Hi ladies!
I used to have a serious problem with my eating and have yo-yo dieted my entire adult life. I have to say that my problem with food is totally GONE now. I eat healthy 98% of the time with very little effort.
Don't ever go hungry. Eat every 2-3 hours. This will keep your blood sugars stable and you really won't crave the bad stuff. Keep each mini meal balanced with protein, complex carb and a tiny bit of "good" fat. That's what will keep you satisfied. Come up with a few things that are healthy but you really enjoy...and use those "snacks" as a way to counteract the bad stuff. Don't waste your time with fat free crapola...use real foods and keep your portions small. I remember Tom Hanks talking about how he lost weight for the film Cast Away and he said that he never ate anything that was bigger than his fist. That's a pretty good gauge of the proper size portion of protein and carb for each mini meal.
DRINK LOTS OF WATER. LOTS!
Think of eating as fuel. The better your diet, the better you feel. Concentrate on feeling good rather than thinking...I CAN'T have that, because it's human nature to want what we think we can't have. Sooooooo many people have asked Cathe exactly what she eats to look like the goddess she is and she always replies that she eats a diet that varied and balanced with an occasional treat here and there. I'm sure if she said that she ate xyz...people would try to emulate that to a T rather than find what works for them.
A lot of people go on "diets" thinking that they HAVE to be completely strict to see results and if they have a piece of cake, they blew it and might as well hit the McDonalds drive through on the way home and then top it off with a bowl of ice cream. I used to binge eat to the point of nausea. I say, eat your SMALL piece of cake...enjoy every single bite and MOVE ON with your life. Pick up the good eating habits again RIGHT AWAY and don't give into the all or nothing mentality.
Some people like to have a cheat day, but I really got out of control on this and felt that it put me back very far in my progress. Now, I'll have one or two treats during the week with no guilt and no setbacks.
For the record, I had a baby a year ago and gained over 50 pounds. Now I'm in a size 2, leaner and MUCH stronger than before I had him. I do think that I'm so busy taking care of him that the food "issue" really has no place in my life anymore. It takes a LOT of emotional energy to stress so much about your diet. Now, I'm so concerned about making sure my little boy learns to eat healthy that our meals are always balanced, healthy and relatively clean. Of course, I wouldn't want him to go through life without knowing the joy of a fresh baked cookie...so why would I put that restriction on myself. Life is WAY too short! (by the way, the second and third cookie tastes exactly like the first, so really take the time to savor that ONE)
I say, relax and don't be so hard on yourself. You CAN do it and always remember you are in control. It might take a while, but soon you can be free of this vicious cycle too. I wish you the VERY best of luck. I really know exactly where you are coming from. I'm sorry this post is so long, but this is a topic that I am extremely passionate about. Keep working hard with Cathe and everything will fall into place.
