I had a lot of catching up to do after I fell apart during Week 3. A combination of eating my feelings and relaxing the restrictions I placed on myself led to a major downfall that had me stepping on the scale and seeing a very disappointing number. So disappointing, I couldn’t even post about my week.
It was a week that showed me that I am no longer a girl who eats her feelings. That is not me anymore. Nothing good comes of that, I get no joy out of it. Simply put, it makes me feel worse than I did before.
Week 4 was tough. It was a hard, emotional, mental battle. I was constantly being hit in the face with temptations and cravings. It seemed as if every hour of every day was filled with thoughts of cheating. I had moments where I was THISCLOSE to giving in but at the last second stepped away and stayed true to the diet. There were times when I felt completely out of control but shutting the door to the temptation or craving was exactly what I needed to regain that control.
I need to be clear, though. I am not into depriving myself. That is not what I’m doing here and believe me, I find plenty of ways to treat myself throughout the week that doesn’t include sugary foods. I’m trying to take back control over my eating habits and the only way I know how to do that is to be strict with myself. To declare foods off-limits. But I also loosen my restrictions on the weekends. I try not to go hog wild, but I do allow myself a soda or cookies or what I’m craving. This way I know I just have to be strict five days a week. I hope to get to the point where this feels more natural and normal and I don’t need a cheat day. I’m slowly getting there. I can see a change in my body and a change in my mindset. But I also know depriving yourself of the foods you crave isn’t the way to live life. In most cases, I’m not really craving the food or drink, but want it for the comfort aspect, so I know if I just wait it out, the craving will pass.
I went this entire week without drinking soda. Five entire days. I never thought I could go one day, let alone five. And have it feel completely normal! I went the majority of this week without chocolate and when I did have it, it was in tiny doses. (And I’m trying to stay away from sugar-free chocolate since I’m also staying away from sugar substitutes as much as I can.) Yes, I’m placing restrictions on myself. Yes, I do feel like I’m on a diet. But I’m seeing success. I’m learning more about nutrition and eating the right foods, not foods that may be low in calories and fat but leave you feeling hungry within an hour.
It’s hard. It’s unbelievably hard. But I also feel incredible. Not just physically, but mentally. I feel incredibly powerful when I can say no to temptation. I feel in control of my body.
It’s a struggle, I won’t lie. It is not easy. But it’s worth it. It’s so worth it.
Wanna see some results? Of course you do!
| Starting Weight/Inches(taken on 3/18/12) | Current Weight/Inches(taken on 4/14/12) | Total Loss | |
| Weight: | 154.4 lbs | 148.6 lbs | 5.8 lbs |
| Left Arm: | 13 in | 12.5 in | -.5 in |
| Right Arm: | 12 in | 11.5 in | -.5 in |
| Chest: | 37 in | 36.5 in | -.5 in |
| Waist: | 39 in | 37.5 in | -1.5 in |
| Hips: | 36 in | 35 in | -1 in |
| Left Thigh: | 22.5 in | 22 in | -.5 in |
| Right Thigh: | 23 in | 22 in | -1 in |
*Bolded, colored type are the areas I lost weight/inches in.
Considering I gained a good amount the week before, I am very happy with my results. Lost all the weight I gained the week before along with another .6 lbs! If I want to hit 16 pounds lost by the time my cruise comes around, I would need to lose around 10 lbs in the next month. That’s tough, but I’m not stressing. If I don’t meet my goal, oh well. As long as I’m sticking to my plan and losing weight, I’m a happy camper. Weight doesn’t come off easily for me (contrary to what people think, being young DOES NOT MEAN IT’S EASIER TO LOSE WEIGHT!!!) so 6 lbs in a month is awesome. It makes me very, very happy! And a total of 5.5 inches lost around my body? I’m ecstatic!
My plan for next week is to stick to my diet of eating foods with less than 5g of sugar, staying away from all soda, and trying to lower the number of carbs I eat. Not in the sense of going low carb, but more in the sense of staying away from white flour as much as I can. I’m fine with whole wheat and whole grains, but not the white stuff. It’s so bad for you!
Are you an emotional eater? What tips do you have for someone whose first line of defense after a bad day is reaching for junk food?
I tend to eat when I am bored, but wouldn’t describe myself as an emotional eater. I do know there are foods that I just can’t have around because I can tend to eat way more of them in a sitting than I should. So I just do not buy them. I am kind of fortunate, as I am not really big on sweets, and I don’t crave things like ice cream. But instead I crave salty snacks, like I love potato chips. There isn’t anything I won’t let myself have, but I know if I am craving a salty treat, it’s better for me to go to the vending machine and get a small portion of them v. buying a bag to have in my pantry.
You are doing great and I am sure it’s great to see the results on the scale!
I am really the opposite of you. I don’t really deal with eating when I’m bored but when it comes to eating when I’m sad? I’m a PRO at that. I’m also not big on salty foods. I have such a big sweet tooth that it’s been tough to rein it in during this challenge. But it’s doable!
I like your idea of just having a little bit of it if you’re craving something. I think that’s key. Craving potato chips? Have a small bag from a vending machine vs buying a big one at the grocery store. I remember a WW leader once telling me something like that.
I want to know who told you that being young makes it easier to lose weight? I mean, I know there are hormonal changes that make it more difficult to lose weight later in life, but some people (especially women) deal with these hormones at a young age. My sister is one of those.
I have become more of an emotional eater living so far away from home. I try to recognize when I am homesick and that is what’s causing me to want to eat certain things. And then I do my best to eat what it is that I want to remind me of home. So, if I’m craving chick-fil-a I make the copy-cat nuggets and serve them with rice and veggies instead of french fries and soda. This way I get the taste of home, without it all being super unhealthy.
