I'm really thinking about this question as I make choices throughout the day. I've been overweight since I was seven. In that time, I have tried so many things in so many different ways, and I've never really focused on these options as the 'healthy' way to be. With vegetarianism, I did it because of 'moral reasons'. I was also 17. It was part of my rebellion, my mom called me a pastatarian.
From there I went onto Weight Watchers the first time. Looking back, each time I've done WW I've bulked up on all the packaged 'snackies' that I could. I barely lost weight.
Then I decided to do South Beach, which morphed into Atkins. I lost serious amounts of weight. I did eat a lot of the right veggies and good meats, but I also bulked up on all the fake sugar products I could get my hands on. Oh to think of all the chemicals I consumed... I plateaued a year and a half into it and the plateau became a steady gain.
Which leads me to now. I know that each of these options *can* be healthy it is just a matter of the choices we make. That is what I'm doing now.
I think that is what derailed me this weekend was the mind set of 'getting away with' occasional bad choices because I'm no longer on a strict diet like Atkins.
Instead I need to think about what I eat and decide if it is a healthy choice or not. This will take some time and training. I can't lie to or trick my body. I should stop trying!
How do you assess what are "ok" and "not ok" foods?
6 comments:
I'm still not making "clean" choices. I'm not there yet. I don't buy the 100 calorie packs, but I still eat things that aren't really healthful.
Weight Watchers is working for me because I'm making small changes. I never ate a vegetable before starting, now I eat salads every day. I try to do something each week to improve myself, making small changes that hopefully stick.
I don't know what the answer is. I made some stupid choices this past weekend with my Fritos and Pizza Hut and skated through it. I knew it wasn't good at the time but did it anyway.
Gosh, this journey is mostly mental, isn't it?
For me....
OK Foods: I can read and understand all of the ingredients.
Not OK: most ingredients made in a chemical plant
:)
I think most of us recognize what the good foods are and what the good foods aren't.
Agree with Kelly's comment, too. There's really too many chemically-based foodstuffs out in the world right now.
well..I follow WW and I cringe at the women who stock up on all of those crappy packs of bars and side dishes. I try to follow a clean eating diet along with WW. I eliminated all over processed foods. I think one of the few things I eat that is processed is the slice of 2% cheese that I put on my breakfast sandwich. lol I know I can not have a bag of baked chips in the pantry- even if I measure out my won snack packs. I will and have eaten the entire bag- or opened all of the snack bags at one time. lol
What I think works for me is my relationship with food-what I have realized over the past couple of years. I know people who think I am crazy buy eliminating foods all together and I wouldnt tell anyone what to do- but ya gotta limit those foods to be somewhat successful. :)
I agree with everyone, too, about the chemicals and stuff in food. But for me, my choices have to be realistic. And maintainable.
For me, the "all or nothing" attitude is what got me into trouble in the first place!
Jo: I totally agree that the changes need to be small to be sustainable. I totally agree it's mental. OH so mental
Kelly and Jack: I'm trying to get there, that's totally my goal! I'm trying to break up with processed food!
TJ: That was sooo me last time I did WW. I wish they didn't push their foods so much, but I guess they have to make money somehow! I think eliminating foods have to be a process a slow process.
Anne: Atkins was tough for me because it told me not to eat stuff, now that I'm making choices on my own it seems like much less of a burden, I think my tastes are really changing!
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