Pondering Normal
In three weeks, I’ve dropped 5.5 pounds on Weight Watchers. (8 more to go.) Week one was hard. By the second week, I was shopping and planning and into the groove. This week, week four, I can see the gremlin that is usually my undoing sitting on the curb just up the road, waiting to trip me up as I pass by.
That gremlin? It goes by the name of, “I just want to eat like a normal person!” In other words, I don’t want to have to plan every meal, pack containers of raw veggies for snacks, keep track of every bite. I get tired of the effort that it takes for my body to achieve and maintain a weight that by modern standards would be just shy of pudgy.
(Flashback: toward the end of my first year of college, sitting on the floor in the hall outside of the lecture room before my Inorganic Chemistry 101 class. Two slender women sitting across from me are planning a birthday dinner for a friend. One says “should I make spaghetti, or lasagna?” The other one says “ooh, make the lasagna; I love lasagna!” They go on to plan the menu without any talk of calories or how “bad” they will be for eating lasagna, with no apparent trace of the crippling guilt I feel at every bite that isn’t comprised of cottage cheese or naked lettuce. To my ears, it’s like they’re speaking a foreign language. I marvel, and wonder what it must be like to have a relationship with food that’s so easy and natural. I take another sip of my black coffee, try to ignore my growling stomach, and shift my focus to a paragraph in the textbook describing electron valences.)
After struggling with eating disorders for years beginning in my early teens and lasting into my early 30’s, it’s been a hard-fought battle to achieve what I consider to be a normal, healthy relationship with food. I know I won’t stuff myself on Thanksgiving just because I’m in the same room with a lot of food that isn’t available during the rest of the year. I can go to dinner at a friend’s house and not agonize for days beforehand about what will be served. I leave food on my plate in restaurants. I pass up pizza without a second thought because it gives me heartburn. I can’t remember the last time I ate to the point of discomfort. And I treasure this sense of normalcy around food, which is somewhat disrupted by having to plan and count and restrict.
I’m not giving up, though. I’m determined to adjust my normal if need be to incorporate the habits and discipline that a slimmer self requires without adopting the all-or-nothing mentality that used to throw me into a pit of despair and binging if I eat something unplanned, or go over my points here and there. As le monsieur is fond of saying about various endeavors, “it’s a marathon, not a sprint.” We’re always balancing between conflicting desires, between short-term pleasures and long-term accomplishments. To avoid being tripped up by my “normal” gremlin, I need to be mindful of that long term goal, and keep my focus and actions aligned.
When working on long term goals or projects, do you tend to get sidetracked or bogged down? Do you have strategies that help keep you focused and moving toward your goal?
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I am so afraid to try ww because I know I will fail. Everything I have ever tried, ie making very small changes over a period of time has not works and left me feeling disappointed. I am 50 pounds over what I used to be. I am inspired by reading your blog and Belettes. I am stubborn though, I don’t want raw veggies, I want good stuff! Keep up the good work and maybe you will inspire us all.
A strategy that works for me is to automate some meals. “Automate” means, forget variety, more or less. So for breakfast I might have whole grain toast and a piece of fruit, or the toast with low-fat cheese. But I don’t get deeply into choices, it’s the toast + cheese or toast + fruit. I’m thus freed from having to consider *everything*: points, possibilities. Sometimes I’d go a week or two with also a semi-automated lunch, like vegetarian chili or a tuna salad plate or an omlette.
It’s just like reducing clothes in my wardrobe: less choice is freeing. Then I’d lavish the variety and creativity on dinners, when the family also cares about what’s offered.
IMO WW are terrific. And Julianne, you can have ‘good stuff’- not all you can eat, all the time, but you will be able to have treats, it’s a matter of budgeting. And after eating more carefully you may find you lose your desire to eat as much rich or fried (or whatever ‘good stuff’ means to you)food.
Good for you, Pseu! I don’t know how to avoid future lapses, whether it’s watching our diets or working out, it seems we eventually fall off the wagon, then it’s tough to get motivated again. I have a skinny friend who weighs herself every day, and only ever allows a small gain before she reigns it in. I think Duchesse is onto something with cutailing her choices, that does tend to keep the portions in check.
