It went something like: Holy crap, this stuff works! I lost 2.5 pounds. In a WEEK! I know that might not seem like a big deal, but since I hadn’t seen any results in a few weeks, for me, it was HUGE.
Here’s what I learned from the week:
1. Variety is STILL key.
Paying
a visit to the Farmer’s Market before the challenge
was the best idea EVER. The variety of veggies in my fridge kept me
eating greens and looking forward to them all week. Like we’ve
discussed here before, it’s
all about equipment!
2. Beans, beans, and more beans
I think they have become my carb of choice. I don’t know why, but
they satisfy like nothing else at the moment. I had to eat out a
couple of times in the last week, and I went with Mexican both
times, because I knew I could count on the beans, a salad, and a
lean protein. And the pico de gallo, of course.
See our tips: 20 Ways to Eat Healthier Right Now!
3. The food journal is my friend.
I don’t think I will ever enjoy logging everything, but my
food journal really helped me stay on track last week. There were a
few times where I debated fudging my entries, but I knew I’d be
cheating myself if I did. And like Dr. Kessler mentioned in our
recent interview, a food journal “interrupts the
stimulus and makes you aware” that you’re being cued to eat, so you
can resist temptation more easily.
4. I shouldn’t undo all my hard work by rewarding myself with
food.
I was talking to Body by Glamour’s nutritionist,
Rachel Beller, R.D., yesterday, and she congratulated
me on the successful challenge, but then she told me that this week
was probably more important than the last. At little success makes
people feel entitled, she said, and reminded me to keep at it until
I reached
my goal. And it’s true--I had already decided before
talking to her that I was going to loosen up my eating a little
this week, since I did so well the week before. (And I’m not
talking about a little indulgence here and there--those are still
necessary!) I had even made up my mind that a well-deserved dip
into the peanut butter jar (you know that’s my weakness) was in
order. Basically, I was setting myself up to fail. Not cool. So I
went straight to the grocery store to restock on some essentials
right after I finished speaking to Rachel.
4 Ways To Make Yourself Feel Better, Other Than
Eat!
What do you think? What’s your carb of choice at the moment? Do you love beans too? And do you need to issue yourself a challenge to get back on track? Or are you already at your happy weight? And if so, are you afraid undo all your hard work because you feel you deserve a break? Or have you made a plan to maintain that weight?
Plus: Check out this calorie math to get the most out of your lunch! And see what Jillian Michaels has to say on how to recruit diet helpers (and stop sabotagers)!
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