The secret to being slim

sugarlips1980

...boy is that something I've been debating a lot over the last few months!! As a life long yo yo dieter, I'm determined to not only get to my ideal weight, but to also learn why I'm an emotional eater and how to maintain my weight when I get there.

I'm reminding myself of two things which I think are crucial. They are:

1) The rewards from being healthy outweigh the rewards of getting that unhealthy fix.

2) It takes much more effort to be the fat and unhealthy me than it does to be a healthy me.

I think this is where I've wrong in my thinking on previous 'diets'! I had all my motivators: I cared about my health (have a potentially serious medical condition); I wanted to look fabulous and slim and be free to wear whatever I want; I wanted to have more energy; I wanted to feel sexy and dress up for my boyfriend in gorgeous lingerie again like I did when we first met etc etc. I wanted all these things SO badly, yet why could I stick to my diet for a while then lose it and go through a binge period, piling the weight right back on? Time and time again? Because I thought it was all so much EFFORT!

It's occurring to me now that it's not just about wanting that end goal. It's about how I see the whole reward and effort cycle on a day to day basis and how that forms my habits. Because fundamentally I can be quite lazy. And greedy of course! Not a good combination! So what are the rewards of ordering that takeaway, eating that chocolate bar and skipping your exercise routine? We can't deny there's an instant gratification. A rush of dopamine, a hit of tastiness from the fat sugar and salty junk food and just not having to move your butt off the sofa. But too much of this and you feel crappy. Very crappy. Your self esteem hits rock bottom. You're fed up with how you look, you're self conscious, you feel sluggish all the time. So you eat more for comfort. It's a vicious cycle.

But the rewards of making healthy choices are so much greater. Long term, developing these daily habits get you to your end goals. Feeling energetic. Peace of mind because you're extending your life. Feeling sexy and attractive. But there's also day to day rewards. It feels good to make your own pizza bases and top them with fresh veg, olives and tomatoes, minus the cheese. A low fat alternative to Dominoes and so tasty! You don't have to comprise on taste you just need to learn to cook healthy, from scratch as much as possible. Going to bed knowing you've stayed within your allotted calories is an ace feeling! It doesn't have to be about denial and starvation. The trick is to get off the junk and stop your dopamine receptors from being hijacked so that you can actually enjoy healthy, tasty food full of flavour. They say sugar is addictive as crack! Of course that doesn't mean you can't have the odd treat, it's important to indulge once in a while or you will fall off the wagon.

And as for effort, how much of that does it take to keep yo yo dieting?! To lose weight, pile it on, to have to lose it again. How much effort is it to haul your *kitten* out of bed and try on every item in your wardrobe because they're all getting smaller? How much effort it is it to feel so down and hopeless about your weight and how you look? To seek out clothes that hide your bingo wings/big belly/insert hated boy part here or find wider calf boots? So you have to eat a little less and move a little more. This new way of life is actually EASIER than before!

It's easier and it's simplifying life. I'm so looking forward to losing the physical weight and losing the emotional baggage too. Looking forward to just feeling amazing and alive!

Any thoughts?

sugarlips1980

Bump!