geekRealistic trim down tip
October 23rd 2007 13:07
Last winter I was stressed out with my work and took out my frustrations by eating greasy, fried foods during lunch times. I would be so wired up that I couldn't think straight to choose a healthy meal and I was craving quick fixes to calm my emotional state.
I didn't realise I stacked on about 5-6 kilos - I don't know exactly how much weight I put on because I don't weight myself - but from photos and from the clothes I was buying, I would say that's a good guess.
At the end of the winter, I went on a holiday to America where lots of walking and sightseeing was involved which helped me shed a little of the unnecessary buffer I had. (Oprah would say it was an emotional buffer against the stress of the job). Anyway, when I got back from the trip, I got a new job. Hooray! It was the photos from that trip, along with my renewed spirit, that got me committed to better lunchtime eating.
Feeling revitalised and refreshed, I started to be conscious of what I was eating for lunch. I opted for leaner lunches: sushi rolls, wraps, sandwiches and salads with the occasional pasta or noodle dish. Nothing else really changed in my diet. I was still having chocolate everyday and still having generous dinners (I'm European so dinner is a big thing!).
Changing just one important element in my diet - my lunches - brought about unexpected results. Friends began commenting, "You look slimmer..." and "Have you lost weight?"
That's the thing, I wasn't trying to lose weight. I just wanted to be healthy again and eat more veggies. The amazing thing too was that I started to crave the lean, fresh foods for lunch especially the sushi rolls.
What's one thing you can change in your diet?
I'm not saying change your whole diet. Just one thing. It has to be significant enough though to get a reasonable change in your body. For example, reducing the sugar in your coffee from 2 teaspoons to 1 teaspoons is not enough. Go for something a little bolder. Like if you're having 3 biscuits with your coffee, try instead for having one low-fat biscuit instead. Give it a couple to a few months to see the results. This is not a short-term strategy; results will take time.
Oh, by the way, the biscuit thing is huge. Years ago I had another experience with a new job where they had a great selection of biscuits. When I started I was not really a biscuit and tea girl but within months I was having 3-4 biscuits a day and guess what happened - boobs, hips and waist exploded. This time it had nothing to do with an emotional buffer; I just loved their creamy, crunchy taste. Just that one thing got me. Believe it! Chocolate does not do that to me but biscuits do. There might be something in your diet that's freaking out the flesh.
I think I have made my point. Anyway, the proof is in the pudding, the lean pudding. A year of enjoying healthy lunches has contributed to better energy levels and a clearer mind, along with a trimmer body. And I think my insides are smiling too!
I didn't realise I stacked on about 5-6 kilos - I don't know exactly how much weight I put on because I don't weight myself - but from photos and from the clothes I was buying, I would say that's a good guess.
At the end of the winter, I went on a holiday to America where lots of walking and sightseeing was involved which helped me shed a little of the unnecessary buffer I had. (Oprah would say it was an emotional buffer against the stress of the job). Anyway, when I got back from the trip, I got a new job. Hooray! It was the photos from that trip, along with my renewed spirit, that got me committed to better lunchtime eating.
Feeling revitalised and refreshed, I started to be conscious of what I was eating for lunch. I opted for leaner lunches: sushi rolls, wraps, sandwiches and salads with the occasional pasta or noodle dish. Nothing else really changed in my diet. I was still having chocolate everyday and still having generous dinners (I'm European so dinner is a big thing!).
Changing just one important element in my diet - my lunches - brought about unexpected results. Friends began commenting, "You look slimmer..." and "Have you lost weight?"
That's the thing, I wasn't trying to lose weight. I just wanted to be healthy again and eat more veggies. The amazing thing too was that I started to crave the lean, fresh foods for lunch especially the sushi rolls.
What's one thing you can change in your diet?
I'm not saying change your whole diet. Just one thing. It has to be significant enough though to get a reasonable change in your body. For example, reducing the sugar in your coffee from 2 teaspoons to 1 teaspoons is not enough. Go for something a little bolder. Like if you're having 3 biscuits with your coffee, try instead for having one low-fat biscuit instead. Give it a couple to a few months to see the results. This is not a short-term strategy; results will take time.
Oh, by the way, the biscuit thing is huge. Years ago I had another experience with a new job where they had a great selection of biscuits. When I started I was not really a biscuit and tea girl but within months I was having 3-4 biscuits a day and guess what happened - boobs, hips and waist exploded. This time it had nothing to do with an emotional buffer; I just loved their creamy, crunchy taste. Just that one thing got me. Believe it! Chocolate does not do that to me but biscuits do. There might be something in your diet that's freaking out the flesh.
I think I have made my point. Anyway, the proof is in the pudding, the lean pudding. A year of enjoying healthy lunches has contributed to better energy levels and a clearer mind, along with a trimmer body. And I think my insides are smiling too!
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