Diet: Or should I say diet makeover, lol. I had a diet prior to weight loss: It was called the "wine and cheese and chocolate and pizza party with the cat" diet. Seriously, I didn't overeat that much and I've never been a big junk food person. But I did eat too much, especially on the antidepressant Paxil which busted limit switches. Ergo the obesity. So obviously a clean up of eating habits was in order. Which brings me to the second D.
Determination: I had to make up my mind that I should, could and would lose weight. No more excuses, putting it off, cheating, denial. I knew it would be a long haul so I had to visualize myself thinner and keep that mental image in my head. I call this tool "eye on the prize" and that takes
me to the third D.
Discipline: I wanted to lose weight but I didn't want to diet. I dreaded it. But like so many Al-Anon slogans I've used, "fake it till ya make it" works great. Also, "it works if ya work it" cuz self-discipline really does pay off if you're will to do the work of weight loss.
Distract/Deflect: Part of how I lost 100 pounds was to distract myself from constant thoughts of hunger and food and deflect my thoughts on other things. I keep busy and active. I try to focus on others' greater suffering to minimize my own minor struggle. I promise myself I'll eat later and sometimes I forget that I'm hungry! Having said that, brings me to the last D of weight loss.
Diffuse: In order to be able to distract from obsession with food, I avoid getting too hungry. If I let myself go too long without eating, hunger pain (and it really is pain that can hurt like crazy) sets in. It seems I can't get full. Blood sugar drops and I can't stop eating. So I diffuse intense hunger by nibbling throughout the day. I track calories for weight loss and don't just mindlessly snack. But I spread them out over more small meals instead of a few large ones. I may not ever be completely full but I'm also not completely empty!
These 5Ds are my formula for beating obesity!
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