Do You Diet?
Posted by Sherry , Saturday, September 18, 2010 Saturday, September 18, 2010
Lately, I've been thinking a bunch about dieting. To me, this train of thought is akin to thinking about old boyfriends, bangs and stirrup pants: nostalgic but not something I want to be a part of my life again. Yet, I can't escape it.
I've talked about how I feel regarding dieting, the word 'diet' and diet foods in the past, so it should be no surprise to my readers that I really dislike the subject in general.
However, all disagreements on the semantics of the word aside, I'm wondering from my banded readers if you still 'diet'?
For instance, do you only buy low fat dairy products, choose white meat chicken all the time, rarely allow yourself dessert or only eat low fat products, etc.? Do you feel 'guilty' when you eat full fat ice cream but not when you eat 'no fat' frozen yogurt? Do you have days when you say “I'm eating what I want today” vs. days when you say “I've eaten so well!”
While I don't think being banded has been 'easy,' I am fairly comfortable saying that it has made losing weight much easier for me, both mentally and physically.
I'm what you would deem a 'slow loser' (about 1.5 pounds a week) and I do blame part of that on bad genetics, my metabolism and the Bush administration – but if I really reflect, I have to wonder if it is also because I've not been traditionally 'dieting'.
Again, semantics aside – I realize that the band 'rules' are a diet in and of themselves – but what I mean is that I've left crappy diet foods in my past. I don't ask for the butter sauce on the side because I'm eating so little of the fish anyway and I want to enjoy it. I don't eat three low fat cookies, I just have ½ of one regular cookie -- and not every day. I try to make good, healthy, choices almost all of the time, but “good and healthy” to me doesn't equal non-fat sour cream or spray-on butter.
Weight Watchers rules, tips and suggestions used to be just a part of my life. I always bought non-fat dairy products, asked for dressing and sauces on the side, used artificial sweeteners in EVERYTHING, went for the fro-yo instead of the ice cream.
I didn't think about it. I just did it. In many ways, I believe I polluted my body with artificial crap in the name of being 'healthy'. And I don't like it.
Since being banded I've not thrown caution to the wind, per se. But I have decided that because I now have the portion size problem under control (which for me, was my biggest weight control battle--not the bad foods but eating too much of the good foods), I should also be making the 'healthy' choices. Fresh, real ingredients as much as possible.
Not sure if I'm making sense here, I just needed to put it out there and get some feedback.
If you are a bandster, do you 'diet' and do you like dieting?
No way Jose'...if I'm only eating 1/2 to 3/4 C. of Egg Salad for lunch, there's no way I'm not making that with real Hellman's Mayonnaise. I absolutely, positively share your philosophy on everything you said...which is likely why I too am a "slow loser". But that's ok...I don't have a deadline...especially since I'm not dieting on the way there so it's not something I'm in a hurry to be done with like I would have been with diets in the past.
See ya next week cupcake...can't wait cause you're special to me.