Summer Plan

Everytime I think about doing keto and then start researching it, I back out.  Call it intuition, I just think it is too restrictive.  There were also articles that say it is really hard on your liver to have to break down all those extra fats.  I did find a South Beach diet that is "keto friendly" meaning you curb the amount of carbs you eat per day to 40-50 depending on what phase you are in.  That version also focuses on the healthy fats instead of simply saying all fats are good. 
Sigh.  Just looking at "rules" for food made me feel like binging and I know that maybe I'm not mentally ready to be restrictive.  Then I went back to wondering what my goal was in thinking I want to lose a bunch of weight fast.  Sometimes I think it is just a rut that is so well-worn that I do it out of habit. 
I am craving sweets right now and I suspect it is hormonal, but I am also trying to work through my mental inventory to see if there's an emotional reason I am reaching out.  There is one thing that is bothering me a little, it is something I will put a little more thought into and maybe it needs to be "talked out". 
My boss has been on vacation this week, which is a little bittersweet.  On one hand, things feel a little more free and relaxed, but at the same time, I don't get a lunch break or any help when it busy.  Fortunately it hasn't been too busy, and occassionally I have found myself kind of restless.  I swear, sometimes having extra time on my hands is worse for me because I can't decide what to do.  At work, once everything is stocked, straightened and wiped down, there's not a whole lot else to do until a customer comes. 
Anyway, I am still trying to figure out what caused that binge the other day and haven't reall come up with any definitive reasons.  It could have been something as simple as a change of plans that I was not made aware of, or it could have been old habits that I didn't feel I had the energy to care about fighting.  I did find myself wanting something sweet as soon as I got to work today.  I have some Fiber One bars in my bag that I bought for a quick snack to have on hand, and I eyed them up as if I could hardly wait to have one.  They have 5 grams of sugar so it's not like eating a piece of cake or a donut, but still, it was the sugars I was seeking.  I didn't have one because I wasn't physically hungry, but I did pay attention to my desire for it.  I think it may be a good time to start keeping a food diary, somewhere I can jot down my food habits and emotions/thoughts.  I do wholly believe in the hormonal factor, especially as I am in periomenopause, but I also know some of it is habitual and those habits were born out of emotions that have largely been unexamined and unhealed. 
I think the best thing I can do for myself as far as the food goes is to start tracking again.  Together with the food journal, I think I can make some discoveries.  I know last time I tracked and was eating clean, I was feeling hungry all the time, but instead of keeping tracking with some adjustments, I just stopped tracking.  So here is the complet bundle of what I am planning for the summer months;
  • Track macros and see where things can be adjusted
  • keep a food diary to include food thoughts, emotions, cravings and hunger levels
  • Make better practice of mindful eating practices as laid out by Geneen Roth
  • Continue the Me Project and document the results
I do plan to get more activity done in the mornings while my kids are on summer break, I end up with an entire extra hour in my mornings so I can do yoga or go for a walk or whatever active thing I am inspired to do.  I tell myself that every summer and rarely end up following through.  I need to commit to it this time, set a healthy habit.  It does make me feel better, so it belongs as part of my Me Project. 
So that's it.  Sometimes I want to jump into some crazy diet because I'm bored with where I am, but I really think that is the wrong direction and I just start thinking that way out of old habit.  I'm not used to not trying to crash diet, it's been part of my life since I was 12.  Obviously, that doesn't work for me or I would have been a normal size years ago!  So now I am trying to teach myself new tricks.  I sure hope I will have this figured out at some point! 

Comments

  1. For me, it's been really important to find that happy medium where I feel comfortable - able to lose but not overly restrictive. I generally eat "clean" - by that I mean I try to eat minimally processed foods, mostly prepared at home. I do keep things like Muscle Milk Light or Fiber One bars around because sometimes I need something to fill in gaps, but I generally try to prepare and pack my meals and snacks for the day. Since I tend to eat the same things during the week (other than dinner), I can sit down and get a rough idea of the calories and then I don't need to track or think about it again. I only eat things I like. There aren't any hard and fast "rules" - but I do things like use sprouted grain bread or Joseph's oat & flax pitas in place of white bread, use protein pasta and sub out half with zucchini noodles or something. And some meals may not have a "carb" other than vegetables. Now those things have become second nature and I only really track when my weight loss stalls out. Then I'll track and make tweaks. I'm not saying you should do what I'm doing - I just know for me it's been important to figure out what worked for me without creating a mental state where I'm waiting to the diet to end. I hope that makes sense!!

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    1. Sounds like logical advice! I do eat the same thing all week too, so that makes tracking easier, but I don't always stay 100% on track with what I planned for dinner. When I get home, especially if it's cold or it's been a tough day, I want warm comfort food. Sometimes I will have a bean burrito instead of a steakless edamame bowl because it just sounds more appetizing at the time. There's the fine line between wanting results and wanting to eat a burrito, at least for me. Sometimes the burrito wins.

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  2. I have looked into Keto and other restrictive diets through the years....but always back out for the same reasons. I want ‘normal’. That said I KNOW that I need to restrict my carbs...I love carbs...but they don’t love me! :-). So I try to restrict my carbs, but I don’t eliminate and call them the devil!

    Tracking for me is so important. It really does give me a roadmap of what works for my body. It also helps keep me on target!

    Woohoo to the extra hour that you can fill with healthy activity!!!! Enjoy the summer!

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    1. As much as I despise tracking, I think it will be very helpful for me too. I don't think about the extra piece of cheese I toss in my mouth while my food is cooking, or the extra serving of nuts I eat because I don't feel satiated enough during my snack, but I know I have some of these things that add up that I don't think about because I'm eating spontaneously or, many times, because I waited too long between meals and then it feels stressful to wait for food to cook.
      My cholesterol numbers look so good when I control my carbs. I love them too but I am sensitive to them and they do horrible things to my trigycerides!

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