Monday, November 16, 2009

Okay...where do I begin??

Over the course of the last year I feel like I have yo-yo'd and tried everything to lose weight. I've always desired to not only lose weight but to start feeling "normal" towards food. I feel like I've suffered from disordered eating for way too many years. Instead of eating to live (while enjoying it too) food would take on this whole new life of itself. I would "do good" for a while, counting every calorie, or watching my "points", restricting my calories too much or staying away from carbs...you get the point. During this time, sure I may have lost a few pounds here or there, but sure enough they would always come back on whenever I had enough of whatever it was I was doing. It still controlled me.

Even when I was doing the raw diet. It was too restrictive for me as well. I can't do High raw. It doesn't provide enough variety in my foods. I'm sure if I had all the kitchen gadgets AND time that is needed to make a wide variety of satisfying raw meals it would be easier, but lets face it...who does?

So what am I up to now??? About 4 weeks ago I decided enough was enough and I was ready to get this fluff off my body before I outgrew anymore pants! :) I read Alicia Silverstone's new cookbook "The Kind Diet" and really liked what I was reading. I started to incorporate a lot of what I was doing when I was doing High Raw back in my diet, however, I also started to way up my intake of sweet potatoes, oats, and brown rice.

What happened to me last time, happened again...that is when I'm seriously increasing my greens consumption, my sweet tooth disappears, as well as my desire for chicken, fish and meat. Since I wasn't eating those types of proteins I also decided that I would give up other animal by-products (ie. dairy, cheese, eggs). Went back to Almond Milk, got Earthly balance "butter" and use flax/water combo to substitute for eggs when baking.

Let me tell you...this has been the easiest transition. I am no longer counting calories, no longer tracking points, no longer depriving myself of foods I enjoy eating, no starving then bingeing. My body is naturally CRAVING crazy amounts of vegetables, and when I eat fruits the sweetness of those taste out of this world. Everything is intensified.

I've made some AWESOME vegan desserts, that many of my family and friends have LOVED!

The weight seems to be coming right off of me. I've lost 8.5 lbs. in the past 4 weeks.

The most important change in all of it??? How I FEEL! I feel like I'm on top of the world. I don't ever want this feeling to go away!

Later I'll post more about some of the delicious food that I've been eating. It's been a GREAT four weeks of discovering some awesome recipes with incredible food!

5 comments:

  1. UGH! Stupid wordpress deleted my comment before I had a chance to send it. Let me try again..

    Tiff I am SO happy for you!! It sounds as though you have found an approach to eating that really works. I completely agree with you, too. I will never ever again go back to calorie or point counting - it is much more liberating listening to your body and not obsessing over numbers. Though I haven't been eating as many healthy foods as before, I still feel good about my choices and I know now that I'm home I have more control over what I put in my body. I completely agree about the cravings, too. Once you start providing your body with the food it truly needs and wants it stops sending signals like, "FEED ME!" that we interpret as, "FEED ME CRAP!" :)

    Will you be updating this blog from now on or the other one?

    I'm SOOO proud of you and I promise I am going to really think hard about the Disney half. Since I JUST got back from a trip I'm hesitant to think about going away again...but even if I just went for the weekend it'd be fun. I should just be impulsive and DO IT!!!

    Love you!

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  2. YESSSSSS!!! This is exactly what I've done/am doing, and it seems to be the best combination for me. I don't feel deprived, yet I'm not gorging myself on junk. I guess when my food is so balanced, like mine is now, and it sounds like yours is too, I then know that when food issues, thoughts, craziness comes up, it is more of an internal, emotional issue that I need to work through and not a result of some new crazy new "regime" I'm putting myself through.

    I am SOOOO happy for you. I challenge you, as I do myself, to not look to food or how to change it for the answers anymore, but to look inside yourself and turn to Him. The answer doesn't lie in a "diet" or a label. You are worth feeding: with healthy food, in healthy portions and with a whole lot of LOVE.

    I AM proud of you, and I'm so glad you are back.

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  3. Thanks Hayley and Sarah! I'm so happy to call both of you my friends! You guys just ROCK and have been such great inspirations to me! I'm so glad you are along side of me on this journey!!!

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  4. It's funny Tiff....I've started eating very similar without even realizing it. I can't remember the last time I ate meat. I'm still balancing things out, but feel different and crave fruits/nuts/veggies. You always share such great recipes and ideas...can't wait to write em all down:)

    Go Tiff!

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  5. Thanks Mary!! I love you girl! You're always there to cheer me along the way! :)

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