Quote:
Originally Posted by KDuffer
However, you should also consider that it will not be necessarily practical (or fun) to avoid having cake (or any particular foods) for the rest of your life. At least for me, having this list of can eat and cannot eat foods, although it may help me lose weight, ultimately cause me to fail when it came to maintenance since I never learned to deal with my eating problems (I only avoided as best as I could). So, at some point I would feel like I am "no longer on a diet" and start eating the "cannot eat" foods, which will take me down my old paths.
In some ways, it's better to start learning how to deal with our particular eating patterns and eating certain things in moderation (within reason). So, from that perspective, I would say, have a small piece of cake within your points and deal with it--maybe brush your teeth as soon as you come home so you won't feel like eating any more or go to bed earlier. For me, learning how to eat like a normal person came with practice. It was hard in the beginning but got easier over time.
Fun? No fun passing up on some mediocre birthday cake? Ooooh, I disagree. The year I was losing weight (& still) nothing was more fun then passing up on those foods. Nothing felt as good as being in control - finally. I loved that I was manipulating that scale (my body). Fun? Seeing that scale drop, seeing my size plummet, having added energy and stamina and confidence - now THAT was fun.
Some people can't deal with moderation. That's not a crime. Certain foods send me into a feeding frenzy. Like I said earlier, just ask any alcoholic. Should an alcoholic just have a few sips of that vodka, so that he can have some "fun"? One really has to define their own fun, don't they? Why does having fun have to be dependent on eating some cake? I think one has to learn how to have FUN while adhering to a healthy lifestyle. And now that I'm wearing size 4's and smaller, having my eating firmly in check, gained back my self-respect and self-confidence, I'm first having FUN. No, eating that stuff never provided me with fun or happiness or security or peace or calmness. Things that I've GAINED from NOT eating certain foods. Who wouldv'e thunk it.
As for eating like a normal person? No thank you. The majority of people are overweight and obese. Nope. I don't need to be "normal".
I eat carefully, mindfully and maturely. Passing up on certain things is okay. Really it is. And what are you passing up on? SUGAR, FAT? Certainly no nutrients. For many people brushing their teeth is not going to stop the
cravings that can last for days on end.
As far as maintenance, I've been maintaining a 165 lb loss now for almost 2 1/2 years now, using these strategies. It's not difficult. It's enjoyable. Fun, in fact!
We all have to find out what works for us - and what doesn't.