OH, it’s so tricky! Hormones fluctuations are killing me right now, and I am just mainlining chocolate — for about two weeks every month. Grrr.
I have noticed how much better I feel with my apples and nuts packed for the work snack, and the good feeling helps me stick to it. My other trick these days? Quitting the wine. I still miss it, but my mood and my waistline (what’s left of it after twins) make it worthwhile.
Hello Pseu! I, too, am struggling with WW. I had my 55th birthday recently, and realized that I have spent the past 5 years markedly NOT caring for myself, and have 30 pounds and the resulting miseries to accompany it. Decided that I will end this decade in better shape, not worse. Lofty plans. Recently read The End Of Overeating by David Kessler MD, and it has helped me to see why I spent the entire shift last night thinking about the Dunkin’Donut box that sat in the nurses station, nearly to the point of madness. You are right, it would be lovely to see and think of food without the guilt.
Very good weight loss! Congratulations.
I struggle with the same issues you do right now. I never had an eating disorder when I was young, but now miss being able to eat whatever I would like. I go through life feeling deprived and STILL needing to lose a good 15-20 lbs. At the same time, I try feel good about how I look and to be satisfied with the knowledge that I will never be what society sees as slim. I would like to wear my nice winter pants and not have them look like I am poured into them.
My strategy for Thanksgiving (I’m the cook for the whole extended family) is to only eat if I am hungry and to watch my portions. Fortunately, I’m not a dessert eater.
Pseu, good for you for getting a heads start on healthy eating before the holidays.
I have never tried WW because it’s not in my nature to be that disciplined about measuring portions. But maybe I should start now.
I had a near breakdown on Saturday evening when I was trying to get dressed for the opera and none of my dressy skirts from my evening suits would go over my thighs.
Even all the exercise that I’m doing isn’t helping…it all comes down to caloric intake.
You and Belette are inspiring me!
Oh, good for you!
I am doing WW online. WW meetings, which I have done in the past, make me seriously crazy. (Something about all that paranoid wacko energy in the room that just messes with my head.)
I’m also taking it VERY slowly. Adopting one new habit at a time–then once that is fully ingrained, I add another. Right now, the habit is “no food in transit”–which isn’t about not eating in the car (which I almost never do); rather, it’s about not eating standing up, not eating moving from the kitchen to my office, etc. I have a feeling that it’s going to take me some time to unravel this one!
Oh after maintaining my weight for about 17 years I still say that! But the truth is my weight will climb back up again if I take my eye off the ball, so I just have to keep plodding and being vigilant but I would love to eat normally like other people.
One day I will loosen up but the time has not yet come.
I have a friend who’s done WW who complained about the same thing — it feeling abnormal to think about/plan what she’s going to eat. It’s probably because I’ve been diabetic most of my life, but to me planning my meals IS normal. (And if you can do it without the anvil-over-your-head feeling of diabetes, all the better!)
It’s kind of like planning what you’re going to wear the next day: it can be fun or routine or oppressive, it all depends on how you choose to approach it. I definitely support what Duchesse said, though, in that mix & match meals, like mix & match wardrobes, make the planning process much easier.
Anyway, good luck!
What I really liked about WW is that it educates you back to what you know is right — our society encourages, almost demands, over-eating, altho’ it simultaneously also demands a certain look. And we’re all so overstressed, tired, not looking after ourselves, that food becomes a quick comfort. WW, for me at least, nudges us back to considering other satisfactions AND to finding foods that can healthily offer some of the satisfaction we’re looking for. My experience with it has not been one of denial and negative discipline at all.
I’m impressed with yours and Belette’s determination to achieve a healthy weight that you like on yourself without developing unhealthy patterns . . . and I know you’ll get there!
It sounds like the results are encouraging and you are being mindful of what you are eating…I have never done WW and need to.
