So, after this morning's attempt at trying to be funny - when really I was just trying to make fun at how pathetic I can be when faced with the task of losing weight - I had this niggling feeling inside of me.
It really got me thinking about how hard it really is to lose weight.
The fact that I have, apparently, no willpower at the moment - and I make excuse after excuse isn't the only reason.
I reached in to my fridge to find something for lunch - when I saw a bag of chocolate cookies I bought for my kiddos this week. Here's what the back of the bag says:
Before reading that, I admit - I was going to open them. But after I saw that, my stomach turned a little. Why would I want to eat something that has a "vegetable fat coating"?
It really got me thinking. If all foods displayed what they were actually made of, right there in plain sight on the bag or box, would I be so quick to jump into eating it?
Say for example, all bags of chips said "Sliced potatoes dipped in lard and then deep fried" would I be more conscious of putting them down? If low-fat alternatives stated right on the label "We've taken out the fat, but replaced it with sugar" help with my believing that low-fat alternatives are not any better for me?
Rather than printing in teeny tiny print on the bottom of the label what's actually in the products - it should be honest and upfront with me.
Also, come to think of it, do you really know what most of those ingredients are? I know that I pretty much skip over anything that starts out with Monoblah, Dexasomething, or fortified gooble de goop. Unless you work for a science lab, chances are you're never really sure what you're putting in to your body.
I know that there's a lot of craze with eating clean. Eating foods not using any additives or preservatives or the ingredients I mentioned above. But, the deal is - this chick has a family to feed...and I do my grocery shopping once a week. I need quick meals, stuff that won't ruin after two days of being in the fridge, etc. Maybe that's another excuse - but I've tried the "eating clean" and it was hard....and this girl already has enough on her plate (figuratively speaking) without having to worry about all that stuff.
The point of all this just stems from the fact that no matter how hard I try - I'm always choosing the wrong stuff, or being led in different directions by experts.
Just a few weeks ago, I hear Dr. Oz declare that skim milk is the worst stuff you can drink. It's up there with drinking soda. What The What? You're telling me - all these months I've been buying skim milk, because I was told it was the healthiest option, has really been taking the place of the Pepsi I gave up so long ago?
He says it's better to drink whole milk, because the good fats haven't been taken out and replaced with sugar water. Nice.
The same goes for the Low-Fat options. Those are apparently loaded with sugar - so they're no better for me, could even be worse. Really? The opposite is also true. If I opt for sugar-free, then I'm really opting for more fat.
It's all so confusing.
It made me realize that no matter what I do - there's always going to be someone telling me that what I'm eating is wrong. There's too much of this or too little of that.
You know what I say? I have no idea. I'm lost and confused and frustrated.
I know that last year, when the weight was falling off of me, it was because I wasn't focusing on all that stuff. It was because I was being mindful with how much I ate. I opted for healthier options - lots of steamed veg, baked protein, and whole grain carbs. I used portion control. I indulged once in a while. In no time, I was succeeding.
This time, I've been so focused on what I should be eating - rather than just being mindful with how much I'm eating is one of the factors that's doing me in.
So, on the back draft of this morning's post. I'm going back to portion control. It works for me - and right now, I'm the only person I care about.
That is all.
Till next time. ;)
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Joanna, I am totally with you. Portion control is the only thing that has worked for me, too. I try to eat healthy, anyway, but the main thing is, eat less. And the good choices kind of flow out of that, I think.
ReplyDeleteAnd in response to your first point. It is bloody hard! Darn tooting, so those who have done it deserve kudos. Kudos! Take care and have a good night.