I was totally at the end of my ropes. I was 30 pounds overweight and gaining more weight every day. I worked many different jobs with really long hours but it wasn't until I started working in Law Enforcement doing shift work, which changed constantly from day to night and any other hours I needed to work. I ate badly not on a schedule; I picked up whatever was around just to eat something. I started having issues with my knees, extremely stressed, overweight, smoking, and was having acid reflux issues, which I was taking medication for every day just so I would be able to eat. My turning point was several things after losing a few people in foot chases and realizing I was in bad shape, feeling tired all the time, and not being able to perform as I would like, I decided I needed to do something about my weight. I tried multiple fad diets just to gain the weight right back, I tried not eating but that didn't work and just made me more tired. I started doing some research in my off time and released that we all have lost the ability to judge a reasonable amount of food. I realized I needed to change the way I did things or I would just continue to gain weight and my health would steadily decline.
I realized everywhere I went from fine dining establishments to fast food I was faced with large serving sizes. I was always asked if I would like to up-size my meal or add extras. It seems the more food I had in front of me the more I would eat. I realized the more refined sugar I consumed through processed foods the more weight I would gain and the less energy I would have. How much I was eating due to lack of knowledge, I was super-sizing my waist line.
Through researching I discovered that just as little as 20 years ago the average adult consumed approximately 1,000 calories less than we do today. I now realized that we have trained ourselves to eat more and now we have to train ourselves to have control and not let this portion distortion control our lives. This distortion has zapped us of our energy and contributed to us stacking on the weight.
I came up with a multiple ways to avoid high refined sugar and ways to control my portion sizes. I would like to share a couple of those with you here today. First I started taking snacks with me to work instead of eating a bag of chips, cookies, or donuts. I would take one cup of the following and place them into small plastic bags which made it easy to take with me. The first is loosely packed baby carrots, cubed omega-3 enriched cheeses, celery sticks cut up into small pieces, grapes, bit size tomatoes, sliced cucumbers, sliced apples, or cubed cantaloupe.
I found a great way to portion out a sandwich I take Whole-grain pita bread and fill half of each pocket with some raw vegetables such as lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, shredded carrots, etc. I simply add in some protein, such as grilled chicken, roasted turkey, or lean ham. I top it off with some shredded cheese and walla; it becomes a tasty healthy portion controlled sandwich.
Here are some things I came up with when I eat out somewhere. First and foremost I wouldn't go to a restaurant (or a grocery store) when I was starving! If I did this I would over eat at the restaurant and then fill miserable later and when I went to the grocery store I would buy a ton of junk which I would eventually eat and then feel horrible again. Second I shared my meal or entree with my husband, we would order extra salad so we would both get our greens. I realized that not everyone had someone to share with or would want different things then someone else eating with them. I went out with my friends one day and my husband wasn't with us so I decided instead of eating the entire dish by myself I would ask for a to-go-box before I started my meal. I took half of the dish and placed it into the to-go-box and set it aside. I finished half of my meal at the restaurant and took the other half with me which I enjoyed later. It helped me keep that portion control and satisfied my hunger.
Third, I will ask how the food is prepared, such as what kind of oil is used extra. If an entree is not prepared in healthy way, I speak up and ask for it to be prepared differently. I decided there is no reason to be shy I am paying for the food after all and I deserve to have what I ask for. I also ask for some sort of other vegetable as a substitute for a potato. These methods and more have worked wonders in helping me lose weight and keep it off.
I have realized several principles from these life experiences.
First, every choice we make has consequences. I was making the wrong choices on what I was eating while I was at work. I found ways to make better choices that were almost as easy as grabbing a bag of chips and then implemented them.
Second, the more practical control we have in our lives the better we feel and the better our lives become. Once I started to lose the weight and take responsibility for better portion control I started losing weight and getting rid of the other health problems I was developing.
Third, sometimes we just need a few ideas that can give us the extra push we need. Well placed ideas can help people find what they need to make their lives better.
Fourth, our suffering is optional and quite unnecessary if we are willing to take the actions needed to change. It is only after the pain of being where we are gets so overwhelming and hurtful that the discomfort of the change doesn't seem so painful.
For more helpful information and advice - as well as to download a free guide on how to Lose Weight and Keep it Off Forever visit: http://www.makinyouridealbodynow.com/
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