if I eat a lot of sweets, I do gain weight. Then my clothes are tight which I don't like. I can't eat just three meals a day because my stomach can't hold that much at one time. I like to stop when I feel full because I don't like that "too-full" feeling. But then I eat again in an hour or two. I think I end up with the same amount of food as most people, it's just spread out over the whole day.
ReplyDeleteAnd this may sound petty, but I get pretty annoyed with people all the time commenting on how little I eat. They ask me if my food tastes bad or why I'm not eating. I'd rather just eat what I want and not have to explain that I will be eating again in an hour or two.
Anyway, I appreciated your post and your disclaimer that this is what worked for you. It's hard for some people to realize that just because they like a vegan or paleo diet, that is not always the best thing for everyone.
I think you're totally right that different things work for different people. I too hate the "too-full" feeling, but eating a full meal doesn't make me feel that way, it just makes me feel satisfied. If I eat a small meal then I'm still hungry afterward, so then I just keep snacking all day long and end up eating twice as much as I otherwise would. Maybe we just have different sized stomachs!
DeleteAnd don't EVEN get me started on "diet evangelicals"...
You're reminding me of a story I heard about a lady whose waiter kept asking her if there was something wrong with her food. Finally she had to explain that she had loved her food but there was enough for a family of four! I always bring containers to restaurants to bring home the leftovers.
DeleteIt's great to read everyone's comments, and how completely opposing ideas (snacks/no snacks) work for different people. It's clearly all about what work for you.
ReplyDeleteMy heaviest was probably around 196lbs (I'm 5ft 7in, so that puts me in the scary 'obese' category) but today I am 180lbs (and hopefully still falling). When I was a teenager, I managed to lose quite a lot of weight (can't remember exactly how much, but maybe 30lbs) and was 140lbs, sometimes 133lbs. To do this, however, I had to religiously write down what I ate, and run three times a week.
Anyway, over time I put the weight back on (ok, mostly at uni where there was junk food and alcohol and laziness). I've tried to lose it in a half hearted way a few times, but didn't hit on anything that really worked. Last year I decided that it was futile, and that I would be better to meal plan so I had three decent meals a day, rather than eating junk.
Last autumn, I started walking a neighbour's dog most week days, and my weight started to go down; then I started a new job which means I walk to work (25 mins fast walk each way) and the weight kept on going down. It's a combination of regular exercise and not being able to get to any food other than my sandwich at lunch time. Maybe all of the herbal tea we drink at work has helped too :) In any case, I have not been hungry, and have not really had to try- win!
Another thing I have found is that, for me, eating dairy/fat is ok, and should not be banned (as it is on most diets). I have porridge with full fat Jersey milk for breakfast (yum!) and that keeps me going til lunch, which is sandwich (often cheese) with homemade bread. Dinner is whatever I have decided to cook- the only rules are that I try and cook from scratch as much as possible. I am quite bad at getting enough fruit and veg- I always eat some each day, but there is room for improvement!
Just to add to my terribly long comment- I have a friend who is awesome at losing weight on diets...but when she has a break from them (for example over Christmas) she piles the weight on. If she stops being on a diet, she gradually puts it all back on. Strikes me that diets don't get to the root of the problem!
Yay for regular exercise. It really makes a huge difference in my opinion. I don't have strong feelings about dairy one way or another, except that I'm lactose intolerant so I have to be careful or I do bad things to my digestive tract. Sometimes I get on a real yogurt kick, and at the moment I'm enjoying cafe au lait on cold mornings.
DeleteAnyhow, in general I haven't found that watching the amount of fat I eat makes much difference one way or another. I do think that having some fat in my diet helps me to feel full and satisfied, so I generally just try to steer clear of the trans fats and stuff like corn oil.
And in terms of traditional "diets" - I really think they do much more harm than good. My experience is that any sort of temporary caloric restriction like that just messes up my metabolism and always caused me to gain back more weight than I started with.
Cafe au lait maid with lactose free milk, that is! :-)
DeleteI definitely find that eating fat/drinking full fat milk makes me feel full...the stuff that messes me up is white carbs/sugary stuff. Luckily, I don't have much of a sweet tooth :)
DeleteI've been having yoghurt every morning for a while now, and have found my digestion to be much better for it!
I think it's all about experimenting and working out what works for you..
Totally agree - it's the sugary stuff that does me in!
DeleteAs someone with one of those crazy, workout every day plans, this is great advice! I am going to steal that Netflexing idea. And I 100% agree on sports. It hardly feels like working out when you're just having fun playing a game.
ReplyDeleteI also LOVE to do little TV workouts while I watch football - especially when it's a close game because I can burn off my nervous energy!
DeleteI first weighed too much after working at summer camp where we got to eat as much as we wanted and it was free and cooked for us. I gained 15 pounds in 10 weeks, though some of it was muscle.
ReplyDeleteI eventually lost the weight of four summers of working at camp by a) realizing I shouldn't eat like a second puberty at camp--I gained 5, 10, and 10 pounds the other summers) and b) eating only my own cooking when I was away from camp (I could lose 7 pounds in 9 months).
The next time I gained a bunch of weight is when I sprained my ankle so badly that it took a year to recover. And then I got some kind of sickness that zapped my energy for two years--I didn't even run up stairs anymore.
And now I weigh too much because of eating out too much. My boyfriend loves to take me out to eat. It's because he loves to feed me, but I don't like his cooking.
I've gotten better at figuring out things at restaurants to eat that aren't so crazy fattening. Like having one migas breakfast taco--even on the white tortilla, this is okay.
