My lesson learned at least for today

~reneew · Post by **~reneew** » Thu Nov 03, 2011 1:19 pm

So, yesterday I was really frustrated about my lack of restraint from the day before so I thought I'd try some different route and try counting fat grams again. (Good grief, I know) I worked myself up into an excited fat-free state of mind and headed to the grocery store determined to give it a week and surprise myself by loosing 5 pounds by eating creatively prepared, well thought out chef-like cuisine. First isle, "lite" bread with only 1 gram of fat per 2 slices... what a deal! I'll get butter spray and fat free turkey and fat free cheese and live like there's no tomorrow eating as much of it as I want. I planned to make it into a grilled sandwich on my indoor grill. I wonder if it'll stick? Or turn into rubber. Next was chicken breasts which I'd eat this week when everyone else had wonderful juicy hamburgers. Hmm.. oh well, I deserve it for all of the times I have eaten 2 burgers. Then I had the miraculous brainstorm of making pizzas as low fat as I could and eating those wonderful creations all week for lunch or better yet, SNACKS just because I can on my new plan. I bought english muffins because I tried it as a kid and loved it (I also loved spaghetti-o's). I went to buy the kind of sauce that I always do that only has 1 gram of fat per 1/2 cup. Hmm... wonder why it has any, my homeade doesn't have any, guess I need to eat my homeade and have another garden next year. I bought peppers, fresh mushrooms and purple onions to add color and bulk to my creation. I plan on piling it on high! I think I need some type of meat...turkey pepperoni is still high in fat, so fat free turkey sandwich slices again! Wow, I'm good. Next, cheese... the most important part of this pizza. They had fat free cheddar which I know from experience doesn't melt at all until it chemically changes to rubber, so I sought out an alternative. Fat free cottage cheese!!! I'll strain off the milky part and it'll be JUST like mzzerella. I'm excited, so after purchasing baked (paper tasting) chips and skim milk I head home. I immediately start my pizza creation even though it's only 10 am... cuz I can! It didn't look too bad concidering my excitement factor, so I toasted it in my toaster oven. Loads of steam and smoke floating off, I couldn't wait. Then the moment came. I put all 4 rounds (remember it's 10 am) on my small plate and cut into it. It was toasty and mushy at the same time. Bite one: blah... well, maybe... Bite 2: Good grief, what am I eating this for? Bite 3: Yuck! I did finish just because I can, but that certainly was not good. So lunch rolls around an hour and a half after forcing those down and I see the leftover "real" pizza in the fridge from a couple days before and dive in. Since I went over my daily alotment of fat grams already, I then continued to eat Halloween candy, as many sugary drinks as I can find, as well as snacks and then supper with thirds... then more snacks. I even made a batch of cookies!

Why do I keep doing this?

What have I learned (at least for today)? No S is a sane, normal, and good tasting way to go and I'm back to vanilla!

Nicest of the Damned · Post by **Nicest of the Damned** » Thu Nov 03, 2011 7:10 pm

~reneew wrote:I went to buy the kind of sauce that I always do that only has 1 gram of fat per 1/2 cup. Hmm... wonder why it has any, my homeade doesn't have any

You don't saute onions or garlic in olive oil for your homemade sauce?

Fat free cottage cheese!!! I'll strain off the milky part and it'll be JUST like mzzerella.

Yuck. I hate all cottage cheese (the texture reminds me of vomit), and I can't even imagine the foulness that would be fat free cottage cheese.

Bite one: blah... well, maybe... Bite 2: Good grief, what am I eating this for? Bite 3: Yuck! I did finish just because I can

If there is one thing I have learned in my 36 years on this earth, it is that you should never keep eating when something makes you say "yuck".

Blithe Morning · Post by **Blithe Morning** » Fri Nov 04, 2011 12:14 am

Funny because it's so painfully true. Oh the things we do to ourselves. Good on you for getting back on track quickly.

gk · Post by gk » Fri Nov 04, 2011 11:10 am

I've stopped No S so many times in the past year, only to find myself coming back every time knowing it is the most sane approach to healthy eating. Why do we try to convince ourselves otherwise?? I'm here to stay this time.

Good for you for returning! Good luck to you!

(And yes, I have been there as well.....the fat-free route spirals into binges for me every time!)

~hf · Post by **~hf** » Sat Nov 05, 2011 3:26 am

Renew, I'm with you on this except for me it is low carb. I've been on a trip recently that has me convinced that I can't lose weight if I'm eating carbs, which I know isn't true because I've lost weight before counting calories and on No S...which is why I'm back. I haven't had any green days yet this week (maybe today, Friday). I spend each day wrestling with myself over what to eat, sigh. I just need to talk myself down from this tight rope and begin eating like a sane person.

