Persistence, not perfection!

LadyBoss4Life

Do you find yourself getting frustrated and ready to give up when “dieting” isn’t going perfect? That was certainly me over and over when trying to lose weight and get healthy. I felt that if I blew it one day that was it I just ruined everything so I let it mess with my mind and I would give up. Learning now, but is persistence not perfection that I need to focus on. I’m never gonna be perfect every day and there’s gonna be days where I might have something that doesn’t fall in line with that healthy diet and that’s OK. I’ve also found that when I try to limit myself only healthy foods I feel like I am depriving myself and I’m missing out. I’m also figuring out that it’s OK to have the things that I want to eat if I’m having them in moderation again persistence not perfection. So let’s say I want a piece of dessert after dinner rather than eating a huge piece of cake I can just have a small piece and have a couple bites. Also learning that just because the food is on my plate doesn’t mean that I have to finish it. That helps not to continue to use a bigger plate like we usually do and to use maybe the smaller dessert plate. Did you know that over the years? Are dinner plates have actually gotten bigger and bigger? I did not know that but once in a while, I run across some fun facts that make me go. Wow, that’s crazy. Maybe we got back to using the smaller plates for us as the bigger ones we wouldn’t be so inclined to eat as much because then finishing what’s on our plate wouldn’t be such a big deal because it wouldn’t be twice the food as what would go on a small plate. Tell me some of the things that you guys have learned that it helped you along the way.

AnnPT77

I'm 100% with you on the plate/bowl size issue. I was married in 1977, and recently reached the point of needing to replace dishes we'd received as wedding presents. I could find reaonable-sized dinner plates with some searching, but usually use so-called "dessert plates" or "salad plates" instead. It was much harder to find rational-sized bowls. Most bowls intended for general use make a rational serving of ice cream look like a chihuahua in the bottom of an empty swimming pool. I tend to use the smallest "dessert bowls" I could find for things other than salads (for which it's more like mixing bowls in my world ), plus custard cups.

I also agree with you about not demonizing what I'd call "treat foods" (less nutrient dense, higher calorie). If there are foods I truly enjoy, I'm not going to put those off limits for the entire rest of my life, so it makes sense to me to moderate portion size or frequency to keep my overall way of eating reasonably healthy but also enjoyable, and let me participate in the occasional food-centric celebration (birthdays, holidays, truly special restaurant meals or eating at friends' homes). Balance!

Healthy eating in my opinion is about getting good overall nutrition at reasonable calories, on average over a day or few. It isn't some kind of religious exercise in "being good" and eliminating all "evil". Food is just food. Eating isn't an epic battle between good and evil!

Just my opinions, though. Others are free to differ.

Hobartlemagne

If I know there will be birthday cake served a work, I bring a half-size lunch.
A reasonable size slice of cake can easily be 350 calories.

One nice thing at our office- we have a one-per-month limit on birthday cake.
We just celebrate all the birthdays from that month.

Workplace birthday cake culture can be toxic.

Adventurista

Completely agree with op title; persistence, not perfection.

The women in our family "dieted" together often, planned food and start days together with statements like... let's lose this weight forever, it's now or never, or this time we'll follow the plan - not take a bite off plan - lose the weight - keep it off forever!!!

growing up in that approach and learned mindset, as every fad, crash, very low calorie diet was enthusiastically embraced.... and followed perfectly to a T, then abruptly abandonded and unrestricted feasting recommenced, again together with social eating excursions...

It was whiplash, comepletely unrealistic in expectations without evolving or provision for reasonable adaptations....

It set up a start stop yo yo pattern and deeply held "diet ideas/rules" about how and what to eat (rabbit food) -- and -- over-eating/binge eating and aversion to anything that felt "diet" or "restrictive" - things that could be helpful tools became restrictive punishment, like making/following any sort of guided mealplan, food tracking, stepping on scale, good/bad foods, moral failure and guilt... the negative impact can be intense and enduring.

How does a person change all that? A good place to start is to practice, seek persistence instead of perfection...

It is about releasing the old rules, and looking for an approach that is helpful and emotionally ok... taking an idea, trying it, did it work or need adjustment, then trying more... choosing to change. It helps to make it fun and and an adventure... start where we are each day, look at our choices, choose, go forward, no guilt, no remorse for yesterday... embrace today...

xbowhunter

I never dieted but I did do a complete lifestyle change and rid my body of toxic foods.

Aa side bonus was I dropped 30+ lbs. and never once felt deprived.