What I WON'T do in the name of weight loss and healthy living

Ok, call me a curmudgeon if you want, but there are certain things I will NOT do in the name of weight loss. Here are a few of them, along with what I WILL do instead:

 

#1: I will NOT learn to love foods that I hate.

 

I don’t care if the quickest route to weight loss is in boiled okra and unsweetened coffee, I don’t like it! And if I don’t like it, I’m not going to stick with it.

 

INSTEAD, I will be open to trying new things that are healthy. I can try nearly anything once. If I don’t like it, I usually have a “three strikes and you’re out" rule with foods unless the taste or texture REALLY don’t agree with me. Thankfully for me there are few foods I genuinely and categorically dislike.

 

#2: I will NOT force myself into physical activity that feels like torture

 

I hate running. For a time I did it just because I wanted to say I could. But I hated it. And I found excuses not to do it. Now I do every now and again as a sort of fitness test. And at the end of it I say “I hated that." But the fact that I don’t do it often helps me to do it every once in a while when the need arises.

 

Conversely, I love dancing, boxing, spinning and weight lifting. All equally valid forms of exercise. When I take such classes, I can’t WAIT to get to class and it all seems to zoom by too quickly.

 

#3: I will NOT promise to never eat another cookie again

 

And frankly, eating A cookie is not what got me to where I was. Eating a PACKAGE of cookies? Yeah, that might have done it. One of THE most valuable things my tool has done for me is that I now have a healthy balance in my tastes. Anything more than 2-3 cookies (and I rarely do that) is just too much sweet stuff.

 

So instead, if I want a cookie, I have the damn cookie. The cookie doesn’t have power over me and trying to make one damn cookie into the tug of war between all good and evil doesn’t usually end well. I eat the cookie, I go walk or something and all God’s children are happy.

 

#4: I will NOT deny myself seconds

 

This one may get pushbacks. I load my plates very intentionally and I eat them very intentionally. I can eat a lot. No…really…I can eat a LOT. Even as a newer post-op, I could eat a good bit. Being mindful of that, I have learned, in my post-operative life, to make meals that are voluminous yet calorically minimal.

 

One day my mom watched me eat and remarked on how I seemed to eat more than she does (thanks, mom), to which I replied, “Possibly. But this entire bowl is less than 300 calories of lean protein and veggies whereas your half a bowl is easily 5-600 of carbs. See the difference?" (Yes I did get popped upside the head for saying that)

 

And sometimes — wonder of all wonder pouches! — I want seconds. I’m not going to tell myself I can’t have seconds. Instead I tell myself to wait 10 minutes. USUALLY what happens is this: I go do something else (Facebook mainly). Meanwhile, my pouch sends the email to my brain that I’ve had enough food and so when my 10 minutes are up those seconds don’t usually sound nearly as appealing. But sometimes they do. In which case I have a bit more.

 

My point here? Weight loss is NOT about forcing yourself to like things you never liked or do things you never wanted to do. It’s about making changes that fit in with who you are.

 

So be honest with yourself about what you love and what you hate — and then find a way to parlay what you love into something that can help you get to your goals!

Love this...thank you for the post. 

I ALWAYS READ YOUR INSPIRATIONAL POSTS. MY THOUGHTS ARE QUICKLY ABSORBING YOUR CLIQUE'S, SUCH AS A PAST PEARL OF WISDOM,( 'WHOSE RUNNING THIS SHOW!')
NOW, I HAVE MORE THOUGHTS TO ADD, ESPECIALLY ABOUT FORCING MYSELF TO DO 'GOOD FOR ME' EXERCISES, AND COOKIES. (ONE COOKIE GUILT).
THANKS.

I feel the same way.

And sometimes I want seconds, too.  I do what you do, although I usually try to wait 20 minutes.

Completely spot on!  Recipe for long term success.

love it, love it, love it!  THANK YOU....

Nik I love this and this is very true! The one thing that I have learned during my Pre op is this battle with food is only a mind thing and we can not let it control us! I think the best thing is to find a balance between healthy eating and good exercise habits, and once you find out what works best for you stick with it and you will see how it will pay off!! Thanks for this post it was very inspirational!

1. I won't avoid carbohydrates be they whole grain or white. I will count them in my daily calorie intake just as I would any other calorie.

2. I won't live the rest of my life on a diet. I will strive to make healthier choices every time I eat.

AMEN sister!

I love this. I DO NOT eat foods I don't like, nor will I try to convince myself I will learn to love them. Nor do I pass up a bite of birthday cake, or a cookie.... like you said a bite or two did not get me where I was and I know now how to stop at one. And I always find a way to enjoy what I like, ie Starbucks, love my coffee and I find that a sugar free fat free, at Starbucks is just as damn good as what I used to love. And I find I can eat, too... but like you a pile of veggies and some lean meat is what I stick to, as well. I love my RNY and I would do it again tomorrow if I had to. Life is so different, now, and I find that I actually Like shopping (for clothes) again.. YAY. I still have a way to go, but I think I'm doing pretty darn good.

this is a definite print and hang on the fridge type post. I struggle so much with wanting to do it PERFECTLY. When I want 2nds, even after waiting, I tend to get pretty rough on myself which doesn't help anything. Thanks, Nik