Belette is having fabulous results too and you both are currently helping me prepare for a major lifestyle choice…
I loved WW. It works (as you know) & it gets easier – the planning. Almost second nature. I would echo someone here who talked about her diabetes. I know several folks w/diabetes 1 – that meaning: forever. They don’t moan about it though…it’s just second nature.
I take my cue from their example. I wouldn’t want to moan about the unfairness of it all, sob, when they have a life threatening illness & have to jab themselves w/insulin & plan plan plan.
It gets easier, believe me.
Best wishes & here’s to your continued success.
You are doing a fine job! I don´t think I would be able to work for a very long time ( dieting ) to achieve results. A few kilos away in some easy way might inspire me to loose some more.
To maintain a certain weight is challenging. It is also impossible to loose weight from the mid section, without loosing it from the face too. Right now, I am ok with my face, not with my tummy section. Can´t have them both ( ;
The “normal” eating thing is what gets me, too, whenever I have to restrict my intake. Avoiding sugar for various body chemistry reasons, avoiding a billion foods that give me heartburn … it gets so oppressive.
For the record, though, I don’t think ANYONE has a truly healthy relationship with food. Maybe very young children, but just as we are taught to obsess about our bodies, we are taught to obsess about our intake.
I think your strategy of adjusting your personal “normal” is very wise, and love your husband’s marathon analogy. And I think you’re awesome, just FYI.
Julianne – I’d like to encourage you to give it a try, and go into it with the mindset of making small lifestyle changes to start. You don’t have to jump in with both feet and follow the plan to the letter at first. Give yourself permission to not do it perfectly. You can still eat regular food, just watch portions.
Duchesse – you’re right, of course. When I go on autopilot with my meal planning, it does take the stress out of it.
metscan – thanks! And I know what you mean about the face; that’s why I’m not trying to loose more than another 8 pounds; below that weight I start to look gaunt in the face.
Sal – it’s funny, I don’t mind restricting when I know there will be an immediate impact (skip the 9am donut to avoid a blood sugar crash at 11am) but when the rewards are longer-term, it’s easier to lose sight. And thank you, you’re a peach!!
Rita – though people who are overly obsessive about their weight have always irked me, I think your friend is on the right track about keeping the gains in check. I think I’d drive myself nuts weighing daily, but weekly should work.
dana – though you’re probably right about the wine, I’m not ready to give that one up yet.
😉 Hormonal fluctuations can be a bear too. Hang in!
Maravonda – that book sounds interesting, will check it out. It’s so easy sometimes for taking care of ourselves to get pushed to the back seat, but really everything else in our lives flows from that, I think. WW is a great way to focus on self-care, but if you find something else that works, more power to you.
S. – sounds like you’ve figured out a good formula for you. I’ve never been one for sweet drinks (black coffee and water are my beverages of choice). If you can do those kinds of small tweaks and lose weight, that’s fabulous. Those never worked for me; I think with my history and metabolism I have to really jump start the engine.
First, congratulations. Second, this is the good part of aging, that we know better what can go wrong, and we can course correct earlier. But finally, I have to say, I honestly think of raw veggies as the good stuff. Not raw veggies and nothing else, but I feel good in my soul on the days when I get lots of fruit and vegetables and lean protein and some whole grains. And a little bit of chocolate. I would not feel that I was denying myself. But that’s after a bout with bulemia, a mother who benchmarked very healthy eating when we were kids, and a constant reliance on my rational voice to make sure that I want to control my weight for my own reasons and nobody else’s. So I have intent every day to stay at the weight I prefer, but I don’t think the intent makes me too unhappy.
Susan – thank you! It’s tough to have to change how we eat, especially if weight or health has never been an issue before.
Belle – thanks! I know for me, anyway, exercise alone has never been enough to keep my weight in check. Even when I was running or going to the gym regularly, if I didn’t watch my intake I’d gain regardless of how many hours of cardio I did. Good luck!!
Judy C. – thank you for saying so. I’m glad that this discussion is helpful.