Heidi

M's sick of dieting · Post by **M's sick of dieting** » Mon Nov 07, 2011 5:34 pm

Oh my goodness! That is me, all the way!!! I've been saying for the past couple years that dieting has made me over weight. Because I do that exact same thing! I get al excited and motivated about a new diet, just to not be able to stick to it for more then a couple days at best, fall off and eat a bunch of junk for then next few days. And I better eat it all cause I'm starting the next diet on Sunday! It's a visious cycle and it'll make you fat!!!

snapdragon · Post by **snapdragon** » Sun Nov 20, 2011 6:08 pm

You are so funny thanks for the humor I REALLY needed to laugh at myself. I cleaned out my closet today and threw out at least 80%of my clothes becuase they didn't fit and hadn't fit in so long they were pathetically out of style, lots of large drab clothing I only bought becuase they fit and did not look TOO bad on me. I still clung to some clothes that don't really fit me but I couldn't bear throwing those out too they were my old fat clothes after all.
Hope your on track and feeling better.

~hf · Post by **~hf** » Sun Nov 20, 2011 11:45 pm

Oh my, snapdragon, yes on the wardrobe. I have an entire closet of clothes that don't fit me but are instead a range of sized that I used to be...sadly all of them smaller than I am right now. A few weeks ago I decided that I deserve nice things no matter what my size so now I am slowly building a nice selection of quality items. I have a new dress, sweater, tops and 2 new pairs of shoes...I haven't ventured into new pants yet, they are way less forgiving. I'm building up my courage.

Heidi

Kathi · Post by **Kathi** » Tue Nov 29, 2011 6:50 pm

Coming in late here, but I had to reply because this post made me shudder with recognition... That new-diet high is such a dangerous feeling. My freezer is filled with crazy foods that I just HAD to have for the <insert name here> diet, but which are so unpalatable they've sat there for months. Oh, and I still have three bags of beef jerky from my last try at Atkins...ick.

This is Day 4 for me, and I'm really enjoying my No S experience. After low-carbing since March, it's a relief to eat a piece of fruit without guilt! Last night I filled half my plate with salad and was starving by bedtime, so I'm still tweaking what works for me--but I didn't eat anything in the evening, which is a huge success for me.

3-0-7 girl · Post by **3-0-7 girl** » Tue Nov 29, 2011 8:36 pm

I can't count the times I have decided on eating from only a stomach growl and only a few bites. I'd stock up on foods in bite size amounts. I'd get up on whatever day it was I was going start and make it to about noon and cave in!!!!!!!!!!

Then I'd start over and over and over and over. Eventualy I would give up for a while, but, utimately always try it again. Never worked.

Sick of all that. It was as if I was determined to wring a successful ending out of an approach to eating that I couldn't maintain for even a day.

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Wed Nov 30, 2011 7:14 am

Oh, my. Doesn't that capture it. The obsession with all the planning and the details. I wonder sometimes if a hypnotist could take away some of the memories of me as a person with this preoccupation. What if I could just forget about it all until I really needed to plan for meals or actually eat? What if I could just be a person without this problem? Gee, what problem would I rather have? Better be careful. Could be a lot worse.

Probably nuts to throw this in but I really like fat free cottage cheese, either with fruit and walnuts or mixed in with some beans with Indian spices. It just has the right heft. But other cheese is full fat. OH, I had some great Brie at dinner!

Let's just have our delicious meals!

Miyabi · Post by **Miyabi** » Wed Nov 30, 2011 8:14 pm

I used to find I could do the crazy diets for two weeks. With age it's down to just three days. Maybe I can get it down to where just reading about the diet on the internet will satisfy the urge. Sort of like reading recipe sites satisfies any urge to cook, or watching Martha Stewart satisfies any urge to craft.

Does everyone else continue to read threads here even when crazy dieting? I do.

Kathi · Post by **Kathi** » Wed Nov 30, 2011 8:46 pm

oolala53 wrote:Oh, my. Doesn't that capture it. The obsession with all the planning and the details.

Going back to the book "Willpower"...the more details a diet requires, the more of your willpower it will sap. Especially if you need to remember those details throughout the day (how many calories have I eaten so far? Did I have my fat serving already?). Obviously, a diet in which you can't maintain willpower is bound to fail.

Another way to exhaust your willpower is through "decision fatigue." I think that's why the "just eat when you're hungry" diets failed for me. It was literally exhausting to try to figure out whether I was hungry enough to eat and exactly what I wanted. I would find myself very irritable, when theoretically it should have been fun and freeing. Anyone else experience this?

carolz · Post by **carolz** » Wed Nov 30, 2011 9:07 pm

I don't know anyone who has lost weight using "intuitive eating." I bought a book about it and practically threw it across the room because I knew there was no way it would work for me -- way too vague. I need some structure. If I only ate when I was hungry, I sure as hell wouldn't have a weight problem.

Thanks for recommending that Willpower book. I definitely want to read it now. I totally believe that about diets requiring so much thought that they sap your willpower, and let's face it, most people don't have much willpower to begin with.

I had to laugh at the posts about new diet excitement. Man, have I been there! And I also noticed that the older I get the faster I quit whatever "IT" diet I've convinced myself is the answer.

Everyday Systems

My lesson learned at least for today

My lesson learned at least for today

Re: My lesson learned at least for today