i’ve been trying to lose weight my entire life through different programs. sometimes i’m more successful than others, but usually i lose about 20lbs and then give up. this time though, i’ve stuck with it and have lost over 40lbs and am still feeling super motivated!! for the first time in my life, it doesn’t feel like a diet and it actually feels sustainable. i’m doing CICO, but i’ve added in a few changes from my past diets that have made all the difference in the world to me this time around... my favourite thing about CICO is that it’s just basic math so it’s so adaptable to everyones individual lifestyles and choices.
after years of reading books and magazines that tell me exactly how i should be dieting and then failing miserably, here’s some of the personal “less traditional” changes i’ve made for me that have changed my life:
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i’ve stopped eating breakfast. for me, i hate breakfast. i’ve been this way my entire life, i am never hungry in the mornings and don’t even think about food until lunch time. when i’m not dieting, i never have breakfast, i usually start eating around 12-1pm. but for some reason, every time i start a new diet i think “okay i’m dieting and society says that breakfast is the most important meal of the day so it’s time to force down 300 calories of oatmeal every morning!” WHY??? it made me miserable, i never enjoyed it, and it just felt like wasted calories to me. and it was. this time around i decided i wasn’t going to force breakfast on myself. now, i have my coffee in the morning and start eating at lunch. not only am i much happier, but i have more calories to spend later in the day now AND i’m losing weight!
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i’ve stopped eating calories i don’t enjoy. when i think of healthy food choices, i think of yogurt, granola, egg whites, kale, fish, oatmeal, smoothies, etc. i don’t like any of those foods and yet i would always force myself to eat them because they’re “healthy” and i’m “dieting”. this time, i let myself eat whatever i want so long as it’s in my calorie range. it doesn’t mean i’m always eating crap, i love chicken, beef, broccoli, potatoes, bell peppers, quinoa, etc. i’m just not forcing down “super foods” that i don’t enjoy. this also comes into play when i’m having treats. if i don’t really want it, i won’t bother with it and i’ll save my calories for something that i really want. example: the other day, my roommate was making waffles and offered to make me one. i like waffles (who doesn’t) but they’re not my favourite. so i decided to pass because it’s not something that i really want. literally that same day at work someone brought in donuts (which are my favourite food in the entire world) and so did i have one? hell yes. and i enjoyed every bite! in the past i would have just eaten everything and it’s such a big step for me to be a bit more mindful of whether or not i actually want what i’m eating.
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i stopped trying to force myself to love salads and i found a new way to love veggies. i just don’t like salads. never have, never will. it’s not my thing. in the past i would always force myself to eat salads or to at least have a salad on the side and i hated it. now, i never force myself to have salads. but i’ve learned that i LOVE roasted veggies. throw literally any veggie on a pan in the oven with some salt and olive oil and omg it’s so delicious to me. so i’ve been doing that instead and i’m getting tons of veggies in and enjoying the salad-free life. this girl has not touched one salad this entire diet and i’m down 40+ lbs, y’all.
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i work my favourite treat into my calories once a week, so i never feel deprived. i LOVE going out and getting my coffee. i’m talking about those starbucks iced coffees that cost half your paycheck for a shot of espresso and a pump of vanilla, but they’re soooo good. in past diets starbucks was on the banished list of foods. i would see pics of people with sugary coffees from cafes and think “they don’t even know how lucky they are...” (dramatic much?), however now once a week i look forward to my treat and i just work it into my calories. it’s all about moderation.
anyways, i know health experts would probably cringe that some of the stuff i said, but the reality is sustainability is so much more important than anything else. i don’t eat the perfect foods, i don’t eat at the perfect times, and you can’t pay me to eat a salad. but i’m happier, i’m healthier, i’m losing weight, and most importantly this doesn’t feel like a diet. for the first time in my entire life-long struggle with dieting and weight loss, i feel like i’ve figured out a healthy relationship and routine with this.
just thought i would share my story and encourage everyone to really take the time to individualize their plan to what works for THEM.
good luck everyone!
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