Think about that... I'm sure when I was almost 170 that the Nutrisystem I had was fine, but moreso it was the hot dogs, hamburgers, and pizza puffs (really liking pizza puffs right now for some reason) that I didn't eat at all that led to the weight loss. I'm not endorsing Weight Watchers as I don't really know how I feel about the system yet (though I have generalized a few strong opinions), but they don't count fruit and vegetables as points. I don't really think about how many snack bags of baby carrots I eat or how many oranges. I don't think about how much salad I eat. I just eat it because I know those things aren't going to impact me like some other foods will.
Just yesterday, I went to a Chicago White Sox game (won the tickets otherwise I wouldn't go). I thought a great deal about nachos, hot dogs, beers, and all the other good stuff you can get at a ballgame. It was the self-control in knowing I shouldn't really eat any of that stuff that stopped me. I still wish I could have had the $11.50 nachos in the baseball hat. I even tried to justify it by saying I could give the hat to my little nephew when he visits. In the end, I saved myself from probably a 5 figure calorie count... Yes, I would have probably eaten most of it and probably would have snapped at my gf if she took more than a few of the nachos. So really, is it the prevention of 10k+ calories that I should be more conscious about or is it making sure I eat all my veggies that's important?
I'm not advocating preventing yourself from eating foods that you like, but just for kicks think about what you wanted to eat and didn't. Keep track of it like I'm going to do. It's amazing how calories can add up for food that you're not eating!
Btw... I had a polish, fries, and a cup of chili at Lindy's before the game with my gf and friends. I could have looked to get a salad, but comparing what I ate to what I could have eaten still indicates that I saved calories... and really, if you can't enjoy yourself with friends sometimes how can you really be happy?
It'll be another big meal on Friday for a birthday, but I've been good otherwise. Will post as soon as I hit 230 if not sooner!
Cathy and I have a system now that we follow that aims to eliminate excess carbs and refined sugars in our diet.
ReplyDeleteLess than 15 grams of sugar a day, and less than 120 grams of carbs a day.
This severely limits bad for you items (like candy, cakes, ice cream, pop) and puts the focus on veggies and lean cuts of meat. At the same time, we're able to eat some items (85% dark chocolate) in small amounts each day when the craving hits... which is all we need really to tide us over.
We also allow one cheat day a weak, where you can eat whatever you want, however much you want... but after the third week, we found that we end up just indulging a bit on something like a few slices of pizza and not necessarily binging on food. (Though Oreos have become a standard for breakfast on cheat days)
It's a good system, and we're definitely healthier for it.