My method of battling the junk food snacks is two-fold. First, I try to just not keep them in the house and I put them in a different cabinet from everything else so I’m less likely to go to it. Second, if I’m hungry after a bad day or whatever, I start with a full glass of water. If 10 minutes after I have the water I’m still hungry, I try to have some apple sauce and another glass of water. That almost always takes care of it.
Another trick of mine is to serve out only one portion of the junk food I want and then put the rest away. That act almost always gets me through. I get the junk food flavor, comfort, etc that I want and yet it doesn’t throw off my whole day. And somehow the act of counting out 12 chips (or whatever) keeps me from wanting to go out and count out more once I’m done.
I think the key is not to have your trigger foods in the house. And for the most part, I don’t. I’ve stopped buying soda and with this no sugar challenge, I don’t have chocolate or any junk food. But it’s still super easy to let myself believe I need something crappy, especially when I have a bad day. I’ve gotten the first part down, but now I need to get the second part down.
Oh man, I just feel like I was there with you during your mental battle last week. I can only imagine that’s exactly how I would be too. The amount of willpower it’s taking you, I can only imagine. You are SUCH a trooper, seriously. And you’re halfway there! It’s so hard, but it’s just so worth it in the end to feel good.
I think one of my big problems is portion control, especially with chocolate or anything like that. I don’t let my brain understand that A LITTLE is ENOUGH. I could just keep eating it. I’m trying to be conscious of when I’m full versus when I’ve had too much. Maybe if you’re more conscious of the little amounts of sugar you DO take- just a sip of cola or two, just to enjoy it- would that help? I feel like it might make things worse afterwards, but apparently it’s a trick that works.
When I was vegetarian and I was craving meat, I realized it was only because the people around me were eating it. If I lived alone and never saw a soul, I probably wouldn’t ever crave it. It’s a funny thing. I’m back on meat now & relieved it no longer makes me sick, but I can’t help but wonder if I’d stuck to my guns a little longer, could it have been a long-term lifestyle change? Maybe I’ll have to try it again sometime!
Best of luck this week girl!! You can do it!
I like to think I’ve gotten better at portion control since it’s the biggest thing Weight Watchers teaches you. Measuring and weighing portions has become second nature to me. I mean, I don’t even pour a bowl of cereal before weighing it to make sure I’m eating the correct portion size. But it’s all those little nibbles and treats I allow myself to have that do me in. This challenge has made me tighten up my eating SO much.
6 lbs is totally awesome! When I did weight loss counseling the most common weekly goal is 1-2 lbs a week. 🙂 Kudos!
I’m very happy with those 6 pounds! If I can lose 4 more over the course of this upcoming month, I’ll be a happy camper. Weight doesn’t come off fast for me, so I just want to keep losing. Thanks so much, Linda!
You are doing great. I think that sometimes you have set back weeks, and that is okay. I mean, look at how well you are doing even though you felt that last week (or week 3) was not that great.
I think for me the key is, like Lisa said, not having it around. I also, like her, do not like sweets that much, so they are not my weakness. My weakness is salt. That is not to say that I won’t eat a pan of brownies if it’s what’s available though. So I try to keep healthy snacks on hand, such as veggies and hummus, and try to eat fruit when I do have a sweet craving. I don’t buy bags of chips or anything like that, because I may open and eat the entire bag in one sitting. I do sometimes buy the smaller bags and eat only ONE small bag if I am feeling a craving. I don’t think one should totally deny oneself, but you have to know your limits.
Keep up the good work. 6 pounds is great, but what’s even better is how you feel!
I think that’s the myth that so many unhealthy people don’t know about: healthy people have cravings, too! They just choose not to always act on them or, if they do, they do it in a smaller way. I guess we (meaning unhealthy people) think you (healthy people) never have bad cravings ever. Something to think about, for sure!
I’m happy to see you put your “bad” week behind you and you’re moving forward! You’re making so much progress. I’m an emotional eater only if I’m SUPER stressed – my weakness is eating when I’m bored. After dinner, I’ll feel “hungry” several times throughout the night and I’m almost always eating junk. I’m trying to drink water more often when I feel “hungry” because I know that chances are, my body’s not truly hungry.
I love that you put hungry in quotation marks. Isn’t it so true?
I’ve gotten better at determining hunger signals (I can thank 3 years of Weight Watchers for that!) but it’s those sneaky snacks that do me in. And cravings. I’ve had to really slow down and THINK whenever I get hit with a craving to figure out what is really behind that feeling.
First of all, the new blog looks great! I’m so bummed I’ve been missing out these past few weeks!
Second, losing 6 pounds in a month is AWESOME and I’m so proud of you. And no soda in five days? More awesome! Keep up the good work, Stephanie!
Thanks so much for your comment, Gina! I’m happy with the past month and just hope I can keep up the momentum for the next few weeks. I’ve got a bridesmaids dress I need to look smokin’ in. 😉
good for you for making a great choice to get healthy. it’s tough and i’m convinced that food companies put some sort of addictive ingredient to keep you craving and wanting more!
when i first cut out all bad food, the first 2wks were horrible and i wanted to eat everything in sight but i kept those cravings at bay with healthy berry and yogurt smoothies. once those 2wks were over, i was good to go and i haven’t had a craving since.
good luck on your journey to a healthier you. it’s SO WORTH IT! i’ve been doing this since beginning of january and i can’t believe i’m saying this but i enjoy working out again!
I’m a boredom eater… I always eat WAY more when I’m bored.