Jean S – thanks! I’m doing the online program as well. I sometimes enjoy meetings, but don’t have the time usually. I think taking it slow is a great way to go. Sometimes the all-or-nothing approach sets us up to feel like failures when we have even the most minor slip.
Tabitha – I’m still looking forward to reading the subsequent parts of your story. You do manage to work in some lovely breads, so it’s not all bad?
Anonymous – that’s a great point about diabetics or others with health issues that require meals to be carefully planned. I guess it just gets to be ingrained after a while. Thanks for the reminder.
materfamilias – thanks, and it must be a challenge for you with all of the incredible cooking that Pater seems to have been doing lately! I agree that our culture definitely has conflicting ideas between how we should eat and how we should look.
hostess – if you’re able to manage your weight on your own, to your own satisfaction, don’t feel compelled to jump on the bandwagon. I think this is really helpful for those of us who need to get back on track.
Susan – thank you, and yes, it’s a good reminder to think of people whose health depends on careful meal planning and no deviations. Glad to hear it gets easier. Having a few Lean Cuisines in the freezer at work has been a lifesaver this week…
Tiffany – thanks! I think it’s important to not feel deprived. While some of that is attitude, it’s also about working in some “treats” as part of the program. I set aside a couple of points per day for a glass of wine and thoroughly enjoy it!
LPC – thanks! Actually I very much like raw veggies; it’s just the having to plan and pack that’s felt a bit tedious at times. But I’m getting past it. I think you’re fortunate to have had healthy diet as part of your environment when you were younger. My mother was always swinging between crazy diets and eating junk, and we didn’t really have a healthy balance. She’d cook a “normal” dinner at least half the time (meat/potato/veggie) but didn’t serve a lot of fresh foods or keep healthy snacks. It wasn’t until I started trying to manage my weight as a teenager that my eating habits actually improved, despite the ED.
Honestly, one thing that has worked for me is focusing on what I’m drinking. I’ve always been rather petite, but some medicine I was taking made me gain about 10 pounds in 6 months, which is a lot when you are as short as I am.
I still have a couple of extra pounds, but I found that cutting out sweet tea/ hot chocolate/ sweetened coffee drinks/ whatever and drinking unsweetened iced herbal tea (or unsweetened hot tea when it’s cold out) instead was extremely helpful in both cutting calories and helping to readjust my palate to desire less sweet things. After an adjustment period, I actually really enjoy herbal tea now, so I don’t ever feel denied of something better when I drink it.
Also, making substitutions for things that I already like but are better for me… for example, if before I was eating a sandwich with a wedge of brie, instead I’ll have a slice of provalone on the sandwich. If I substitute a lower calorie item that I already like, I never feel denied.
If you’re eating almonds, get roasted almonds or flavored almonds rather than the gross plain ones. It’s amazing what roasting nuts can do to improve their flavor. If you’re eating veggies, sprinkle them with some sort of seasoning. If you make healthy things taste good, they won’t seem like such a deprivation.
Also, I just eat what I want sometimes, even if it’s a big plate of onion rings dipped in full fat ranch dressing.
I appreciate this blog. It and all of the comments are just what I need right now. Thanks.
Ah, the question of ‘normal’ is an interesting one, isn’t it? Although I’m naturally slight, I got quite chubby when I was about 15 and that began a ‘war’ with my body that lasted – off and on – through to my mid-20s. I love food and cooking, but my relationship with food was really distorted for a long time. Now I have a healthy respect for my appetite and listen to it properly. I eat whatever I feel like, which somehow frees me up to eat healthily about 95% of the time. Trying not to eat certain things always made me panic and eat way too much of other things …
Everything I have heard about WW has been positive; it sounds like a really sensible and sustainable way to approach weight loss. Best of luck to you.
I’m hoping your response to me was ‘on the fly’ b/c I did not say to automate all meals, just breakfast and maybe lunch a week at a time or so. For breakfast, you are not really awake anyway, you won’t notice it.
For lunch, your mind is on work, and it makes ordering or packing lunch easier, but eventually it’s boring, so I’d suggest automating lunch only for a week or two at a time.
