Eating MY Way and Feeling Great!

I have been asked many, many times what program I'm following to lose weight, what foods I'm eating or not eating, what exercises I'm doing, and exactly how much walking I'm doing. I don't have a clearcut, solid answer for my weight loss plan. I have counted points, counted calories, measured, eaten percentages, etc. I have done it all at one time or another.  I have been on and off this diet roller coaster for most of my life but somehow have finally managed to go in the right direction. I have definitely been all over the place with my food choices throughout this whole process. I have changed my diet many times to find what works for me - not just for weight loss but for my overall feeling of wellness - and now I think I have finally found more of a permanent, lifelong way of eating... one that WORKS FOR ME and makes ME feel good.

In the very beginning [of this particular chapter of my life], I went to Weight Watchers. I wanted, and needed, the structure. Weight Watchers works ... sounds like the commercial, right? ... it really does... if you stick with it. As with most diets. You eat real food and make your own choices so I think it is a good program but you have to make the RIGHT food choices, not just eat for points. I stuck with Weight Watchers for awhile, dropping my first 25 pounds and then started "cheating". I decided I could do it on my own without paying a weekly fee (no need to waste the money if I wasn't going to stick with the program). Eventually I got bored and the diet felt too restrictive (there are only so many points in a day!). I was constantly obsessing about food, how many points it had, how many points I had left for the day, and how many points I just went OVER my allotted amount! Weight Watchers got me started and for that I am thankful and would suggest the program to anyone who needs the structure and guidance.

Being mindful, I started paying attention to the amount of food I ate and cut out most sugar (candy bars, cookies, cakes...)and ALL fast food (except for Subway, which doesn't really count as "fast food" in my opinion, like McDonalds, Burger King, etc.). I eventually stopped really trying and stayed at the same weight for nearly a year. I was happy I could maintain my weight loss for that long but finally decided I needed to lose more of it. I went to a sports nutritionalist who helped me realize I was eating TOO FEW calories for the amount of walking I was doing (imagine being told to EAT! MORE!) and that my diet wasn't balanced. I was eating too much processed food which was nothing more than junk food. Somewhat reluctantly, I gave up my daily frozen meal(s) - and seriously went through withdrawals! - and started eating more whole foods - fresh and tasty foods! That's really where all the changes started taking place (Thank you Tracy!) and I started dropping the pounds again. I also felt a lot better and had a lot more energy. 

Of course I have gone through periods of not trying... of being happy and comfortable where I was at... and then to being unhappy and trying again. I have had many ups and downs (always within a ten-pound range) and many months of no movement at all. Regardless, I have accomplished a lot and certainly don't criticize myself for not having it all off by now. I don't care how long it has taken. All I care about is that I never regain it. That is ALL that matters to me. I will eventually lose the last of my unwanted weight and will work for the rest of my life never to gain it back again.

I don't think there is any one way to eat. Eating healthy is the most important and of course, there are many different opinions on exactly what is "healthy".  My way may not be your way but I think we can all agree that there really is no "quick fix".  Don't waste your time or your money on every new diet program that comes along. Rapid weight loss almost never stays off so be willing to put in the time and make the lifelong commitment to eat better 99% of the time. Cut out the fast food, the processed foods and sugars. Be mindful of what you are eating. YOU. CAN. DO. IT!

Another thing that has helped make my weight loss journey a success is by not keeping the "fat clothes" around. Every time I lose enough to go down a size in clothing, I buy a few new outfits and donate the clothes (ALL. OF. THEM.) that just got too big for me. I don't allow myself the safety net of having the larger sizes in the back of my closet "just in case." If my current size becomes a little snug I get back to reality and start watching what I eat again. There is NO WAY I will allow myself to buy clothes in a BIGGER size again. Get rid of the crutch.

So about my latest way of eating... it has been over a month since I last ate meat with the exception of one meal of salmon a week ago, which some will call "meat" and some won't. Fish seems to be placed in a different category but personally, I still consider it "meat" and don't plan to eat it except on very rare occasions. The rest of the meats (beef, pork, chicken, etc.) were never a big part of my life (I ate them though) but now I can say they probably won't ever find their way back on my plate again. I have no cravings for meat at all and quite honestly, thinking about eating it now makes me gag a little! Amazing what your mind is capable of, isn't it? 

(I'm still cooking meat for my family and not expecting them to follow suit. I'm not one to push 'my way' on anyone. We are all individuals with our own minds, preferences, food issues, etc. Find what works for YOU and stick with it. Not everyone is going to agree with how you are losing weight. ("Not eating meat?! Are you kidding me?! You'll die from lack of protein!")  There are plenty of Negative Nellies out there - who often times are disappointed in themselves because they aren't losing their own unwanted pounds - as well as too many "experts".)

I find myself unwilling to go out to eat most of the time now for fear of not finding anything on the menu that I can eat other than a side green salad, minus this and that. Unfortunately, MOST vegetarian meals are made with onions and I have a VERY negative reaction to onions and avoid them COMPLETELY. That actually creates a HUGE issue when dining out (and always has - regardless of being a meat eater or not) because it seems like everything has onion in it in one form or another. Chefs LOVE using onions (trust me, I know) so finding meals without them isn't easy. Not being able to eat onions limits my choices to very few on ANY menu. It is much easier to just eat at home.

So what exactly AM I eating? Lots and lots of variety, actually!

I am getting much more creative in the kitchen and trying foods I never had before. One of those new foods is Quinoa.  I use it in place of rice in different dishes such as Mexican Rice, Vegetable Stir-Fry or Stuffed Bell Peppers. I also eat it as a side dish or mix it with beans to make a meal. If you haven't tried it, you should. 

Another food I just discovered is Black Rice. It has A LOT of flavor and it's very good for you too. It might just be my new favorite!

I'm also busy cooking up pots of all kinds of fresh beans (navy, kidney, pinto, garbanzo) as well as black-eyed peas and lentils.  I'm eating a LARGE variety of vegetables and fruits too along with lots of different types of raw nuts.

I don't eat dairy except for one yogurt a day (for some reason I want that ONE) and I have recently (within the last week) completely stopped eating wheat products (surprisingly my appetite took a nose dive - SERIOUSLY - after cutting wheat) and no, I do not have celiac disease. I read enough about the negative effects of wheat so I decided to try to eliminate it. It hasn't been all that hard but you have to be willing to give up bread, pasta, crackers, cookies, cakes, and a million other things you would never suspect wheat being added into! (Read the labels.) So far, so good. 

AMAZINGLY, even with ALL that I have given up out of my diet, there are still PLENTY of choices out there left to eat.

My diet has been evolving for quite awhile. A couple years ago I had no end of stomach problems, pain, etc.  Through MANY trials, errors and tests, I have been able to pinpoint exact foods (and what they boil down to - dairy, fructose, etc.) that cause me problems. The changes I have made have not only improved my stomach issues, they have ELIMINATED them. I feel 100 times better .... actually, a MILLION times better!

Now... with all that said... I am the first one to admit I am not perfect (big surprise, right?!) and I have my moments of weakness. I have times of stress when I eat anything and everything in sight! However, those times are getting fewer and fewer - I would rather feel good than be physically ill - so overall, I am on the right track to being a very healthy individual. I just have to stick to it...

LIFE IS GOOD!