Know what I'm eating

So I've decided I'm going to eat less...what does that really mean. Well a woman in a sedentary job (as I am) is recommended to eat around 2000 calories per day. So in order to shave a bit of weight off I'm thinking that I need to eat less than that - probably 1,300 to 1,500 calories per day.

Now at this point it's important to point out that I have no intention of full on calorie counting (that would be another regime ), but I do need to know what a 1,300 to 1,500 day approximately looks like therefore I need to know what I'm eating.

For example a piece of toast with butter and vegemite is about 120 calories, and a skim cap is about 80 calories - therefore a normal breakfast for me is about 200 calories. Other examples:

- glass of wine  = 95 cal

- sushi roll = 150 cal

- I chicken breast = 280

- pear = 54 cal

To build up my basic knowledge and awareness of what I'm eating I am going to enlist the help of the calorie king app and track what I eat - just for awhile - including all the little snacks here and there. Again, this is not a regime!! This is about looking and feeling like a person who understands the energy value what they are putting into their body and doesn't generally eat more than they need. Simple! 

Eat Less

I'm convinced that to lose weight I need to eat less. I don't actually think its any more complicated than that. Consuming less fuel than the energy you expend will lead to weight loss and consuming more fuel than the energy you expend will lead to weight gain. 

For many reasons I have wrapped a whole lot of complication around this simple truth. For example the order in which you eat food somehow makes a difference or the way you combine them. Or having protein as your only source of fuel. Or not eating carbs after 8.31pm. 

The rules based approach driven by the many regimes I have been on, with many foods off the table altogether, has lead to my unhealthy relationship with food and ultimately overeating. I come off the latest regime, I give up on the rules and make up for days/weeks/months or deprivation by eating too much. I also start to eat like every meal is The Last Supper - in other words, I can feel the weight slowly going back on, I know the next regime is just around the corner, so I'm gonna damn well eat as much as I can right now. And my friends and family will testify than I can put away a lot of food. 

So that's it - to reach a sustainable weight for the rest of my life I'm going to EAT LESS! 

No More Regimes

Ok so here's how it normally goes. I gradually put on weight until I reach a tipping point. For me that is around 69kg and when I can only wear my jeans with big flowy tops and in general my 'wearable' wardrobe seriously shrinks. Then I go into panic mode and reach for the next regime - ie. crash diet - and the whole cycle starts again.

I am embarrassed to say that over the last 30 years I have pretty much done every diet out there. I'm going to try and list the main ones:

- Jenny Craig

- Weight Watchers (sort of)

- Atkins

- The Cruskit and Apple Diet (I made that one up myself)

- (Disgusting) Meal Replacement Shakes (made my hair fall out)

- Dukan

- 5/2

- The Little Black Dress Diet (Basically 3 days of starvation)

These diets do work for me at the time because I get very focused on results. But none have ever worked long term. What I have learnt is that they have lead to me having a very unhealthy relationship with food (which I will go into another time) and absolve me of all responsibility of managing a normal balanced diet which leads to a normal sustainable weight.

So I have decided that for the rest of my life I'M NEVER GOING TO DO ANOTHER REGIME!

Today I turned 43

Today I turned 43. I am 167cm tall and I weigh 69kg. I have body image issues which I have had my ENTIRE LIFE. I have decided to take control and leave these issues behind once and for all! (It's either that or very expensive therapy). 

My objectives are simple and are as follows:

1. Work out my 'sustainable' weight

2. Learn to like my body

3. Enter middle age gracefully and looking the best I can

4. Be happy!

I'm going to document my journey as I unravel the tangled web that is my mind. I going to identify, work through, and knock over each factor that has contributed to my current debilitating state. 

Wish me luck!