I've been avoiding this blog. Why? Not sure. I'm finding it difficult and a tad personal to be talking about my eating habits and struggles with weight in such a public place.
All year I've been struggling to keep the weight off I lost last year and the year before. It hasn't been a great year. Since the age of 14 I've either been on a diet or off a diet. Nothing in between. I don't think an 'in between' really exists for me. Sad, but true. I'm naturally an 'all or nothing' person, as I've said before.
I feel a bit silly. A few posts ago I was raving about the Weightwatchers Points Plan and how it's the only thing that works for me. And after just two or three days on the Points Plan I realised I just couldn't stick to it. It felt too much like deprivation and I was sick of depriving myself. You can only do it for so long. The Points Plan is very much in the 'starve/binge' category, as far as I'm concerned. You feel deprived, therefore at some point (pardon the pun!) your body rebels and yells, 'Food, food, food. Anything. Just feed me!'
For a long time I've been drawn again and again to the Weightwatchers Core Plan. Yes, I know, I've mentioned it in an earlier post. I don't lose weight in quite the same way as on Points. But I do lose. The scales might show the same weight one week, but I always feel slimmer and my clothes seem to fit better. The scales do lie (there are many articles on the Internet written by medical experts who can give scientific reasons for this). So yes, I'm giving 'Core' another go.
There are two main reasons I find it difficult to lose weight. I like to snack and I like to drink wine. The Core Plan discourages me from doing these things, because you're only allowed to snack on fresh fruit or veg and you have very few Points to spend per week (only 21). You can eat three healthy meals per day from a long list of 'free foods' and you eat until you feel comfortably full. If you do this, the desire to snack diminishes anyway. You don't have to count Points for these meals. You only 'Point' the things not on the Core list and anything that isn't fruit and veg in between.
I usually feel hungry at around 4.30pm and an apple sees me through till tea. A Medjool date (frozen to make it chewy like toffee) satisfies my craving for something sweet. 9-10pm is my second danger zone. I make a decaff coffee with skimmed milk and this makes me suitably sleepy before bedtime and is a great substitute for a glass of wine. I haven't even missed the wine this week and feel much more energetic as a result. I do have to have some fruit at this time as well. Last night it was melon and a few grapes.
So far, so good. I feel slimmer. I feel healthier. I don't feel deprived and I'm eating plenty of food (low fat, wholefoods). I'm not eating rubbish. I'm eating lots of organic fruit and veg. Can't be bad, can it?
