Sometimes when I don’t feel like writing it is because something is so wrong that I can’t find the words to express it. When that Thing happened I couldn’t write how I felt because it was so complex and confusing.
This time I’m not writing much because life is so good that I feel like I’m boasting or gloating. But I read something on Magda’s blog that made me change my mind
” … if you are riding the crest of a wave you can help others through your positive communication and modelling of positive behaviours. This can be really motivating to somebody who is struggling to get on a similar good footing. “
So I’m here to tell you that after almost a month of being back on a “diet” that I haven’t experienced any of the painful side effects that have dogged me in the past.
I haven’t felt deprived or starved, I haven’t been miserable or cranky (yes I can hear you Duckfish … except for the usual PMT moodiness), and I haven’t felt hard done by because I can’t eat what everyone else is eating.
The other day I went to eat with my colleagues at a Japanese restaurant where the food had been pre-ordered. Next to me was an overweight young lady who looked completely bewildered. “I’m on Weight Watchers” she sighed “and I don’t know the points of any of this food so I’m not sure if I’m allowed to eat it. I guess I’ll have to just not use my bonus points this week.”
Everyone else at the table looked at me expectantly waiting for the opinionated, self-righteous lecture on weight loss methods I would have spewed forth in the past. I merely smiled and dished up on to my plate the chicken, seafood, beef, veggies and salad and skipped the rice. I didn’t know the calories, protein, fat or carbs of the food, but I didn’t care. I just ate real food and skipped the grains.
Low carb eating works for me. The weight is just melting away. My current clothes are all too big so I’m back in my ‘off season’ wardrobe.
I am convinced that low-calorie dieting worked for me temporarily in the past because it limited carbs (1500 cals at 40/40/20 = 600 carb cals = 150 carbs) enough to lose weight slowly but not enough to curb my appetite. Now I just eat incidental carbs (in cheese, nuts, curry, veg) and I don’t worry about the calories. It gives me freedom to eat out without having a meltdown.
I guess I am eating Paleo style with dairy (cheese) as nearly all my food (except for the occasional protein bar and sugar-free chocolate) is unprocessed.
The point is, that after years of struggling with restricting and then bingeing — all of that behaviour is gone and it feels like it’s not even close to coming back. It is possible to find a place of balanced control even after a disastrous history of yo-yo dieting and self loathing.
If you feel like you’ve done all the emotional/thought work, and it’s time to get rid of your healing weight, then please watch this somewhat controversial video. It is quite long but well worth it. I know that there are probably tons of holes in his scientific method but I honestly don’t want to know. It makes sense to me and is working which is all that matters.
[googlevideo=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4362041487661765149#]