Thinking About Eating

An any of you who have read this for long enough know, I struggle with my weight. Constantly. It seems to be never ending.

Several years ago I lost quite a lot of weight by calorie counting. But it took over my life and I literally fell apart. I have since gained back quite a lot of that weight.

Despite the fact that I know calorie counting and food restrictions work, it is too easy to lose sight of the rest of your life as you become rolled up in and obsessed with food, breaking it down into calories and nutrients and micro-nutrients. It can be all-consuming.

I have tried many times to get back on the calorie counting bandwagon with little success in the last couple of years. Unfortunately it messes my head up.

I have been reading an amazing blog lately called Sassying It Up. Sassy is all about intuitive eating. I have read about this before. I have the books, but I could never really get my head around it. Until this blog. She makes it a bit more simple (for confuzzled people like me).

I am over wanting to lose weight. I just don't care about the appearance factor anymore. I am who I am. But I do want to be healthy. And while I am reasonably healthy now (although not being able to exercise for the last 6 months has severely dented that) I need to be healthier. I am fast approaching 40 and as I want to live to see 80, I need to look after this body that I have.

So I have decided to experiment. I think it will take me a while to get it right, but so far I have been going okay. On the weekend I had a massive chocolate craving. So I bought some Haighs Peppermint Dark Chocolate Frogs. Normally a chocolate craving would see me devour a block of Cadbury.  But one dark, good quality frog, slowly sucked, satisfied my craving. And didn't kill me and far as fat and sugar consumption go.

When I am hungry, rather than reaching for the junk I am trying listen to my body and not my head. My head is the part telling me to grab the junk food. Usually my body is saying carbs, or protein, or veggies. If I listen to my body and make decisions that way, I will be getting what I need, not what I think I want.

This morning I wanted McDonalds Hash Browns and Bacon & Egg McMuffin (hold the bacon). Before driving into the drive through I tried to really listen to my body. It wanted carbs and fibre. I gave it oats. But, I also bought english muffins, cheese and eggs, and made my own Egg & Cheese Muffins for lunch. All cravings satisfied, I can now get through my afternoon without thinking about the foods I "think" I am missing out on.

I have no idea how this will go but I am willing to give it a try.

xox