How I've Brought My Calories Down

I've Done It! I cannot believe it's possible, but I have brought my calorie intake down to a lose-weight level without trading hunger or starving myself!

How do you maintain a diet that leaves you full, eating things you like, and still keeps a low calorie count? I have struggled and struggled with calories since the birth of this blog. I was certain it wasn't possible.

But it is! Really!

My brother and I have started this facebook game. He shares on my wall or tags me in a post, meme, ect. about how hard dieting is. The most recent was a Jim Gaffigan status: "I was going to work out today but after I put on pants I was too exhausted". I come back with something opposite and inspiring, which makes him sick. Sibling love! Meanwhile, in my head, I'm thinking "He's totally right!" (thank god he doesn't know my blog- I'd hate for him to see such a statement in print!).

Plus I'm a picky eater. I eat maybe 20% of what an "average" person eats. So dieting especially sucks for me. 

If Diet Were a Person.

Me: oh yum, breakfast!

Diet: There's too much sugar and fats in that.

Me: Ok, what about this?

Diet: No, that's awful too. And that. And... just stop, it's all awful.

Me: But I need to eat!!

Diet: How about a banana?

Me: I ate one yesterday. I'm already sick to death of bananas.

Diet: Apple?

Me: Ugh, I ate that 2 days ago.

Diet: this healthy oat bran?

Me: GAG!

Diet: Eggs.

Me: EW BARF!

Diet: I give up. You're screwed, lady.

The secret to dieting: patience and playing with a lot of different options.

That's really all there is to it. Well.. OK... maybe 1 more...

Secret continued: Really and Truly recognizing when you're hungry.

I have substituted my snacking at work by replacing it with sugar-free mints and sugar-free werthers candy.

What my breakfast used to be:

An apple

 2 blueberry muffins (betty crocker made on the weekend, bagged in pairs for the week)

A handful or two of Welches Fruit & Yogurt (I suspect they lace these with crack)

  (seriously yum!)

Some triscuits or wheat thins- like 20 to 30 minimum

Pretzels

I snacked on all this throughout my day. Then lunch:

PB&J sandwich on whole wheat bread

1-2 snack bags of chips- variety pack 

some more triscuits or wheat thins

Some more pretzels

a box of raisins

THIS was me eating "healthy". 

Is it any wonder I haven't lost much weight in the last 2 years? I knew this, but I justified it with 'I need to eat, and I don't like anything else'. I knew that wasn't true, but I couldn't figure out how to combine it and make it work.

One substitution at a time, that's how it works.

My experiment in April for healthy eating was the catalyst. I truly recommend EVERYONE try it! Just for a week! Can you reduce as much as humanly possible the amount of processed stuff and try to put fruits & veggies in their place as much as possible? You Can! 

It does take some getting used to. I fully believe it's because your taste buds & body is so accustomed to eating one way for so long that it has to re-adjust itself to eating a different way. Once the adjustment is made though, you find yourself eagerly looking forward to them. The sense of fulfillment, accomplishment, and pride that follows Truly outweighs the suffering that may come in the period of adjustment.

I think my failing was trying to change it all at once. That may work for some, but not for me. I had to give my taste buds time to adjust to each new change. Once they did, I found myself looking forward to and even craving my new foods now. Best still, even my appetite has greatly reduced. It could be just that I'm no longer bored eating, though. I don't find myself craving sugar every day like I did before- that was a huge shocker to me. 

Except cheese fries. Boy, this diet is going to be a whole new game once we move back to IL and I have regular access to those things. I guess that's a good reason to be working so hard now- in preparation of what I know is to come.

I'm finding these last 2 weeks that I can easily average 1200 - 1400 calories without suffering, without even really trying. And it feels amazing! 

Best still, I've done so good this week that I can actually afford the extra calories that come with my weekend weaknesses! I've planned out Olive Garden for dinner tonight & I can still eat 200 more calories & 12 more grams of fat (maybe cantaloupe for desert?). 

Now, let's see if I can Maintain this.