Originally Posted by
TheVBs
Would love to jump in here too! :mickey:
I've lost about 35lbs over the last two years. Not a quick weight loss, but I'm still very pleased because it's the result of long-term lifestyle changes. I don't do diets, I don't count calories. My goal is to learn how to eat well, healthy and be satisfied with the portions and flavors for the rest of my life.
So, as far as food is concerned, I really had to take baby steps. One small change at a time. I refused to let anyone tell me that just changing "x" wasn't good enough. One small step in the right direction is always good enough! One small step leads to the next, and the next. Over two years I've dramatically changed the way I eat and plan on continuing. I don't deprive myself either, I've just learned to really think about my cravings, whether they're genuine or a product of boredom, etc. Some of the things I've done are; reduced portion sizes, eat slower, refuse to buy junk food, keep a good supply of fruits and veggies in the house, have a huge veggie garden/go to the farmers market/buy local farm meat when I can, learn to cook different and healthier meals. I'm better off eating one really good piece of dark chocolate once in awhile, than eating 10 other things trying to avoid it. Same with a glass of red wine. I think trying to completely deny yourself of anything you truly love for the rest of your life is a recipe for disaster.
Pick one small change to make at a time! Don't try to change everything at once, it's too much!
About a year ago I got a treadmill off Freecycle and started using it for 15 minutes a day/3 days a week. In that time I've slowly increased it to 1 hour a day/6 days a week, with yoga, stretching, sit ups, push ups and light weight lifting. The old treadmill died and since I showed that I could use it regularly, I treated myself to a brand new one.
I've seem to have reached a plateau as well, so now it's time to re-evaluate my eating habits again, to see what else I can change.
What I would really love at this point is a better supply of healthy, quick and delicious recipes to cook for the family.
One of the best things I've read recently is to treat your food intake like a bank account. You have to balance it. If you make a withdrawl, like having a bowl of ice cream, you have to make it up with a deposit, like eating a light and healthy dinner. You think about what's worth spending your money on, do the same with food!