My plan to become slender and willowy and alluring is not working out and the reason seems to be that though I go for days and days eating only celery and RyKrisp and a soup made from birch twigs and lichen, I black out occasionally and when I regain consciousness I am crouched over the half-eaten carcass of a gazelle and my hands and face are red and sticky and I’m disgusted, of course, and yet very rare gazelle does taste good when you’re hungry, and the exertion of chasing one and bringing it down does make a person ravenous.
- Garrison Keillor, A Puritan’s Path To Weight Loss and Eternal Happiness
I spent the weekend cleaning closets and trying to distract myself from the attractive treats calling me from the kitchen. Aside from the occasional lapse (where I’d duck into the refrigerator for a slice of cheese) the weekend was mostly successful. The closets are clean and the treats are (mostly) still there.
Riverdaughter is right to focus on exercise but, it’s nearly impossible to control weight just with exercise. Walking a mile burns about 100 calories (this varies according to your weight) so most of us will have to watch what we eat too. And I know from experience that the RyCrisp diet doesn’t work at all for me.
Other things that don’t work for me are:
- Toast & Cheese for breakfast
- “Just One” Cookie
- Dessert
- Afternoon snacks
The list of things that do work for me is equally simple (in theory):
- Don’t eat between meals
- Don’t take seconds
- Walk 6 miles a day
- Drink 2 liters of water a day
I can eat whatever I want for my meals as long as I follow those 4 simple rules . . . . Which leads us to the fact that the rules are simple to say but take a daily commitment to work.
Going forward, developing a plan that works — defining a simple list of rules is the first step. My rules work for me but, after blogging about Food and Eating for 3 years, I know they don’t work for everyone. Maybe you’ve already got your list. However, don’t panic if you don’t — your commitment will begin with a daily commitment to develop a plan for yourself.
Have you already made your commitment or are you ready to make a commitment to a healthy lifestyle? Have you got a plan that works? Or are you in the development phase?
6 Comments
Yeah, I have to regain some control too. Cold weather has driven me back to the car (no pun intended), so I no longer have the excuse of not wanting to walk in the biker boots.
Just in time for Eating Season to *really* kick in, right? Hey, I lost weight this time last year… I can lose it again.
Me too FAR — I remember that we both did pretty well. It was last year’s nearly endless winter that did me in. When we were still getting snow in March and April, I cracked.
I’m hoping to do better at both ends of the season this year.
Wonderful blog! So happy that I came across it! I can relate to many things that you have talked about, especially the things that work for me and things that don’t list!
Thanks for sharing and I look forward to reading more.
Blessings – Jen
Katiebird,
Lifelong struggler with weight myself. Trying to get the will to try yet again, feeling horrible physically right now, but afraid to fail yet again.
Your plan sounds so sensible, but can I ask a question? Do you watch the kinds of foods you eat, or just stick to the no snacking and no seconds rule? What about dessert?
Thanks.
Hi Molly — It really is just about that simple. Although it’s not at all easy.
Yes, I do eat dessert now and then. But it’s measured portions and only when planned as part of dinner.
Four things that have combined to stabilize me out over the long term, past 9 years or so, in the context of whatever eating habits are working at a given time:
* 2 tbsp flax oil a couple times a day, in a cold protein shake, plus a handful of fish oil caps at least 1x a day. The best single thing anyone can do for their blood sugar, diabetic or not.
Why does that work? First, the bulk Omega-3 oils in the flax oil get preferentially incorporated very quickly by all your cells into their cell membranes, displacing the saturated fat from your diet. Once there it physically acts to improve the functional efficiency of those membranes with regard to maintaining blood sugar metabolism. Then, the EPA and DHA components of the flax and fish oils work to regulate both the production and action of the insulin transporters in all your cell membranes. These actions together help to lower your body’s overall need for insulin, improving any insulin resistance you may have and helping stabilize hunger and mood. And as a side benefit, improving your triglyceride and HDL/LDL numbers, decreasing inflammation and pre-atherosclerotic intravascular adhesivity.. well never mind Im getting off topic
* Free access to good quality protein shake powder, Costco’s purple bag EAS works fine. Nothing wrong with high protein chocolate milk two or three or however times a day lol, and makes a good vehicle for the flax oil as well. Makes you feel alert, fed, and less hungry for sweet snacks at the same time.
* No big eating after 4:30pm, unless refueling from a late workout, having dinner with a friend etc. Smaller eats before 7pm and protein shakes before bed as needed are fine, but after a lifetime of big dinners I found that after getting used to this I slept much better when my main meal comes in the middle part of the day.
* Lots of friends, lots of social face time, plenty of outdoors time, lots of love. Happy heart gives a happy body, always
Best to you