There is light at the end of the tunnel.

Just wanted to post this to tell you that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Eating healthy should be a life journey and nothing temporary but for those eating at a deficit and having a hard time it will get easier. Not only will it get easier because your body will adjust to a lower calorie intake but once you reach your goals maintenance will be a piece of cake.

I’ve been in maintenance for almost two months now and at first there were adjustments but mostly fear. A few weeks ago I freaked because my clothes were fitting kind of tight and my body didn’t look as lean, but I guess it was a mixture of my own insecurities with my body adjusting to the higher calories. I look and feel great now.

Anyway, my point is that maintenance is awesome! Once you reach your goal weight, go past the fear of gaining and find the right amount of calories to maintain; life becomes so much easier. I have reached a point where I could stop logging and would be able to maintain without a problem. When I was eating at a calorie deficit I would weight my food and log before I had a meal, to make sure I was hitting the mark with both calories and macros. Now I measure my food, write it down but end up logging it all at the end of the day and have no problem staying within my allowed calories.

I am now able to tell what a portion is without measuring it and have a pretty good idea of how many calories each portion has. I eat meals that are about 300-500 calories and snacks that are 200-300 calories. So as long as I have my usual 2-3 meals, 3-4 snacks a day I am always hitting my calories or under. I eat foods I truly enjoy daily such as ice cream and since it has only 170 calories (gotta have that cone) and is low in fat and sugar I just add as a snack. I also have a cheat meal twice a week but here is the great thing about it, even on a cheat day I am barely going over my calories.

Today for example I went to IHop at noon for my cheat meal and had a huge omelet with a side of French toast. It was delicious, I was full and happy. It is now dinner time and I am still satisfied since I do not usually have such a large meal and had a pretty decent breakfast at 4am. I am at work so I will have to eat a snack before midnight otherwise I will get sleepy but I am still within my calories for the day. Sure, I had way too much fat but I also had a good amount of protein and since I do this only twice a week it does not affect my body negatively.

If you are like me, someone who enjoys food and is not ready to turn into a healthy freak then this is the type of relationship you want with food. To eat mostly healthy to stay healthy but also to look forward and enjoy those days where food is more than simply fuel.

Keep at it, it will become easier. You will get to a point where you will be able to enjoy food again without being guilty. Do not let bad days drag you down, shake it off and pick it right back up. Stay with the plan and look into the future. I assure you it won’t regret it.

Good luck to all :-)