Willpower
Michelle Schaffner
belong to a fencing team. I also have started to keep a journal of the
foods that I eat. I have a hard time resisting some sweet foods, and I
know that in order to succeed, I must cut down my caloric intake. But
sometimes I get what I assume are hunger pangs, and then eat some food in
order to calm them. Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can cut my
caloric intake without feelings of deprivation? My diet is fairly healthy
as it is.
Kalpana Shankar
Michelle -
Fencing? Wow - you must be in excellent shape! I've always wanted to fence.
Are you sure your "hunger pangs" are not cravings for water? Try drinking water
instead of eating something. Many people don't really know how to differentiate
between the need for water and the need for food.
If your diet is already healthy, consider substituting high fiber foods for
processed snacks (carrot sticks instead of pretzels, for example).
Evaluate your eating journal and your exercise again - are you eating more than you
think you are?
Your body may also genetically WANT to be at the weight you are at now and if that's
so, it will be a tough haul to change that "set point".
But it definitely sounds like you're going in the right direction - good luck!
Kalpana
Neefer Duir
>Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can cut my
>caloric intake without feelings of deprivation? My diet is fairly healthy
>as it is.
You have to have the correct food on hand. I take a lot of carrots and
a lot of fresh fruit with me to work. That way, when I get hungry,
I have it right there for me to eat. I have a much harder time
at home because along with the apples and carrots, I have access to
my SO's food which is not the best choice for *ME*.
Cravings are tough. IMHO, you should satisfy them occasionally.
Some alternatives are: fresh sweet apples or other fruit, dried fruit
w/ or w/o hard pretzels (while texturally this is different than
eating a pastry, I find it answers that craving), and your own,
homemade pumpkin pie.
Pumpkin pie: follow the directions on the can, but use non-fat
condensed milk, artificial sweetner (I use about 1/2 of what hte
recipe calls for and cannot really tell the difference in a taste
test with full amount of artificial sweetner), and I use readymade
crumb crusts. I buy the ones that the labels say have the least
fat. I think the lowest is a shortbread one made by keebler(?).
The occasional candybar, donut, cookie is not going to sent you
to fat-purgatory. It is ok to have one every now and then.
When I used to totally deny myself, I would be successful for
a while, but then I would binge (and eating a dozen donuts,
for example, was easy). So please don't fall in to that trap;
IMHO, most people are vulnerable to this (altho, perhaps not
to the extent that I am).
--
Jennifer in California | When a person can no longer laugh at
oak...@aimnet.com | himself, it is time for others to laugh
http://users.aimnet.com/~oaktree/ | at him. -Thomas Szasz
Heather Frazier
>
oak...@aimnet.com (Neefer Duir) wrote:>
>You have to have the correct food on hand. I take a lot of carrots and
>a lot of fresh fruit with me to work. That way, when I get hungry,
>I have it right there for me to eat.
>
I have had much success with Weight Watchers „Fat and Fiberľ program. Basically you can eat ĺanythingĽ as long as you keep your fat=
grams to between 16 and 35 (45 for men) each day. While it is very true „fat-free is not calorie-freeľ knowing the amount of fat y=
ou are consuming can help you to make better food choices. i.e. Leave the meat out of spaghetti sauce and you can eat more pasta. =
Planning is very important. Plan your low fat menus and snacks so you have good food choices available.
I also am a proponent of appropriate snacking. I bring fruit and things like pretzels and plain mini bagels to work. A snack late =
in the afternoon before I go to aerobics class or home keeps me from feeling starved.
Of course it is important to control portions at meals with the exception of plain vegetables. My secret weapon for staying satisfi=
ed this winter when I want hot comfort foods is home-made (virtually fat-free and low-salt) vegetable soup. On Weight Watchers this=
would be considered a unlimited „freeľ food. If I am really hungry (or just feel like eating allot) I have soup with my meal. Or =
it can be a meal in itself.
Regarding cravings, at Weight Watchers, they differentiate between a craving and an urge:
- If I walk past the cookie store at the mall and *WANT ONE* thatĽs an urge. If I keep walking I will probably forget about the coo=
kie.
- If however IĽm thinking about _________ and thinking about __________ (fill in the blanks with the food of your choice) I should p=
robably have _____________ in a controlled amount.
I hope some of these tips help.
Heather
(-22 LB with 18 to go!)