But my current plan is to make sure I always have something halfway healthy cooked at home. Right now it's chili and brown rice. I do let myself have junk food but not when I'm hungry (otherwise I'll eat it for a meal) and not out of the box (portion control!).
Exercise doesn't seem to have any effect on my weight, but it has a lot of other wonderful effects and is especially important during weight loss to make sure you're not losing muscle. Since I know exercise has (virtually) no effect on my weight, I'm not tempted to eat extra if I've exercised extra.
Eating out is a hard one... you could just develop a pile of food allergies like me, and then it wouldn't be a issue! :-)
DeleteSeriously though, I totally agree that having healthy food on hand and easy to grab makes a huge difference.
What has worked for me ( nearly 30 kilos later)- when i started walking I literally just thought about my body being vertical - no huffy puffy, no breaking records, no sweating( that came later for me). I made lots of small changes that exponentially grew. So from walking a half block and looking at everyones gardens I now jog with weights as my warm up and meditate! Sometimes I wont walk or jog or run and I don't punish myself for it. I started listening to my body and not any one specific 'expert' who knows nothing about me. I refuse to belittle myself with words like 'bad', 'guilty', 'naughty', those words are sometimes for my cat lol but do nothing to help me. Also, the biggest thing I've learnt is to be kind to myself and patient- oh! and no number obsessing- weigh in at the GP once a month and then forget it- no scales or calorie counters around the house. ALso, no refined/ processed sugars and no full on processed wheat, carbs are lowered but not cut out, and only olive and coconut oil at home. Also, I didnt join a gym or buy fancy equipment- may never join a gym! the best thing that works for me is a skipping rope, medicine ball, 1kg weights, big blow up ball, ankle weights. These were all sourced second hand from local classifieds. Oh! and had to stop being self conscious about going out and being 'the fatty who is red faced and puffy' ! Heaps of sleep is a priority too. Lots of other stuff has worked for me, thsi is the basics. Ciao for now:)
ReplyDeleteOK, I had to go look up how much 30 kilos was. Holy moly! 65 pounds! That's awesome!
DeleteI totally agree - it's not just one thing that makes it work, it's lots and lots of little things. I've never been a big fan of constant weigh-ins, calorie counting or gym memberships either. It all just feels too much like trying to squeeze myself into a box, and I've never been any good at that.
I don't have any insight in this area because I am one of those people who has never had to lose weight. But! I am glad to hear you lost the weight and successfully kept it off all this time. That's awesome! Not many people can say that :)
ReplyDelete:I am one of those people who has never had to lose weight." Not many people can say that either! You know we're all jealous... :-)
DeleteThank you so much for this post. I know quite a few people who have lost weight but gained it back plus some; I am in that group myself. I've finally decided to ditch WW'ers as it's a lifestyle I personally have never been able to maintain. I want a healthy lifestyle but want to live it without having to track every point/calorie/carb as that's what drives me crazy. Thank you for a common sense road map. I applaud your lifestyle changes and that you've maintained your weight loss at a healthy weight for you. Awesome!
ReplyDeleteYeah... I know people who have had great success with WW'ers, I just think I don't have the personality for it. I chafe against rules in general, and anything that requires recording or tracking or measuring - hell, I don't even measure anything when I cook, how could I possibly measure everything I ate!
DeleteI've tried things like WW and general calorie counting before, and I start off losing weight and counting everything... But then I get bored of counting and I stop losing weight. Just concentrating on cooking good stuff is much more sustainable long term :)
DeleteThat's been my experience too.
DeleteGreat post. You and I eat very close to the same. I, have had bouts in my youth that I put on 20 or 30 pounds but it's been a long time that I had a lot of extra weight. Now I tend to gain and lose 6 or 7 pounds in the winter. I keep size 2, 4 and 6 in my closet. Right now I am firmly in the 4s. But I am shorter than you at 5'4". I weigh around 130 though. I work out like a fool and have a very muscular build. That has pretty much been my story for the last 20 years.
ReplyDeleteYou workout fool you! I get a LOT more exercise in the warmer weather when I'm out on the bike 2-3 days per week. I did an hour of yoga yesterday though, and it's amazing how much better it makes me feel. It's so tempting to become a couch potato during the long dark winter.
DeleteI have gained and lost 30 lbs four times in my adult life (you'd think I would learn) but one thing I know about myself now is that it takes 90 minutes of hard exercise every day, plus continuous vigilance about food, to stay at my ideal weight. Is it worth it? No. Quite frankly it makes me insufferable to be around! I am currently 8-10 lbs over my best weight and it still requires an hour of strenuous activity five days a week. I suppose I could restrict calories further and not work out, but I would rather be active. So I think each person has to figure out for themselves at what point their weight, food intake and fitness level is worth it for them.
ReplyDeleteWow! That's an impressive amount of exercise! I also suck at calorie restriction... it just makes me really grumpy. I think that's why I try to focus on what I eat rather than how much.
DeleteThanks for posting this. I'm in the beginning of a journey to lose 15-20 lbs. The tip about eating more veggies has helped me a lot so far.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your comment, and I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to reply... life sorta threw me a curve ball.
DeleteAnyhow, I'm really glad the veggie tip has helped you... now I just need to remind myself of that one! I fear I succumbed to my sweet tooth last night and made a big batch of banana muffins. Perhaps I should freeze some now before I scarf them all down... or maybe I should just adhere them directly to my hips and save myself some time! :-)