HOW TO GET STARTED WITH PERMANENT WEIGHT LOSS

I have dieted on and off since I was in my early 20s (I’m now 68).  I lost weight by trying all sorts of diets - even an ice cream diet - but I regained my weight quickly when I came "off" that diet. 

My problem with all of these diets was that none of them were sustainable for me.  I liked Weight Watchers because it allowed me to eat all foods; however, I always ran out of points as soon as I ate at restaurants or went a party or on vacation. With every diet I tried, I thought about food - what I would or could eat - much of the time.

About 4 years ago, I joined a coaching program for women physicians where I learned about how what I thought about food directly influenced what I ate and how much I ate.  Along with starting to eat a healthier diet most of the time, learning how to change how I thought about food and eating was the key to my losing weight for good.  Once I learned how to manage my thinking about food, I found that I was rarely tempted to eat those foods which did not support my goals.

In addition to learning to think about food in a different way, I also learned how to manage my emotions without eating.  I learned how to feel stress, frustration, boredom and fatigue without eating.  I also gained control of my after dinner habit eating.  

And lastly, I learned to eat to "enough", rather than eat until "full".  By using my improved thoughts about food and eating, learning to manage my emotional and habitual eating, and eating appropriate amounts for my body, I was also able to successfully manage parties and vacations with minimal or no mind drama about food and eating.  

I've lost over 40 pounds since learning these techniques (and 60 pounds from my heaviest weight) and have kept off the weight easily. I no longer start and stop diets and I allow myself to eat the foods that I love.  I plan for foods that are “unhealthy” at least once a week and I make sure to put any foods that I truly love (like Tillamook Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream) on my eating plan some of the time. 

When I entered menopause, I found that decreasing foods made with flour – such as breads, pastas, cakes and cookies - made it much easier for me to both lose weight and to keep off my weight.   I now eat foods made with flour only about once a week – and eat only small amounts at a time. Everyone’s body is different, so what works for me, might not be the solution for you.

I also have realized that sugary foods increased my urges for more sugary foods.  By also limiting foods containing added sugars, my urges for sweet foods decreased.  As I have become fat-adapted (see last week’s blog), I have found that I rarely become very hungry. I also feel much lighter and more energetic.  

An additional important part of my success with weight loss has been planning my meals as much as possible 12-24 hours ahead of time. By planing from my rational brain, rather than my "primitive" brain -which immediately wants whatever it sees or thinks about - I make better decisions to support my weight goals.

Sometimes, if I'm going out and do not know what foods will be served, I just write “protein, carbohydrate, salad - and maybe, dessert or wine or bread”.  By planning ahead of time, I make better decisions to support my weight goals.  Of course, after making my plan, I then need to follow my plan. So I try to make a "doable" plan - one that I think I can follow - even if it is not "perfect".  My plan always consists of foods that I enjoy and look forward to eating. 

So to sum up, I make a 24 hour "doable" food plan and I write it down. I include the types of foods I will want to eat, even if they are not the healthiest foods.  I write down the meals and snacks that I think I will want to eat – but I only eat them if I'm hungry at the time.  I plan for 1-2 snacks a day; however, I rarely eat snacks (but I have them planned just in case). I just write down the foods - not any amounts - and I do not measure any of my food.

At the end of the day, or the next morning, I review my plan and see where I had any problems in following the plan.  I then plan how I will handle similar challenges the next time they occur.  

This is how I manage my eating and how I recommend that you get started on your permanent weight loss journey, if what you've been doing has not been working.  If you’re not on my e-mail list and you would like to get my blogs and newsletters, subscribe down below or go to drbarbaralkatzcoaching.mykajabi.com and subscribe today.  I look forward to getting to know you and to teaching you how thought work can help you to reach your weight loss goals permanently. 

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