Have you found a healthy way to manage your weight? If so, what did you discover?
Sorry if I'm getting the discussion off track but my problems always been bulking up so I don't look like a wimp. My first big mistake was eating everything that would fatten me up---fun but a big mistake cause I looked like a blimp. Now I work out with a trainer at my health club to increase muscle size by fatiguing them and eating healthy high-caloric food like nuts. It works for me. I just wish I knew it before I started loading up on pizza.
I agree with you Lisa! Mindless eating is what most of us do. We eat in front of the TV, computer, standing up, etc... I think it's really important to pay attention to what you are eating when you are eating it. The body gives very subtle signals when it has had enough food and if we are multitasking, it's easy to miss those cues! I think the small plate thing is a great idea too!! I'm going to give that a go:-)
All of you are discussing both the traps and the paths to weight control. I wish that fewer performers had to learn this lesson the hard way. I think we all agree that deprivation is not the answer. What do others have to say?
I have discovered the only way I can lose weight is "portion control". Starvation won't do it. But when I get really disgusted with what I see in the mirror, it's a lot easier to just cut everything in half. That way you can eat everything but just a lot less. Also using a smaller plate helps. We've all been told since childhood to "clean our plates" so we tend to do it. After all, you shouldn't waste food. A smaller plate is the answer & you actually seem to fool your body. I would suggest reading a book called MINDLESS EATING, it really helped me. It tells you why we eat more than we think.
Always a thin girl, I was in SHOCK to see that I had managed to gain the freshman 15 while enrolled in BFA program. What I could not understand was how that could be possible when I was dancing so often. My attitude turned a little bitter with the confusion. I found that the weight gain was mostly a bloating problem along with all the new muscle I was building from the kind of dance classes I was taking (as well as the increased frequency of classes per week). I decided to shape up by drinking lots of water, and by eating only until I was just about full....not when my plate was cleared off. If I needed something salty instead of grabbing a carb, I would go for something like a tomato and some vegetables with light, natural salad dressing. Lots of walking definitely helped to burn calories without being to harsh on my joints. I agree with CathNYC. Having a sound mind really has helped me to have a sound body. I found that with a more positive attitude toward managing weight and understanding that not all bodies stay super thin through the years that saw significant progress! Everything in moderation, plus, healthier choices.
I've been pretty lucky in terms of weight/metabolism but I did experiment with dieting in my teens. I found that when I told myself I could not have something, I would eat more of the item I was trying to avoid. I have always been a dessert girl so I know that I HAVE to eat something sweet everyday. I try not to overdo it and always eat a healthy breakfast and lot of fruits and vegetables throughout the day. I think it's important not to deprive yourself of anything. If your body is craving something, eat a small portion. For me, the diet mind-set does not work. I practice everything in moderation coupled with regular exercise for my body AND mind. This has worked pretty well for me:-)
After starving myself and then eating everything in the house I finally wised up and saw a nutritionist. I was 20 pounds overweight and desperate to try anything that would help. The answer for me has been to never go hungry. I eat every few hours and make sure to get in enough calories each day (about 2000). I go the gym a few times a week and do cardio and weights (for about 45 minutes). It's all I need to be healthy and lean. My only regret is wasting years depriving my body of food for nothing. All it did was make me fat.
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!