I have been trying to lose weight since 2003. I had been slim at the time of my wedding, gained some weight after my first child, maintained my weight with some walking and strength training, and actually lost some weight after my second child. But then something happened, I think it was a combination of developing hypothyroidism, increased stress at work, and the onset of allergies that I gained another 10-15 pounds. The fact that I was eating the leftovers of two kids now instead of one didn’t help either.
I have been trying to lose weight since then. I wasn’t very vocal about it, mainly so as to not affect my kids body image. The emphasis was always that “mom is big and strong” and not that “mom is fat”. But this mom knew she was fat and the poor woman tried her best to follow this diet or the other with none which lasted more than a week. Really, I have commitment issues.
But the one’diet’ which I really liked is The Beck Diet Solutions by Judith Beck. She is a psychologist and uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to change one’s relationship with food. Its more about ‘how‘ to eat and not as much about ‘what‘ to eat. No foods are off-limits, the focus is on learning how to eat so one can stick to their chosen diet plan. She takes one on a six week journey, first, to change the eating habits and then to follow the chosen diet. She covers topics on how to face food-pushers, how to eat during travel, how to face days when the weight just goes up instead of the other way in spite of following the diet. I don’t think this is a one and done program, the six weeks will have to be repeated countless times until the habits are ingrained.
I am trying to commit myself to it again…for the third time. The first two times I managed to change a few habits. I sit down and eat, and that simple change made a big difference-I actually remember that I ate instead of eating lunch twice because ‘I forgot I ate’.
I also learnt to stop eating from the bag itself. So even if it is peanuts or almonds, no, I don’t sit and count them, but I do put them in a bowl and eat them mindfully one at a time.
Another habit is to remind myself consistently of the ‘why’. Why do I want to eat healthy and why do I want to lose weight. My biggest reason is to stay healthy and try and avoid the diabetes and the hypertension associated with a bad diet.
One of the exercises in the book is to learn the difference between Hunger, Desire and Craving. I had never thought about these. I think I was mainly living in Desireland, eat what you desire. I don’t think I have had hunger pangs since my student days, because since then I had been surrounded by food and no one to remind me about meal times.
When I first came to America, I was amazed at the way any time was meal time. Residents would bring their lunch into the lecture rooms and eat with the professor droning on. At the movies, one could eat only during the interval, but here, the movies don’t have intervals and one could eat through out the movie. It was great! but I lost the distinction between meal times and snack times.
Then came the recommendations to ‘graze’ instead of the three meals, one snack model. And who’s counting calories when one is ‘grazing’.
At this stage of my life it is imperative that I not only lose this weight, but maintain it too. I am really tired of having this unfinished task in my life. I am aware that maintenance is difficult, more than half the weight losers gain it back and more. But it’s not only about the weight. It’s also about the mindless eating of sugary and salty snacks which plays havoc with one’s metabolism and health.
I recently attended an online Role of Nutrition in Immunity conference run through the UCLA Center of Human Nutrition. The last hour was focussed on weight loss. The most heartening message was that it takes multiple tries to be successful at weight loss. The perfect diet is the one that works for you, what you can stick to long term. And If you can do it once, you can do it again, so do not give up. They also had many recommendations for maintenance of the weight loss, including more than an hour of daily physical activity, monitoring both the weight and caloric intake daily and keeping a food journal.
So, onward and forward. I am going to get back to the drawing board, get back on the wagon and work towards my health. Are you coming with me?
Do you follow any particular diet? Share, please!