Sal commented “I don’t think anyone has a truly healthy relationship with food.”I found this assertion far outside my experience. Though “healthy relationship” is not defined, at least 85% of the women I know eat a nutritious, balanced diet and enjoy their food.
Arabella – that’s a good point, however I’ve never really been one to plan out my menus to that degree. I probably should, I know…
Duchesse – sorry yes, let me elaborate. I keep in mind two or three options for breakfast menus and three or four options for lunch. I usually eat at my desk (unfortunate, but sort of the nature of it) so keep some frozen stuff on hand at work or have 2-3 low-points lunch options I can run out and grab quickly. Le monsieur tends to work long hours, so I generally don’t plan a week’s worth of dinners, just have a couple of options on hand and the rest of the time we just have soup and/or salad.
I think the percentage of people who have a healthy relationship with food varies. When I was in college, it seemed that every woman I knew had some sort of ED. Among women my age, not so much. Either they overcame it, or never had an issue to start. But I do know a few who still aren’t “normal” around food, including one woman in her 70’s who is anorexic.
First of all, ten large huzzahs for having lost the first five pounds, especially at this time of year…and secondly you have all my sympathy with regards to your feelings about this;since menopause I have found my weight to have “stabilized” at about 20 pounds higher than my fighting weight. And due to several very sad events in my life (both parents passing away in the last two and a half years) I’ve not had the will to grapple with it. I am not a heavy eater but my metabolism is extremely efficient, and nothing, I mean nothing but regular exercise where I break a sweat four times a week for half an hour, will budge the aforementioned twenty pounds. And like you, while it isn’t a life-threatening issue, it does kill the possibility of the life I would like to have. I have not re-established my former healthy habit of running, and now that winter and Christmas are upon us, I dread the upcoming social “fun” that is actually a huge stressor on me, particularly when accompanied by depression and envy of the lucky few who manage to manage their weight. One thing that has worked for me in the past was to visualize a time in the past when I was happy with my weight and fitness, and recreate that time in my mind as vividly as I can,the food I was enjoying and the physical routines I had created for myself like an emotional recall exercise from an acting class.Then I can actually generate enough endorphins to start regenerating the person I was then. Haven’t done this lately, too stunned by recent events, but I think it is time. Thanks for reminding me its not a sprint, but a marathon, and even a little adjustment pays off if done consistently. Good luck!
EXC– USE ME— congrats on the 5.5 pounds!!! I know that last .5 pound was just as hard as the other ten you dropped!
Remove the calorie/weight issue from the idea of meal planning for a moment….there I am with notebook and recipes getting ready to shop – making a list of the meals we’ll cook and eat for the week, planning in order to make sure we get the balance and needed nutrients and what the treats might be. I have never followed a WW program but it sounds like the planning within it isn’t all that different? Planning helps us look after our selves – good luck to us all!
Had a bit of a Tiny Tim moment at the end there!
Aww…. Honey, this is so sad to read. Sad that you put yourself on a restrictive diet at Thanksgiving time. Sad that you know to the decimal point what you have lost. Sad that you have ever allowed your poor stomach to growl. (An apple or a banana maybe?)
Sad that such an enormous amount of time, thought and effort is wasted thinking about food, the one thing you deny yourself. Sad that you buy into the notion of “normal standards”. Pudgy? Are you kidding me? You are so lovely!
This slimmer self you are struggling to create might just be an illusion. An impossibility. A torture that leaves you miserable and in despair. This breaks my heart.
Eat only what you truly love. If something isn’t fabulous, don’t eat it. If it’s delicious, eat a small portion. If it’s sublime, eat the whole damn thing. Move a lot. Walk a lot. Stay in tip-top health. After all this is said and done, you and your body can be at peace. Content, comfortable, free from this obsessive need to control.
“Both abundance and lack exist simultaneously in our lives, as parallel realities. It is always our conscious choice which secret garden we will tend… when we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that’s present — love, health, family, friends, work, the joys of nature and personal pursuits that bring us pleasure — the wasteland of illusion falls away and we experience Heaven on earth.”
