Wednesday 15 October 2008

No More Diets!


I’m fed up of reading diet books and books on how to eat healthily and being told what and when to eat. I know I don’t have to read them, but I’m looking for a way of eating for life. I’ve been on one diet or another (off and on) since the age of 14 (when I’d gained a slight tummy after Christmas and didn’t need to go on a diet at all.. just get back to my usual way of eating) and each time I’ve gained the weight back and more besides. Fortunately, I've lost a fair bit of weight and kept it off by keeping up with my gym visits, running, long hikes etc, but my eating habits are still pretty erratic and I’m either on a diet or off. I’m sick of it. I just want to eat, not be obsessed with food, not be hungry, yet not gain weight and maybe, just maybe, even lose a bit. It’s like looking for the holy grail.

Anyway, after much soul searching and researching, both on the Internet and reading a lot of books on the subject, I’ve decided that the easiest plan for me to stick to long-term is a lowish carb plan. No, no, don’t panic, nothing extreme like Atkins! Note, I said ‘lowish’. I’ve been cutting out carbs with my evening meal for quite a few weeks now and I have noticed a difference. I don’t even miss them one little bit. No rice, no pasta, no potatoes, just meat or fish and lots of fresh veg cooked in an interesting way (yes, that means with butter, olive oil and/or cream!!). No more low fat hell for me. Meals have to be tasty and I’m sorry, but I find a low fat meals rather bland, unless you tart them up with sauces packed with sugar substitutes and lots of other nasties. I want to eat as much natural food as possible. I want to still enjoy eating out without guilt. I want to enjoy a glass of wine now and again. And I don’t intend beating myself up if I overindulge occasionally or go 'off-piste'. Oh yes, and I’ve vowed not to weigh myself. Our weight fluctuates so much from day to day, even week to week, due to water retention, hormones, time of the month, muscle gain etc that I don’t believe it’s the way to go. I find if the scales don’t show me what I want to see, then it affects my mood for the rest of the day. It knocks my confidence and makes me go into ‘oh, sod it!’ mode. I’m hoping I’ll be able to gauge how I’m doing by the mirror and my clothes.

This blog is intended to chart my journey through this way of eating as well as my general progress regarding weight and food. I’ll include recipes I’ve enjoyed and talk about my cravings, discoveries and downfalls. Here goes….

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