Had a good week this week. Less than two weeks until tough mudder. Been eating healthily and exercising quite a bit. Did have a lot of vodkas on Saturday but not defining it as bad it's what I wanted at the time. I have been relatively low carb but did eat a lot of carbs last night as was just not getting filled up by protein and veg. Feel fine for it. Having read around everyone's diaries and reflected upon my own I really do feel that we need to stop putting so many rules and plans enforced upon ourselves and eat and live more intuitively and in the moment. For example, rather than me say right I ate loads of cereal last night that's "bad" I better make myself not eat much tomorrow (and possibly not live up to that which will leash to further punishment and rules) I can instead say I really enjoyed having that cereal last night and I've been burning a lot exercising so it's understandable I wanted something a bit more filling and treated myself. If I feel like eating less tomorrow I will do that because it will make me feel better. But if I feel like eating more it's ok as long as I think of how I will feel. It's actually a much more simple, calm and for me at least - real way of living day to day in the moment and not trying to live up to some extreme premeditated plan. I am just sharing what is becoming a way of living for me in case it helps anyone else x
Total Solution Restart 29/03/2015 Exante journey to 9st3 for life!
- Thread starter Lara1986
- Start date
Bananas
Gold Member
That's the best approach to have Lara. Tho for me I do need to be honest with myself and face things realistically. Eg if I was to slip up and eat an extra few calories then that's fine. If I ate an extra few Big Macs then that's not so fine (weird example, don't think ive ever had a Big Mac). But comments like 'don't worry hun, nothing wrong with eating 5 big macs' doesn't help me, no matter how well meaning. Then there's the comments people make when they are convinced that a bit of lettuce has staked their weight loss. It's not healthy to get obsessed over lettuce.
I had a crap day yesterday but today is a new day
I had a crap day yesterday but today is a new day
Bananas
Gold Member
Sorry my phone went funny there. I agree that saying 'I'll not eat the rest of the day or will make up for it tomorrow' is just setting yourself up for failure. I have to realise that yesterday's bad day was due to things out of my control. The food I ate helped me cope, cheered me up and got me through. The last thing I should do is beat myself up over eating food.
Your comment on my diary is spot on too. This short term plan when u r getting the great results is fab. When you're not its just not the same. Which is a shame
Your comment on my diary is spot on too. This short term plan when u r getting the great results is fab. When you're not its just not the same. Which is a shame
Hey Lara, good to hear your doing well. I agree with what you say, we do enforce plans and times etc but I think intuitive eating can still mean eating more calories than we need or bigger portions than some of us need. Certainly for me and doing that simply helps me maintain. Now had I done that at my ideal weight for longer than I did (I did fairly week over 2013/14) I wouldn't be struggling now to shift the excess. Certainly your approach for maintenance would work but to shift the excess weight most of use have to restrict or reduce the calories first and of course include exercise in some shape of or form. I know I would not lose any weight if I ate I intuitively as my body my mind has been used to eating more than it should.
Hi good to hear from you both.
Bananas - I know what you're saying. And I don't mean to say yeah whatever has been eaten is fine don't worry about it. The idea is that the more intuitive, honest and present we are regarding our food choices, the less likely we would choose to eat something that ultimately won't be something that makes us feel good e.g be mindful that the Big Macs could be serving another need, and if they are you may be happy to fill it that way but with awareness and acceptance of the feelings you will have before and after and the physical effects too. Not sure how well I am explaining what I mean!
Kira - I don't know that it wouldn't work for weight loss (eating and living intuitively) as it appears to be working for me and I know we have a lot of similarities with prior approaches. I know we are all different and I guess we all know what works best for us.
I do feel like I am happier when filling my mind with things other than calorie counting and weight loss - and when I think of food just make if about ok what am I going to eat - just straight forward thinking and not adding emotions and rules and whatever else to it. I have been making much more nourishing choices
Yesterday I felt quite fed up. I really did want to work from home and I was feeling bad about having eaten the mentioned cereal the night before. But I reminded myself that it was ok and i had a choice to dwell or get on with my day. As the day progressed I had a light chicken wrap and felt the automatic thoughts creep in "I ate bread I feel bad I've failed". I observed my thoughts and noted how I then wanted to eat more. Thankfully I was at work and I had my pole dance class booked after work. I went to the class and absolutely loved it. I've signed up for 12 more classes now. I then went to my bootcamp class with a buzz and when I got home I had a nice nourishing dinner and had forgotten all about the carbs I had previously. It really was not a bad thing. And it was so interesting to see how my day could have gone in a negative direct completely needlessly.
