News from Trainer Sue

I am just like so many of you. I still have to remind myself that I have had some victory in this area. Sometimes all I can see is what I don't do well, instead of how far I have come. I have downfalls and temptations. Ice cream, pizza, french fries, Oreos. I have days that I feel in control and days I am so disappointed in myself.

As I thought about how to answer this question, I looked back at my weight loss. I ate a lot then and I eat a lot now. Somehow I managed to lose 45 pounds, though, and feel a whole lot better about myself. I don't ever feel deprived and I enjoy food more than I ever have. Here are my thoughts on what changed over the last ten years:

I move a lot more than I did back then. And I exercise in my heart rate zone consistently now.

I got healed of a lot of the junk I was carrying around from my past which helped changed how I relate to food (and everything else).

I made changes one at a time because I am very resistant to changing everything at once. A few examples come to mind. I used to eat a high sugar, low fiber cereal for breakfast. Now I eat a low sugar, high fiber cereal for breakfast (Fiber One original). It took me about a year to switch. I started by adding just a few Fiber One twigs to my regular cereal and over time I increased the ratio until one day I just stopped buying the first cereal. I don't miss it at all because I feel so much better. Another example; I used to get a 1200 calorie burrito when I went to Chipotle (rice, beans, chicken, sour cream, cheese, guac...) Now I get a burrito bowl with 1/2 rice, black beans, 2 salsas and cheese (~380 calories). I still have Chipotle, just within reason.

I make something on Sunday for the week. It could be grilled chicken, veggie quiche, turkey chili, or veggie pasta but I know if I have a batch of something healthy prepared, when I walk into the kitchen hungry I will choose that because it only needs to be reheated. I have gotten better over the years at adding lots and lots of veggies to my creations and I enjoy cooking them now. The more I cook, the healthier the food and the easier it is to stay within a healthy calorie range.

I take food with me. On the days I take my lunch I eat less calories than on the days I run to Chipotle, Panera, etc. I can get a good salad at Panera now for under 500 calories, but that doesn't include the baguette which adds almost 200 more calories and I'm not good at saying no to the baguette. Add one of their cookies and just like that lunch is 1200 calories. I try not to eat more than 500 calories at once.

Now don't get me wrong. I eat birthday cake, french fries, 1,000 calorie meals, etc. I just don't do those things consistently anymore. Now they are the exception. Before that was my lifestyle. Now I eat mostly healthy, filling, satisfying, veggie-packed foods most of the time and save the treats as just that- treats.

I don't know if that really answered the question. In truth, it would really depend on if I was having a good day where I was in control, planned out, and feeling good about myself or if I was not organized, eating on the run, feeling crappy and struggling. But it's not about what I eat. It's about what you eat. Take the food you like and find ways to make it healthier, less calories, and delicious. Make it your own. Take time to prepare for the week. Give yourself what you need to feel good about yourself. Make the healthy choices most of the time so you can have treats and crazy days occasionally but still remain on the path and heading in the right direction.