– Sarah Ban Breathnach
Katriona – first, let me express my sincerest condolences on the loss of both of your parents. Both of my parents passed away in 2009, and I think it impacted me more than I realized for a long time.
It’s really true that making changes really requires a shift in mindset. With the world as crazy and demanding as it is these days, it’s HARD at times to get up a head of steam to make changes. Best of luck to you, and hope you get to that endophin place again soon.
Anonymous @ 11am – I hear where you’re coming from, I truly do. If what I was doing *felt* like deprivation or that I was giving up eating foods I really loved, I wouldn’t be doing it. The mindfullness is a shift, but no more a shift than what I had to do to overcome my ED (to be mindful of when I was hungry and when I’d eaten enough, to be mindful of what foods I was hungry for, etc.). I’m trying not to do this as an absolute, rigid set of rules, and am still enjoying my favorite foods (like the Boudin Noir from Saint Amour…pure heaven!). I’m not trying to achieve a weight that I haven’t seen since high school, am only trying to get to the point where I feel more comfortable and at home in my body. This does feel like self-care right now, but if that changes, I’ll re-assess. Thanks again, and I hope you have a lovely and delicious Thanksgiving.
Frugal Scholar – thanks, I’ll keep an eye out for that cookbook. I’m wary of that obsessiveness too, and am trying to keep a balance and not get kookoo over it.
Susan Tiner – I’m keeping “marathon, not a sprint” first and foremost in my mind over the next few days! Life is meant to be enjoyed.
Anonymous @ 11:12 – that’s such a beautiful and apt quote! Thank you for posting it.
I have this relationship with clothes! Clothes are my food. I’m sorting it out and it is hard as I move towards the goal.
I know what you mean. Honestly I really recommend Paul McKenna’s i can make you thin – it is really motivational and has a handy cd which you can listen to to take the stress of it all away xx
Check out “Perfect Recipes for Losing Weight” by Pam Anderson. She lost 50 lbs and is a cookbook author. She worked treats into her day–tea with scone etc. The book is very inspiring and does not contain what is thought of as diet food.
One of my colleagues lost 50 lb on WW and has kept it off…but is completely obsessed with food, points, etc. But she’s an obsessive person, so it’s hard to say if it’s WW or the person.
Like your new pic, btw.
Re-evaluating one’s eating habits does not equal deprivation.
Our current North American culture urges us to consume more and more, whether it’s food or shoes: you deserve it, treat yourself.
Is it not a good idea to question a more-is-more culture, where portion sizes are larger by the decade?
But there are many options between being hungry and mindlessly eating.
“If it’s sublime, eat the whole damn thing?” As we age, that’s not such a wise strategy. I’m much happier with eat some, enjoy every bite, and this is form someone who could murder a Sara Lee cheesecake.
I’ve read a couple of interesting articles about age perception and health lately… the gist of which is: If you dress “old” or identify as “old” – which to my mind includes both blindly accepting the fact that you will inevitably gain five or so pounds a decade, and are wearing the sort of clothing you would have … never even considered stylish for anyone in your youth… your actual health will suffer.
http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/03/03/age-perception-influences-capabilities/11830.html
The body follows the mind – in ways we are just starting to recognize.
I’m not at all advocating the wearing of unflattering, youth-oriented styles that don’t suit… just pointing out that the right attitude can work wonders.
You weren’t happy with the way you looked – kudos to you for recognizing that and making great changes!Changes ARE harder, the older we get.
Food for thought: Expectations about the way we *should* feel about our bodies – whether it’s striving for an unrealistically youthful ideal OR feeling like we should “settle” for a body we don’t feel good about because it’s “inevitable” are equally constricting.
I’m exactly in your position. I just turned 48, am unhappy that my pretty decently healthy diet hasn’t resulted the same weight that it used to, and have committed to making manageable changes to get to where I feel GOOD about the way I look, instead of… excusing myself, like I’ve done for the last year or two.
It’s a personal issue, of course, but I’m just not willing to give up the feeling of getting dressed without it being a balancing act to get to “Hrmmmn… I look good… considering”.
