Starting differently

madlibscholar

Hi! I've been on MFP for a few years, but I wasn't doing things right. I am a victim of years long yo-yo diets, so I was really used to dieting in a way that was a 'quick fix', but didn't work to change my eating habits, so I developed a restrict/binge cycle that I knew was not good for me! So, I spent some time working on that...and figuring out what kind of lifestyle I wanted to be able to sustain, which has been a positive experience, but I very intentionally didn't track food, measure exercise or weigh myself.

This was all ok for my healing process, and I actually managed to keep my weight steady, just by eating well and making sure I got some movement in every day. Then, last December, my husband's job took us to India, so I had a good six months of not always being in control of where my food was coming from, not being able to rely on certain cooking ingredients, eating out more and drinking a ton! I've gone up one full size since we've been here, and I'm in a postion now where I can make some changes back to eating better and getting out to do some exercise.

I won't, and can't 'diet' in a restrictive sense...I have done all that before, and it's what caused my eating to be so disordered for so long. What I can do is the following:

I will make better choices when I go out (since we go out to eat a lot, it's not a 'treat', so I CAN make healthier choices without feeling like I'm missing out). When we are home, I will cook from scratch, and keep my meals full of whole food with lots of fruit and veggies, and I will 'save up' for social drinking situations, instead of mindlessly drinking a bit every day just out of boredom and habit. I set my weight loss goal at just a pound a week, and I will learn to incorporate fun foods into my daily calorie goal, so that I can get to a healthier weight, but not get completely obsessed when I am offered a slice of cake at a coffee morning or something. I walk at least 5 days a week, anyway (we have a dog), and I intend to start some yoga/pilates in few weeks time.

I think that's about it! Hope to find some friends for motivation and support!

PinkPixiexox

Your plan sounds absolutely spot-on

Your history of yo-yo dieting and binge/restrict is actually mine too. It to the point where I was restricting to such an extreme extent all week and then 'rewarding' myself with food to a complete opposite extreme at the weekends. It was quite difficult but I knew I had to address my relationship with food. I've done that and I feel mentally healthier as well as physically. Of course, I think I'll always have a huge appetite but moderation is key.

I have no doubt in my mind that you'll succeed and I wish you the best of luck. Stick with MFP, you'll get a lot of support and advice here