Living Your Life at a Healthy Weight: the Sweeter Victory
The gentle click of the seat belt. The ease of settling into a metal folding chair without hanging over the edge . The delight in buttoning a pair of regular-sized jeans.
These sweet little experiences were some of my most memorable moments during my weight loss journey. Being able to fasten my seat belt without using a seat belt extender and not break any more chairs made all the effort of eating foods that helped me lose weight, watching my portions, controlling my fat, and taking sweaty walks in the Florida sun worth the effort.
Those sweet little victories multiplied over the 14 months it took me to lose 150 pounds. No longer did I look at buffet tables with anticipation, but rather inspected the selections carefully for any healthy foods that I would choose to eat. I could drive by fast food restaurants without feeling the temptation to swing through for a chocolate milkshake or large bag of French fries because I was sitting in my car wearing a pair of jeans I had only dreamed of wearing just a few short months before.
The seemingly endless selection of sweets in the grocery store also held less appeal to me once I started losing weight. With this Valentine’s Day looming large it can tempting to throw caution to the wind and use the upcoming holiday as an excuse to reward yourself with foods you don’t need and maybe don’t even like anymore.
That’s what I found as I lost the weight. Those overly sweet cookies and candy that seemed to be everywhere in the grocery store really lost a lot of their appeal. If I ever felt as though I was going to slip up and overindulge, all I had to do was read the ingredient list and remember that I was in this weight loss experience for my health and not just for my weight. Candy usually had high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated palm oil, soy lecithin, artificial flavors, and dyes I didn’t want to put in my body.
I discovered I actually liked naturally sweet foods such as fruits (without added sugar) and learned to make my own sweet desserts that had natural ingredients. One of my family’s favorite oatmeal cookie has ingredients like coconut oil, graham flour with crushed Erewhon crackers, raisins, 100 percent whole wheat flour, honey, molasses, and an egg.
Only you can decide which is sweeter – the sweetness of the victory of living your life at a healthy weight or the temporary satisfaction you get from giving in to processed sweets and other unhealthy foods.
Does experiencing sweet victories in your weight loss journey help you avoid overindulging this time of year?
Be well!
Diane
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Feb 13, 2013 @ 08:13:12
I can bend down and put my shoes/boots on without gasping for breath. I can see my reflection in a window with out grimacing. There is no food out there that can replace that for me.
A loving way of eating, that I’m loving! | Lori's World
Feb 13, 2013 @ 10:24:56
[...] is talking about the benefits and rewards that come from choosing to eat healthy in her blog at Attune Foods. Check out her posting if you have a [...]
Feb 13, 2013 @ 15:07:57
I love all the small victories that my weight loss has given me. The appreciation of real whole foods that I crave now is one of the best things that have happened as a result. So So many…
Feb 14, 2013 @ 12:09:40
Thank you, Diane, for reminding me to look those small victories in life that come as a result of weight loss. Sometimes we get so focused on the food and the scale and we don’t think about the other benefits to losing weight, like clothes that now fit and walking without getting winded. I am amazed when I have foods I used to crave and consume (store bought cookies, canned soup, chips) now don’t taste nearly as good, or even taste bad. What was I thinking? A great post, as always.
Feb 22, 2013 @ 12:23:11
I am so impressed with your story. I’ve been a fat girl all my life and am just now trying to make changes toward a healthier life. I’m also mega addicted to sugar and am trying to eat more natural sugars, like fruit, instead of store bought ice cream. It’s really hard!!! I’m hoping to get to the point where the store bought sweets are no longer appealing to me.