I just thought I'd post a little success story, because I'd welcome the encouragement from all of you ladies, AND I hopefully want to inspire you, too!!
I've been having trouble with eating for awhile: in efforts to lose weight, I'd alternate between eating nothing for a few days and going on complete binges (and I won't even begin to get into my former drug-abuse-as-a-weight-loss-remedy habits). Well, I got kidney stones over Christmas, and it was just at a point where I was so busy and so far into my bad habits that everything came to a head and I started to really look into my diet/habits. Well, I don't know what happened, but a fire was suddenly lit under my ass (probably because I had nothing else to do during the two weeks I was practically bed-ridden) and I started REALLY looking into nutrition and my health, and started this new diet/lifestyle change. I ended up consulting a nutritionist (it was about $150 for an hour and a half), and I have to say, this is probably the best investment I have made!
In three weeks, I've lost about 18 lbs, and I'm still losing more (steadily, but in a good, healthy way!). My body looks WORLDS different: not only have I toned up a lot, but I *feel* SO much better! I have a ton of energy, and I'm happy, happy, happy, and not as stressed! I feel like I'm just glowwwinngg.
The best part? I'm NOT cutting back on what I eat AT ALL! I eat 3 meals a day, and snacks if I want (which is way more than I used to eat) but the trick is just to eat the right foods! So I figured I'd post a little abbreviated list of some things I've been doing, in case there's any interest. There are a few sacrifices, but let me tell you: they haven't been hard at all, because I use supplements to replace my former favorite foods.
-I cut out sugar out of my diet. The first two weeks were hard... I had a lot of cravings, but I've replaced these by cooking sugar-free desserts, and using Stevia, a natural sweetener, in my tea, etc. Also, Agave nectar tastes JUST like honey, and you can put it in yogurt, etc. Yummm. If you DO eat sugar, eat no more than 20g a day. No juice. Drink lots of tea and water. Also, I learned that usually when people get sugar cravings, it's because they're hungry for REAL food. I'll eat protein when I feel like chocolate, and suddenly the craving is gone. I used to not use any sweeteners before, either, but since I started using Stevia, I don't want sugar like I did before.
-I eat 3 balanced meals a day. Breakfast is my biggest meal, and I feel like I'm eating a TON, but because it's so protein-rich, it's really good, apparently.
-I eat 16 g of protein with every meal. Turkey has 20g in 4 oz, chicken has 29, salmon has 23 in 3 oz. Other good sources: tuna, almonds, soynuts, almond butter, pork and beef (it's not best for me to eat these, but it all depends on your body), eggs, cottage cheese, yogurt, protein powder, avocado, beans, soy milk. I've found that centering my meals around protein makes me MUCH LESS hungry. And I can still eat carbs! I just try to stick to whole grains, rice, quinoa (you can buy it at trader joe's- it's soo good), and spelt bread (kinda like rye? it's weird, but good). I really don't have that many carb cravings anymore, though.
-I eat a LOT of veggies. Carrots, cucumbers, snap peas, broccoli, celery, lettuce, etc etc. I swear, I was never a veggie eater before, but I'm allowed to eat them with hummus or guacamole. I try to add them into every meal, and I love them! Good snack, too.
-No drinks except tea and water. This cuts out all extra calories. If I really want something carbonated or juice-like, I'll mix about 1/4 a glass of aronia berry juice (low sugar content... tastes kind of like boysenberry?) with 3/4 sparkling berry-flavored mineral water. It's delicious! I thought giving up coffee and redbull (my addictions) would be the death of me, but it's not! I just drink green tea in the morning for caffeine, and I've found that because I have so much excess energy, I don't need any helpers. The first week, I was tired a lot, but after that, I was fine.
Ummm... that's the bulk of it, I guess. I do a LOT of extra cooking, which is a little time-consuming, but it's actually kind of been fun, like a project. Plus, the results are worth it! And there's easy, quick options, like a salad with fish or tuna on it (or chicken... whatever!), or lentil soup, or eggs, etc etc. I used to be sooo lazy about my diet, but with this LITTLE bit of effort... I feel so good!!! It's been about a month, and I haven't eaten bad sugar ONCE. I don't feel like I need it at all! I still drink occasionally (vodka or clear rum is best... no beer), and I've had things that I'm not supposed to have (for instance, I had a slice of cheese pizza the other night) from time to time (like once a week?), but the thing is: it's a lifestyle change, not a firm diet that will all be ruined if I eat one "bad" thing.
It's weird to think that by eating MORE, you can lose more weight, but eating the right foods nourish your body in the right ways. Sometimes I feel like I'm eating way too much, but who am I to argue if it's working?? I love food :-D
I'd welcome anybody's questions/suggestions/etc, and I'd be more than happy to provide you with some recipes or further ideas (I have everything from meal lists to smart snack ideas to grocery shopping lists... I'm telling you, I've gotten REALLY into it).
Hope this can help somebody!



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