No, I didn’t fall off the wagon already. After my post yesterday, I proceeded to get incredibly sick, barely able to hold down any food or even liquids. So sticking to the diet hasn’t been a problem for the past 24 hours. But even so, this sickness actually serves a purpose on its own right. That is, it makes you think about what’s really important.
I didn’t have a craving for something sweet yesterday; I didn’t absolutely have to have a huge burger to satiate a craving. I needed only the basic necessities: bland food that would keep my stomach easy, water and some diet ginger-ale to calm the nausea, and plenty of rest. It makes you think about what’s important, and causes one to wonder why we don’t stick to those necessities when we are feeling perfectly well.
But I didn’t come here to tell you that. I have some info that helped me in the past, can help you, and I know will be helping me this second time around. Today I want to talk about the things that keep you full. I’m sorry, but that Reese’s cup doesn’t do a whole lot in helping you through the day. So what does? The first thing I want to discuss is fruits and veggies.
One of the core elements of Weight Watchers, for those who are familiar with it, is the points system. That is, food and drink have a certain points value, and you are given a specific points goal for each day. That said, fruits and veggies have no points. You can eat them to your hearts content. While there are some diets that might not allow this, it is certainly worth pointing out that it worked wonders for me. In other diets, even counting calories, I always felt hungry. While there is nothing wrong with that, it can certainly be discouraging to your progress. With Weight Watchers, I never once felt hungry, because I knew that I could always grab a banana or some carrot sticks to tide me over until my next meal. This brings me to what I consider the wonderfuit: bananas! I like to give credit where credit is due, and I honestly believe that wonderful piece of fruit was at least a quarter of the reason for my success. One banana was enough to fill me up for at least an hour or more. At around 70-100 calories per banana, it’s a relatively pain-free way to keep you going throughout the day. Secondly, water. It is so simple it almost seems overlooked in some diet programs. But 2-3 glasses of water before a meal is not only good for you, but it will trick your mind into thinking you are full, leading to less eating during the meal and drastically reducing the likelihood of binge eating.
As you find out when you are sick, it is about what keeps your body going. You don’t think about food, which is one of the primary pitfalls for me. If you think about food, it becomes almost like a hobby. I will admit this is a problem for me. This is why dieting doesn’t work! It isn’t just about skipping that piece of cake after dinner; it’s about not giving that cake a first thought to begin with. Move your attention toward something else and away from the food. I will say it again: dieting doesn’t work. Because honestly, changing eating and exercise habits is truly only a part of making it all work. You have to change your mindset entirely; change how your mind works. That is why, beyond certain foods and tricks, I have found that having a hobby of some kind truly helps as well. Instead of crashing on the couch in the evenings with a bag of chips (guilty) sit outside with a good book or take up journal writing. If it’s a nice evening, skip the restaurant, pack a picnic with the healthy foods of your choice, and enjoy it with that special someone.
I believe that just about covers it today. Two days in, doing well. I will be weighing in on Sundays, and posting my progress then. Until then, I will update the blog with the different things I eat and what I do that particular day I am recovering from the illness and I’m still a little woozy, hence the absence of my record of food/activities. I should be able to update tomorrow with a more lengthy post. In the mean time, I will leave this fascinating article on calorie conversion for you to enjoy.
Have a great Monday, folks!
Thin Mirror 