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Do not diet. This comes from someone who has had a lifelong weight problem and always will. I started making changes in what I ate - they were slow changes but ones that have now become part of my norm. I watch my carbs, I do not eat bread except for low carb pitas, eat fresh fruit and veggies seafood and other meats. And I swim 5 days a week. It took years to get to this point. I am not concerned about fitting into a size 10. I want to be healthy and gradually lose weight but mostly getting fit. I am down almost two sizes.
Also I ruled out sugar. However, I love ice cream so I allow myself a Wendys Frosty once a week. I also reduced my portions big time and no snacking before going to bed.
You can do it but your head needs to be ready to make the change.
There's water fasting retreat in Hallandale, FL. called The Regency. Fasting at a fasting retreat is a great way to set the "reset" button. I haven't been to the FL. one but I have been to others in New York and California. It's always the best thing I can do for feeling healthy again and it resets my taste buds so I can enjoy healthy food. It's hard but so worth it.
Four years ago I was 255lbs. Decided I needed to loose weight. I started small by switching to diet soda and cut down my portion sizes at dinner. I still ate what I wanted but in moderation and over 2yrs had lost about 50lbs than hit a plateau. In 2006 I got engaged and started working out and lost another 20lbs. I am still a curvy girl but I can now see definition in arms and legs. Small changes really do work. I do not feel deprived as I still eat fast food at least once a week and have my dessert everynight after dinner. I learned that if you excersize you can splurge a little more.
Is 'will' enough to break a 40 year old habit? With me it seems no.
I feel like its seriously an addiction. are there any remedies taking the food addiction approach?
No, will is not enough to break unhealthy eating habits. Any addiction is more psychological than physical. You need to 'unlearn' & then re-learn about food. If you rely only on your will power to avoid bad food that you love so much, most likely you wont be successful. EDUCATE yourself about junk foods, carbs, sugars. Read books (ex: The Abs Diet), articles & watch documentaries (ex: Food, Inc.) that discuss the harmful affects of these foods in detail. That way your brain will re-program itself & the cravings will go away because you the see the foods for their nutrition value & not the pretty packaging. A lot like seeing a person's true colors. When you can see through a person's manipulative ways, you would avoid them & not get misleaded by their sweet talk ever again. Its the same way with food. Find out the true nature of the bad foods that look so attractive on the outside but dangerous from the inside.
It took me years to loose cravings for the bad foods. Will power is not enough & its exhausting to curb the cravings everytime you visit a grocery store or restaurants. You feel like you are 'denying' yourself the 'tasty' foods you love so much & the cravings will come back full force. You need to reject them naturally & that happens only when you stop loving them. The more you learn about processed foods, the more you will end up hating them. Now I eat junk food only when there is absolutely no healthy choice in sight. I have got into fights with my family for refusing to eat drive-thru junk during road trips because they did not have a salad or fruits in the menu. I feel like I am abusing my body when I put these foods in my mouth. I know the true nature of these foods & I dont 'love' or care for them anymore. Just like a person who broke your heart or took your hard earned money. Why would I trust such a person anymore?
Now I eat salads & fruits for all my meals. Cakes or ice creams are like treats for special occassions like b'days. I dont feel I am being too hard on myself. My food has never tasted so good & I have never felt so healthy in years. Even when I go out to eat I choose a salad & have walked out if the restaurant didn't have any salads or fruits in their menu. My cravings have gone for good & it was possible only because I keep reading about bad foods. A lifelong diet of veggies, fruits & 1/2 hr exercise everyday is a way to a healthy lifestyle. Not saying you become vegetarian but add meat or cheese as a side rather than the complete meal. Dont go for low fat, low sugar versions of your favorite foods 'coz they are the worst. Avoid processed foods as much as you can. If it doesn't grow on trees, limit its intake to the minimum.
I wonder how many people want to live the rest of their lives this way.
How come so many thin people don't have to do this?
Its not a punishment, but a reward. Its the best food I have eaten in my life. A healthy diet doesn't have to be boring or bland. Mix & match for creative combinations of raw/steamed/saute veggies, fruits, grilled or lean meat, cheese, soups, dressings, dry fruits that make your plate colorful, tasty & nutritious.
Last edited by theluckygal; 10-30-2012 at 09:20 AM..
Is that why all thin people are thin? Because they spent years objectively learning to lose cravings for bad foods?
Some people get the training for a healthy lifestyle through their elders but I didn't so I chose to do my own research. Its called being 'self-taught'. Motivation to loose weight could come from a health scare or feeling ashamed or neglected or any other thousand different reasons. My way of staying motivated is to read about the junk foods. Someone else might derive the motivation by the fear of being judged by others or healthcare costs or feeling sluggish or........or...........or........
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Understand food
