Help Fighting the Weight Loss Battle - Don't Panic!
Monday, April 20, 2009
Yes, we all have our troubles at one time or another fighting the scale, clothes, weight loss etc. Women have to fight the hormones every month too & me, I have to fight them & the perimenopause ones at the same time! Sorry, men, it is a fact for us & if you are married, with a girlfriend or just have women in your life (which I am guessing you do), best get used to it!!!!
Also, I know we have some weekend warriors in terms of food out there. Meaning, you exercise & eat great all weekend long & then starting Friday night, it is an eating and/or drinking fest until Sunday night! Hey, I have no problems with enjoying now & then but studies do show that if you are a weekend warrior eater/drinker, you can cancel out all your hard work from the week. Most people that do this actually eat enough calories to make up for all the lost ones Monday-Friday. So, you end up in a catch 22 never losing weight long term. Isn't a better option to plan 1 or 2 "cheat meals or treats" and eat good the rest of the weekend. Maybe you eat out either Friday or Saturday & then have one special treat as well. For me, that is my plan. I actually prefer my big ole bakery cookies so I eat pretty healthy thru the weekend but I plan for those cookies! To each their own so figure out what will work for you but just don't go all out & set yourself back so you never are able to make up the weight loss during the week.
Also, I was reading an article about this battle & things to help you get through it. Here are some things discussed:
I Just Pigged Out: "The first thing you need to do is get yourself back in gear. Come up with a Relapse Prevention Plan: Keep in mind that a slip doesn't have to become a fall, nor does a lapse have to become a relapse. Unsuccessful weight-maintainers tend to have an "all or nothing" attitude". The article suggests (and I do the same) planning the rest of the day to eat less BUT NOT skip meals. Try to fit in some extra exercise that day or the next day. Think about what caused this .. an emotional problem, not eating enough & getting too hungry? Knowing why you eat when you do is an important part of getting control of overeating.
I'm Stressed!: "You might want to try a few relaxation techniques – maybe even take a “staycation.” Try deep breathing or "when you're feeling stressed or anxious, instead of eating, call a friend and vent. Listen to some relaxing music. Get some physical activity." Find what works right for you. Check out my link from yesterday's post to MizFit at Shine at Yahoo to read about what meditation did for her.
I Can't Control Myself When I Start Eating: Now, doesn't that sound like all of us at some point in our lives! Some of the suggestions are to "keep unhealthy foods out of the house. Don't tempt yourself. Focus on eating more slowly so that you become more aware of your body's hunger and satiety. Allow at least 20 minutes for your brain to receive the message that your stomach is full. Also, eating slowly allows you to appreciate your food more." Some others are brush your teeth, drink water, never eat directly out of the bag or container. All of these work for me. There are more to read in the article as well!
This is a great article to read & keep on hand for future use. Read it all at: Panic No More
If you want more info, check out some of my older posts on emotional eating:
You are What You Eat
Help For Emotional Eating
Can I also ask you to check out my Saturday & Sunday posts.
Saturday has a great homemade protein bar and this is a new one!!! Read it here: Protein Bar Recipe
Sunday has some funnies but also some great links & read that here: Fitness Funnies & Links to Check Out
Happy Monday to all!
Yes, we all have our troubles at one time or another fighting the scale, clothes, weight loss etc. Women have to fight the hormones every month too & me, I have to fight them & the perimenopause ones at the same time! Sorry, men, it is a fact for us & if you are married, with a girlfriend or just have women in your life (which I am guessing you do), best get used to it!!!!Also, I know we have some weekend warriors in terms of food out there. Meaning, you exercise & eat great all weekend long & then starting Friday night, it is an eating and/or drinking fest until Sunday night! Hey, I have no problems with enjoying now & then but studies do show that if you are a weekend warrior eater/drinker, you can cancel out all your hard work from the week. Most people that do this actually eat enough calories to make up for all the lost ones Monday-Friday. So, you end up in a catch 22 never losing weight long term. Isn't a better option to plan 1 or 2 "cheat meals or treats" and eat good the rest of the weekend. Maybe you eat out either Friday or Saturday & then have one special treat as well. For me, that is my plan. I actually prefer my big ole bakery cookies so I eat pretty healthy thru the weekend but I plan for those cookies! To each their own so figure out what will work for you but just don't go all out & set yourself back so you never are able to make up the weight loss during the week.
Also, I was reading an article about this battle & things to help you get through it. Here are some things discussed:
I Just Pigged Out: "The first thing you need to do is get yourself back in gear. Come up with a Relapse Prevention Plan: Keep in mind that a slip doesn't have to become a fall, nor does a lapse have to become a relapse. Unsuccessful weight-maintainers tend to have an "all or nothing" attitude". The article suggests (and I do the same) planning the rest of the day to eat less BUT NOT skip meals. Try to fit in some extra exercise that day or the next day. Think about what caused this .. an emotional problem, not eating enough & getting too hungry? Knowing why you eat when you do is an important part of getting control of overeating.
I'm Stressed!: "You might want to try a few relaxation techniques – maybe even take a “staycation.” Try deep breathing or "when you're feeling stressed or anxious, instead of eating, call a friend and vent. Listen to some relaxing music. Get some physical activity." Find what works right for you. Check out my link from yesterday's post to MizFit at Shine at Yahoo to read about what meditation did for her.
I Can't Control Myself When I Start Eating: Now, doesn't that sound like all of us at some point in our lives! Some of the suggestions are to "keep unhealthy foods out of the house. Don't tempt yourself. Focus on eating more slowly so that you become more aware of your body's hunger and satiety. Allow at least 20 minutes for your brain to receive the message that your stomach is full. Also, eating slowly allows you to appreciate your food more." Some others are brush your teeth, drink water, never eat directly out of the bag or container. All of these work for me. There are more to read in the article as well!
This is a great article to read & keep on hand for future use. Read it all at: Panic No More
If you want more info, check out some of my older posts on emotional eating:
You are What You Eat
Help For Emotional Eating
Can I also ask you to check out my Saturday & Sunday posts.
Saturday has a great homemade protein bar and this is a new one!!! Read it here: Protein Bar Recipe
Sunday has some funnies but also some great links & read that here: Fitness Funnies & Links to Check Out
Happy Monday to all!
Accck, hormones. Sometimes I do envy men, though I think our annoying hormones may be part of the reason we out live them.
Great advice on coping with dysfunctional eating habits!
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Interesting comment about the hormones. Will definitely have to think about that!
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great post. i always need that push/boost to keep it going!
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Good stuff, Jody. Happy Monday to you, too!
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Thanks for a great post. I can be a weekend warrior
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Thx to you all for commenting. I have done a few of these emotional eating posts but I think that it is one thing that nags us all & we all battle constantly. I know I still do. Glad it helps!
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I know this may sound silly but learning how to effectively meditate can really ease anxiety which can help to control cravings and 'stress eating'. May not work for everyone, but it's worth a shot.
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I have heard this from others. Thx for sharing!
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