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- Weight–206.4(-14.6)
- BF%–27 (-3%)
I was really hoping that I’d be below 206 this morning, because I’ve been working out really well this week. But I know why I wasn’t. On at least 2 occasions this week, I let my eating habits get the better of me. When I say the words “eating habits” I’m still referring to the old me because I don’t quite feel like my new patterns have quite become habitual…yet. However, I did have some restaurant success this week. I went out to breakfast with a friend and did a great job with the food I ate. I was tempted to order the breakfast burrito with chorizo and potatoes, but chose the oatmeal and fruit plate instead. When I saw said burrito, I was glad I didn’t order it–it was enormous and I would have eaten the whole darn thing. Plus, I got to have a bite of the one my friend ordered and it was GOOD!
I feel like those stories about people who have lost a ton of weight are all over now: the internet, the newspaper, and every magazine at the checkout counter in the super market. But for people like me, they’re still good reading. They’re motivational and inspiring, and they help me find new ideas about what works in the battle against being heavy. Sometimes when I read them, I come away with a new weapon to put in my fat fighting arsenal.
For example, cnn.com recently published an article and several links about Lynn Berring–an every day person who has managed to lose about 170 pounds in three years. I found one of the things she said about food really helpful:
I still write down everything I eat. I still ask myself, “How will I feel five minutes after I eat this?” If the answer is anything other than, “I will feel good having made this food choice,” then I don’t eat it. Or at least most of the time I don’t. Sometimes that whiny voice wins. But the point is, I think about it. Am I eating because I want to or because I need to?
I haven’t been entering my foods in to the computer lately, and maybe that’s part of why my weight loss has slowed a bit. Maybe I’m eating things that I’m not accounting for at the end of the day when I assess how it went. Maybe I’m thinking about eating instead of thinking about what and why I’m eating. Perhaps it’s time to get back on sparkpeople and become diligent about it. Yep, that’s what it’s time for. Hawaii is only 19 days away!
J.D.
8 responses so far ↓
1 Anne Keckler // Feb 13, 2008 at 10:39 am
That mindfulness is very important when trying to incorporate a new habit into our lives.
When I eat out, I often ask for a take-home box right off the bat. Most restaurants serve portions large enough for two meals. By asking for the take-home box at the beginning of the meal, I signal to my brain that I intend to only eat about half the food. It definitely makes it easier for me to exercise some self-control.
2 Aaron Griffin // Feb 13, 2008 at 1:16 pm
Naw, your weight loss slows a bit because Jesus hates you.
In all seriousness though, everyone “plateaus” at some point. You may have hit yours. Don’t let it fluster you, just keep doing what your doing. The best thing I ever did was stop weighing myself.
For the record, a few years back I went from 210 to 165 (I am 5′10″), and am now back up to 180, so I need to change my habits again. Following this blog is inspiring. Thanks
3 Lauren Muney // Feb 13, 2008 at 1:25 pm
The mindfulness that Lynn Berring wrote about is what I think about at EVERY meal or snack. Sometimes I snack on “treats” most mostly I don’t - I ALWAYS use “future eyes” (as Lynn describes what she will think about in 5 minutes). It gives you a moment to reflect calmly, WITHOUT the cravings or ‘gimmee’.
Her point is very important: “Am I eating this because I need to [is it good for me?] or because I want to [cravings, stress, upset, boredom, etc?]”
4 Lazy Man and Health // Feb 13, 2008 at 2:25 pm
I would have had a lot of trouble resisting the burrito - good job.
5 Cammy // Feb 13, 2008 at 4:29 pm
Wow! Kudos on the burrito-avoidance!
I think you’re on the right track with sparkpeople. It helps us remain mindful. I no longer use it all the time, but when I catch myself going over my calorie allotment too frequently, I start logging again! I suspect I’ll do it all my life. Small price to pay.
Good luck!
6 Nikchick // Feb 13, 2008 at 4:37 pm
I found Sparkpeople to be a really fantastic tool when I was trying to assess my nutritional goals last year. I lost about 15 pounds when I was using the nutrition tracker diligently but more than that I was able to really focus on getting enough fiber and calcium in my diet, which were two things I was always severely lacking.
7 greenman2001 // Feb 13, 2008 at 8:38 pm
This is a good post, Mac.
Here’s what I’ve been able to put together from various diverse posts of yours: your goal is to lose 2 lbs a week; your method is to maintain a 1000 calorie a day deficit; and your tool is sparkpeople, where you enter information about the food you eat and they give you back a calorie count. You’ve noticed that when you don’t track your food on sparkpeople, you lose less than 2 lbs a week. Meanwhile, you’re working on a meal-by-meal basis on resisting food choices that you know without going to sparkpeople will put you over your calorie limit.
This is a plan! I like it very much. As you know, I think a 1000 calorie deficit is too much, and that your number should be 500, strictly because at 500 one tends not to feel hungry, while at 1000 one does, and hunger is the enemy of all diets. But you’ve got good tools and a simple, uncomplicated plan, which makes the whole process easier.
8 Joshua // Feb 14, 2008 at 3:52 pm
I always said keeping a food log was impossible and too finite for me to do. It is said doing so is one of the biggest motivators/tools for people trying to lose/maintain weight, but it is also one of the hardest things to do. I understand just how difficult it can be. I tried it a couple times with just a notebook and it didn’t work for more than a day or two. I recently created a great daily worksheet and its working pretty well, and now I understand just how helpful and motivating it is. I usually plan out my entire day’s rations and fill out the information and then I know what I’m going to eat, about when I’m going to eat it, and how I’m doing in comparison to my 2200 daily calorie alotment. There was pizza in the office kitchen today, and I adore pizza in all it’s cheesy, greasy glory; BUT, while I looked at it every time I walked past the kitchen, I didn’t eat it. Or the Crappy Valentine’s Day cookies somone made, and I also adore cookies, no such thing as a bad one. Seriously, I think I would eat dirt cookies, but not if they aren’t on my food log. It is restrictive to an extent, and I don’t expect it to be 100% perfect, but man, the freedom it gives is so worth it. No more inner battles of “I shouldn’t be eating this, I’m such a bad person”. It’s not on the log, I don’t eat it.
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