From: samari@watnxt2.ucr.edu (Tammy Woodley)
Newsgroups: alt.support.diet
Subject: Re: Amazed...
Date: 10 Sep 92 23:15:59 GMT
Reply-To: samari@watserv.ucr.edu
Distribution: usa

In article <19920908093425SASTLS@mvs.sas.com> SASTLS@mvs.sas.com (Tamara  
Shaffer) writes:
> >From: ospahic@ddsw1.mcs.com (Olga Spahic)
> >Subject: Amazed...
> >
> >I'm obviously reading the group for a reason...
> >My family is supposedly on a diet... we have eliminated excessive
> >sweets and snacks, and... our BIG problem - bread.
>  
> Bread?  It's really not that bad -- it's the butter and margarine
> and whatever else (cheese, mayo) you might put on it that makes it
> so bad.  Get some good whole grains and cut out the fats that you
> might usually add, and enjoy!  Deprivation is an ugly thing.

Absolutely.  If you have to put something on your bread, try to find
lo-cal spreads or low-fat margerine.  Won't be the best nutrition, but
it's a start, especially with a whole family with different tastes!

>  
> >For me, however, it's been difficult to get motivated and actually
> >think positively about this whole thing.... I've been on diets before,
> >but it was always much easier because I was usually leading a more
> >structured life.  Right now I am in the transition between college
> >and a permanent job... and I keep hoping that once I get a job and
> >get going, the diet and fitness regime will fall in place.
>  
> I don't think any one thing (getting a job) will change your lifestyle
> so much, from the mental angle anyway.  You are doing well to think
> positively -- that'll make a big difference.  Maybe you could try
> to think of this as a "better lifestyle" (for your health as well
> as your appearance/weight) rather than a "diet".  I think "diet"
> is a temporary thing.  As for the motivation, think how you want to
> feel and how you want to look, and then as you make progress (take
> your own measurements and keep a log of them) reward yourself! (NOT
> with sweets and other fatty foods, but with videos, or a piece of
> clothing, or a new CD, etc.)  This works for me.  And those days
> that I really don't feel like exercising (it's been happening a
> LOT lately), I ask myself if I will feel better if I DO, or if I
> DON'T -- I know I'll feel better if I do.  The same goes for those
> sweet/fat cravings -- "It's okay, I can have it some OTHER time."
> "Will I feel better (about me) if I eat it, or if I don't?"  If
> I ask myself these questions and answer them honestly, I usually
> end up doing what is better for me.  (exercising and eating well)
> Sometimes not. :)  I am struggling to ask myself these questions --
> for me, the hardest part is recognizing when I'm just eating for
> the sake of eating (no hunger).  It is definitely a change in
> my lifestyle, rather than a diet.

Again, this is absolutely true.  Change of lifestyle is really the
only way.  Be careful of diets, rather, just carefully consider
the food you are eating.  I know how hard it can be sometimes though
to keep away from the food that you really like, but you know is
way bad for you.  So, set a time once a week (lunch or early dinner,
weekends are the best so you can really enjoy it) where you eat whatever
dinner you want, where you don't even think about calaries.  If you
aren't training for a sporting event or determined to get your weight
down this instant, this is a good way to keep sane.  I've done it and
I've seen it mentioned here a couple times. :)

> Take it day by day.  That seems to help so much.  Otherwise, you
> are looking at a mountainous task!  Day by day...
>  
> >Does anyone have any suggestions on how to motivate oneself?
> >Personal stories will do fine... I guess I need some sort
> >of encouragement... or something to help me get going...
>  

To make a long post longer...  My story:
I started out running/swimming/biking at the suggestion of my father.  
But you see, he is a triathalete!  So, after a few months of working
out, always feeling tired and never losing weight, I gave up.  I took
a three month break overseas, and when I came back, I had lost a few pounds 
without trying.  Whay? I had been walking everywhere, and I had changed my
diet!  Even though I was still over weight and hated it, I realized that
there was something I was missing when I was in the states.  So, I talked to  
everyone I came across that knew about fat loss.  Basically it came down to  
doing aerobics with your premium heart rate and change your eating habits.   
After  being back from my break, and the cottage cheese started to really  
curdle on my thighs and my arms shook around when I moved them, I had enough.   
I made a schedule, and bought my food in advance, to make sure I'd only
have good things around when I got hungry, and set off.  And boy,
after 10 weeks, I had lost nearly 15 lbs!!!!  And I was eating just
as much food as before, just better food.  

As soon as you find something that really works, yet is not making
you feel like you are depriving yourself (dieting) or working out
so hard that you don't ever want to go to that gym, THAT is when the
motivation doesn't go away.  

Learn about your body and what certain things to do it.  That way YOU
are control and not your stomach! :)  

Good luck!!!!



--
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Tammy Woodley (student)      | " It's not I who am crazy.....
UC Riverside                 |   It's I who am MAD!!!!.......
Samari@watserv.ucr.edu or    |   We're not hitch hiking anymore....
Samari@psychophysics.ucr.edu |   We're riding!!!!!!"
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