Hey ya'll--
I've been doing some thinking as of late.
After 8 years of therapy and the occasional yo-yo dieting, I finally was ready to start losing weight this past spring.
I started out with just walking, and cut out meat and milk (due to gallbladder removal surgery, I just can't eat meat/dairy any more) from my diet. I have lost a total of 84 pounds to date.
Even though I haven't lost weight when I weighed myself last week (stayed the same), I won't really know if I'm in a plateau until I weigh myself again this coming Wednesday. Nevertheless, I continue to keep my calories in check and walk 6 days a week.
(I've gone ahead and ordered a new, different exercise dvd in the hopes it'll help me break any possible plateau I may have).
What I was thinking about is this. Due to genetic tendencies towards addiction (my family sure has a load of 'em), I find that I do have an addictive personality... meaning, I'd go overboard with bread/starches, or too much sugar in my tea (I've now switched to Stevia, but it's still sweet, which makes my system go nuts and want more of it).
I've learned to keep my portions in check (thanks to "French Women Don't Get Fat"), but I find I still have a part of my brain that goes off when I eat carbs and sugar, wanting more and more. I have better self-control now (hence the 84 pound weight loss) in regards to food.
I've been doing some reading on "Sugar Busters!" and "The Rosedale Diet." As a result, I'm in the process of developing a 3 week meal plan (modified from "The Rosedale Diet" since I'm a near-vegan) in which I eat more veggies than starchy carbs and "detox" from refined carbs and processed sugar as much as I can. (I'll be keeping my protein levels about the same... tofu/tempah/vegan "meats" that are low in carbs/processed sugars, etc).
I do plan to reduce my carb intake somewhat during those 3 weeks and then slowly increase my carb intake to a level appropriate for weight loss. (I understand my weight loss progress might be screwy during those 3 weeks and probably afterwards as well.)
I'd also be cutting out as much processed sugar as I can for the 3 weeks in order to cut down on my sugar cravings as well. (I'd be relying more on fruits and veggie snacks with almond butter or small servings of nuts for when I have a sweet tooth. Cookbooks are amazing in what you can whip up these days....)
It'll take me another week or two to get all my meals planned out for 3 weeks in order to start it (plus make sure my local grocery store has everything I need to cook with
)
*** What makes me kind of nervous is this: for the longest time, starchy carbs in the form of refined bread products and as well as sugar (i.e. candy) was like crack for me (hence the 182 weight gain over the course of several years).***
Changing my carb intake from refined carbs to whole grain carbs is kind of like letting go of a "food security blanket" since I've never been a fan of whole wheat, etc.
How do others on 3fatchicks.com handle letting go of addictive food substances?
I guess its the detox process which makes me curious, optimistic, and a bit nervous as well. I can't get rid of food altogether like some do when they have problems with alcohol or cigarettes. But I'm hoping that in my journey to a healthier eating lifestyle, that this will help me out.
Do I sound nuts?