Well DONE on the weight loss! Happy Holidays and much continued success in your journey.
Congratulations on your weight loss!
I’ve lost a little myself, but refuse to think about it anymore this week.
Next week…
Make Do Style – I have this problem with shopping too! I’m also trying to apply more discipline and guidelines to my shopping habits. I’ll see if I can find that book and have a look. Thanks!
RoseAG – thank you! Actually, my diet has been pretty good in the last few years with regard to fresh, healthy foods and portion sizes. I just needed to tweak it a bit more and pay more attention to little bits here and there that add up. I rarely eat fast food (except for Subway) and very, very little fried food or junk food. I agree that vanity *can* be a good motivator toward a healthier lifestyle, as long as we don’t carry it too far.
Duchesse – so very true. I’m also trying to apply a more disciplined mindset to my buying habits. I agree that there’s a lot of ground in between total indulgence and deprivation. I think we forget that sometimes when we get caught up in the “I deserve it” mentality.
Anonymous @ 4:47pm – I’ll have a look at that article, thank you. I do think it’s true that our attitude can influence our physical well-being; I’ve read that people with positive attitudes tend to have fewer chronic health issues. (Not to imply that we can totally control our health, some health issues are beyond our control.) My goal with style is to look *current* not younger, and I think that staying in touch with what’s going on in the world and culture is important to our mental functioning and physical health. That’s a great point about both extremes being equally constricting. Thank you very much for the support and encouragement!
I think the first issue is this: “normal”. What is normal? Normal people do plan their meals. Normal people do bring snacks so that they can make better choices.
Yes, there are many normal people who do none of that, but would you rather be “normal” and fitting in with the average (over)weight American? Believe me, I know the weighing and measuring seems tiring and time-consuming, but the rewards come. You will slowly start to feel that it’s second nature.
Also, why don’t you try the Simply Filling Technique if you find the measuring and the tracking too tedious. Continue to track, but Simply Filling makes it all so much easier.
S makes some very good points about making things taste “good”. I would add that over time, you may find yourself loving the taste of clean, healthy food. Yes, roasted nuts may taste better to you, but the salt and the flavorings can trigger more cravings.
Continue on. Talk with your leader. Make use of the WW boards for moral support.
Great job on the diet! It’s not easy to wean oneself off of large portions and fattening foods.
I like to remember that normal women put pounds on over the years and accept it. They gravitate to elastic waistlines and blousy tops and don’t do much about their diets until they have some health crisis.
In this arena not eating like a normal person is holding yourself to a higher standard, one that will keep you in sizes that are readily available and easy to find.
Vanity is not a bad thing.
Gina – yes, that’s what I mean about “adjusting my normal.” The planning and measuring habits will hopefully take root, and like learning to drive a car, require less and less conscious decision making as time goes by. Is Simply Filling like the old “core” plan? I couldn’t really find anything on the website. Apparently they’re launching a major update of the program on Monday, so I’ll wait and see what that’s all about before I tweak what I’m currently doing. I haven’t been going to meetings as I’ve just been too crunched for time, but may try to do after this holiday break. Thanks so much for your comment and support!
Pseu —
Sounds like you are doing really well exploring what makes you feel better physically and mentally…at an oft-brutal time of the year for traipsing along in “everything/moderation” mode!
I think I’ve mentioned I have no trouble resenting anyone to whom things come easily, especially when it’s something that requires more effort on my part.
And thus I’ve never given up resenting (to greater or lesser degree depending on my mood) having to exercise as well as shop for/cook, choose, and eat healthier foods while limiting more indulgent food and beverage choices…even if I appreciate the outcome in terms of blood pressure/cholesterol, skin texture, energy, etc.
But guess what?
Resentment doesn’t seem to impact the results…behavior does!
So really, don’t feel you need to change; I’d love some company 😉
[But naturally I’m rooting for you to come to looooove the hoop-jumping.]
Signed, Screw Liking the Process — Just Get Me to the Desired Outcome