Thursday, May 1, 2008

What you put in your face goes to your waist....and ass.. and hips... and arms....

If you are like me, you like food. You don't just like it because it is the key element for survival, you like it because well...it tastes really good! I love the flavors and the textures and the experiences that all come with food. We all go out to eat as a way to socialize as we stuff ourselves with cheese fries and fattening burgers so that later we can socialize at the wonderful gym. (Who is making millions off of those of us who eat but never have the jedi mind power to get the the gym the next day)

I have read many articles written by or for the behalf of people who have changed their outlook towards food. They have gone to the extreme of taking the enjoyment of food out, and primarily eat for survival. Basically their diet consists of only those foods which contain the nutrients and vitamins necessary to keep them healthy while reaping the benefits of a lean body. Then there are those that eat what they want but they complete an outrageous cleansing cycle, which usually consists of a lemonade diet, a salt water flush (it is what it sounds like), followed by an ease back into normalcy using only raw foods (organic of course, Wild Oats must love these types of diets). Keep in mind that in my personal experience those that have attempted the lemonade diet, usually do not follow the plan to a "T", they either do not make it through the entire length of the cleanse or immediately go back to "normal" foods. I made an attempt at the lemonade cleanse, it only lasted about 3 days. Then the smell of a barbecue 100 miles away made it into my temporal lobe (for those that are a little slow, this is the part of the brain that senses smell) and I ended up ordering pizza that night. The lemonade diet was a no-go.

I have been on Weight Watchers, where I found the most success. In 2003 I was up to 153 pounds and was completely depressed, on top of this my ex- husband was looking at other women the way I wanted him to look at me (which is why he is now my ex, different blog for a different day). Anyway, I went with a support system to the meetings, my aunt and I were quite the team. She had lost a ton of weight and looked better than ever, so what did I have to lose right? Right. I lost over 20 pounds and never felt better about myself. It had long lasting results. I gained some of the weight back when I stopped going, but not enough to get upset about. I learned new ways to eat and new options for the things I loved, and if I really had to have something I could have it. If you are looking for an opinion or suggestion this would be mine. Of course, now I have lost the ability to do it again. I fell of the good bandwagon about 3 years ago, and I haven't been back since. I have since shot back up to a very chunky 142 pounds. I also later found out that my now ex-aunt was taking methamphetamine which obviously contributed more to her dramatic weight loss more than the Weight Watchers plan.

I am now working to try to find a way to get myself back on track without losing the enjoyment that comes with food and everything that it has to offer...other than the calories and fat. I know that this will involve work and the regular routine of going to the gym. This is where my blog on self control and will power will come into play. I will be forced to answer my own questions about why I am not succeeding. This will be a hard transition, going from pointing the finger to taking a hard look at myself....in a full length mirror....naked.... ew.

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