Bananas - I know what you're saying. And I don't mean to say yeah whatever has been eaten is fine don't worry about it. The idea is that the more intuitive, honest and present we are regarding our food choices, the less likely we would choose to eat something that ultimately won't be something that makes us feel good e.g be mindful that the Big Macs could be serving another need, and if they are you may be happy to fill it that way but with awareness and acceptance of the feelings you will have before and after and the physical effects too. Not sure how well I am explaining what I mean!
Kira - I don't know that it wouldn't work for weight loss (eating and living intuitively) as it appears to be working for me and I know we have a lot of similarities with prior approaches. I know we are all different and I guess we all know what works best for us.
I do feel like I am happier when filling my mind with things other than calorie counting and weight loss - and when I think of food just make if about ok what am I going to eat - just straight forward thinking and not adding emotions and rules and whatever else to it. I have been making much more nourishing choices
Yesterday I felt quite fed up. I really did want to work from home and I was feeling bad about having eaten the mentioned cereal the night before. But I reminded myself that it was ok and i had a choice to dwell or get on with my day. As the day progressed I had a light chicken wrap and felt the automatic thoughts creep in "I ate bread I feel bad I've failed". I observed my thoughts and noted how I then wanted to eat more. Thankfully I was at work and I had my pole dance class booked after work. I went to the class and absolutely loved it. I've signed up for 12 more classes now. I then went to my bootcamp class with a buzz and when I got home I had a nice nourishing dinner and had forgotten all about the carbs I had previously. It really was not a bad thing. And it was so interesting to see how my day could have gone in a negative direct completely needlessly.
Fantastic to hear you are doing well Lara! It's the keeping distracted from the eating, calorie counting and emotions that's seemed to be the key (reading your second paragraph). Perhaps that's the intuitive eating? Anyway it's working for you and you seem in a good place - pole dancing eh?! That does sound like fun!
Its great eat you're still doing your boot camps too. X
Its great eat you're still doing your boot camps too. X
CrazyLadyA
Silver Member
Hey hun! hope your well..
Got back from Thailand last week... was amazing!!! surprisingly managed to lose weight whilst i was there due to being off food in the scortching heat! lol.
I just wanted to check in with you as before i left you were quite down thinking you had upset people... im glad to see youve been back on and on track..
I decided to knock VLCD's on the head and i have officially joined weight watchers and have enjoyed being able to eat sensibly watching my points and top up with fruit, salad and veg... i cant do drastic anymore... im happy to get a sensible 1-2lb loss with moderate exercise going forward hoping to be a healthy weight by the end of the year when we hope to try for a baby.
Hun, i just wanted to say your doing well... you need to go with what helps you... you've been through the mill and you've come out the other side still raring to go and keep trying! Keep thinking positive and dont beat yourself up if you do eat like you say... lucky for you hun i'd say you havent really got too much to lose or at a position where your weight is as such a health risk for you... if it takes you a bit longer to get to 9s3 then so be it... do it at your own pace... you will get there! the emotional side is what you need to watch... go back for the help if you need xx
Take care and all the best x
take care hun
Got back from Thailand last week... was amazing!!! surprisingly managed to lose weight whilst i was there due to being off food in the scortching heat! lol.
I just wanted to check in with you as before i left you were quite down thinking you had upset people... im glad to see youve been back on and on track..
I decided to knock VLCD's on the head and i have officially joined weight watchers and have enjoyed being able to eat sensibly watching my points and top up with fruit, salad and veg... i cant do drastic anymore... im happy to get a sensible 1-2lb loss with moderate exercise going forward hoping to be a healthy weight by the end of the year when we hope to try for a baby.
Hun, i just wanted to say your doing well... you need to go with what helps you... you've been through the mill and you've come out the other side still raring to go and keep trying! Keep thinking positive and dont beat yourself up if you do eat like you say... lucky for you hun i'd say you havent really got too much to lose or at a position where your weight is as such a health risk for you... if it takes you a bit longer to get to 9s3 then so be it... do it at your own pace... you will get there! the emotional side is what you need to watch... go back for the help if you need xx
Take care and all the best x
take care hun
