I eat between 1600-1800 calories a day. If I subtract out what I burn in exercise, I'm getting between 1300 and 1600 daily. My BMR is in the high 1400s (1477, I think), so I figure I burn about 100-200 in normal living activities (on average).
Exercise has always been my achilles' heel. So I made a decision four weeks ago today--I was going to walk. I always ran for exercise before (that is what my siblings do) and I HATED it! So I decided to do it my way, even if I looked like a crazy old woman, walking briskly enough to get sweaty on a somewhat-hilly 3.5 mile loop in my neighborhood every day. I've added sprints at the end (a .3 mile sprint up one street, walk the next, then a .1 mile sprint down the third street, etc.) and I do a few basic exercises for abs, legs, and light weights for arms on days I have time. I also love pilates, and again, I do that when I have time or on days when it's too hot to walk. My biggest problem in sticking to a plan before was that I (1) HATED to run, and (2) I was afraid of looking like an idiot. What I made myself do was drop that stupid fear. I let it go because I wanted my good health more. I wanted to see the real body that I've been given and learn to accept that--and nothing else. I want to be accepting of my true body and not complacent about working hard to reverse the damage I've done to it.
For me, eating right was mostly about portion control and giving up junk food. For example, when my dad and all my older siblings are eating bowls of ice cream at 9 at night watching a baseball game, I remind myself that ice cream isn't gone forever--I'm just waiting until a friend's birthday party or some other special time to savor one scoop (frozen fruit is also DELICIOUS and a great late-night snack!). I use everydayhealth.com's food journal to estimate my calorie intake, but I'm only doing that to double-check that I'm on the right path. My main thing is a sheet of graph paper that I use to chart what I eat each day (along with water intake--I'm constantly forgetting to stay hydrated). That way, when I do enjoy a treat, I can say, "Oh, look, I had a treat on Tuesday at that party that I didn't budget for. Guess I should wait until next week or the week after to go for a Sonic run with my girlfriends." I also eat SLOWLY and MINDFULLY. My big problems are mindless eating (grab a handful of chips at the party, walk around, grab another handful, and so forth) and downing a plate of food way too fast. It was difficult to slow down, but I read that it takes about 20 minutes for your body to realize it's full. So if I'm eating by myself, I watch the clock. If I'm eating with the family, I watch my oldest sister (the slowest eater in our house) and I pace myself along with her. This is trickier when I'm very hungry, but it's still doable and I end up full and happy with my good decisions.
You aren't weird because you worry about this. Make good, healthy decisions for the right reasons, and your body will end up where it is supposed to be.
So you are eating between 1600-1800 calories and losing weight? When you started eating this way, when did you start noticing the scale going down?
I like your approach. Its sensible, not extreme, and very stustainable in my eyes. I am trying something new. I figured out one of the reasons I get so strssed when "dieting" is that I have nothing to really look forward to. So, what Ive decided to do is eat healthy all day long, and let myself eat what I want at dinner (within moderation) and also make sure to get in a at least a 40 minute workout 6 days a week!
Thank you for those tips. I am going to do the "write down why you want to lose weight" tool and see if that helps!
Doesnt it make you feel better reading this and seeing all the people that relate? Its starting to make me actually feel normal and not a crazy obsessed girl with an eating disorder. I am so glad I have 3fc featherweights!!
Dianne,
Absolutely! I try to explain how I feel to my boyfriend or friends sometimes, and although they can understand to some extent...they don't UNDERSTAND. It is really helpful to hear that other people feel a similar way. And, it's motivating to hear about different approaches to addressing it.
I find myself often lost in these food/diet thought cycles that completely suck away my time. I may be better at not binging, but I find that I perserverate endlessly on dieting strategies in my mind, whether it's calculating what I can eat today and what the calories are best spent that way, worrying about if I'm eating the right amount of calories or exercising in the best way to maximize my diet, or lamenting over the weeks during the last year when I took a dieting break and just slowed down the path to my final goal. For instance, I try to eat 1200-1300 calories a day. When I don't see the scale change, I freak out about how perhaps I am eating too few calories to lose weight. So, not only am I restricting my calories--there is no payoff for it!
I am proud of myself and the control I have gained...but I hate how much this consumes my thoughts sometimes. It sems it's gotten even worse now that I'm so close to my goal. The talking myself out of it happens all the time (Oh, Alli..you've done such a good job. Don't be silly. You can splurge on something you want) and then I just feel horrible a week later when I realize I wasted a week NOT losing weight and made it one week longer until I can feasibly reach my goal. Blah.
Sorry for the ramble. I feel like I just wrote an essay and I should have a conclusion. Instead, I'm ending it with BLAH.
I am glad you guys are here. I know it's been a hard road all these last 70 pounds I've lost. But, I can see these last 20-30 being even harder! ...not to mention the maintenance.
One thing I do if I think I might be tempted to indulge in dessert at a restaurant because my friends are doing so is take along a piece or two of high-quality dark chocolate or a couple of small York Peppermint Patties or some such. I stash those in my purse and I eat them slowly at the table while everyone else is eating their high-calorie desserts.
If I am at a party, I stay away from the food. I don't sit at the counter or the table where food and alcohol are prevalent. I move to the other side of the room, or to another room entirely, and I get lost in conversation, and before I know it hours have passed and I haven't eaten any party food. In addition, I will sometimes bring my own healthy food and eat that while others eat what has been provided.
Last edited by Petite Powerhouse; 07-29-2010 at 01:22 PM.
