THE REGRET-O-METER

In past entries we have learned that we must set and achieve a reasonable goal weight. Then we realized that once we get to that weight, you must not say that you are now "off your diet", but rather we will say, "I now begin my life as a thin person!"

Today I will impart what may possibly be the most important aspect of maintaining your goal weight.  You must, and I mean MUST, get into a habit of rating all food to which you are exposed.  NO MORE WASTING YOUR PRECIOUS HUNGER!!  NO MORE MINDLESS EATING!! NO MORE EATING CRAPPY, HIGH CALORIE FOOD ONLY TO REGRET IT!!

When I first made it to my goal weight and began to loosen the reigns of what I could eat so to speak, I found myself feeling regret for A LOT of the decisions I made.  I would eat a fast food meal (not the healthy option) and afterwards feel gross and REGRET IT!  I would eat a dessert because it looked pretty but did not taste good and REGRET IT!  I would take an extra helping of mashed potatoes which looked and tasted wonderful, but REGRET IT BECAUSE I CAN HAVE MASHED POTATOES ALL THE TIME--I DON'T HAVE TO OVERDO IT AT ONE SETTING!

Sorry for all the caps.  I do not want to come across as yelling, but I do want you to realize how big of a deal this is.  So here comes one more sentence in caps and then I promise I will quit. 

YOU MUST REFUSE TO EAT ANYTHING THAT YOU KNOW YOU ARE GOING TO REGRET IF YOU WANT TO LIVE THIN.

Okay, it is out of my system now....ahhhh.....that's better.

The tool that helped me tremendously was something I invented called,

The Regret~O~Meter

And here is how it works:

Let's say you are presented with an opportunity to eat something that is high in calories and fat.  Before you decide whether or not to indulge ask yourself these three questions and rate your answer according to the scale provided:

1. How often do I have access to this food?

1              2              3               4               5              6                7                 8                  9               10

I can have it when ever I want it.         I can only have it twice a year.               Once in a lifetime opportunity.

2. How good does this food taste, honestly?

1             2                 3             4                 5              6                 7                 8                 9              10

Looks better than tastes/ Pretty greasy.                 Tastes ok.       Is one of my favorite foods.     This is amazing!

3. How am I going to feel after I eat this?

1             2               3                4               5                6               7                 8                9               10

Gross/Bloated/REGRET    OK, not bad/not great.    I am going to really enjoy this.       I will feel so satisfied!

Next, add the three numbers and base your decision on the following scale:

0-12 --RED LIGHT! Don't do it!  You are going to regret it!  Save your indulgences for something you will enjoy, not regret.

13-24 --YELLOW LIGHT! There is a good chance you will regret this, so think about it a good while before you indulge.  Is this really going to be worth it?

25-30 --GREEN LIGHT! You are most likely going to enjoy this indulgence.  You don't have access to it except on very rare occasions, it tastes even better than it looks and you are going to feel so satisfied!  Go ahead and enjoy it!

So how would you rate this food choice? 

Scenario #1, the family wants to go to McDonalds.  You used to love Big Macs. 

• How often can I have it?  I would give that a 1.  I can go to McDonalds everyday if I so chose.
• How good does it taste, really? I would give that a 3.  Your answer may be different, but they really don't taste that great, especially after you get used to eating fresh, healthy food.
• How will I feel afterwards?  Definitely a 2.  I will feel gross and greasy.  Not satisfied.

So my score is a 6 at the most.  I will regret eating a Big Mac.

Scenario #2, it is the Holidays and your family has brought out all the traditional recipes.

• How often?  Well I could make these foods throughout the year, but it is not the same as when we are all together, so I give it a 6.
• How good does it taste? Some Holiday foods taste awesome, but some we just eat because that is what we have always done, so the answer will vary, but lets assume it is something really delicious. So, I will say a 7.
• How will I feel afterwards?  It's the Holidays and I am eating with my friends and family, so I am going to feel satisfied as long as I don't over eat too much.  So I will give this one an 8.

My score this time is a 21.  I am going to enjoy eating the Holiday foods as long as I only chose the items I really enjoy the taste of and don't go crazy. 

Scenario #3, It is your birthday and your presented with your most favorite meal ever at a restaurant that is far from home.

• How often? I will get to this restaurant once a year at most, so I'd give it a 8.
• How good does it taste?  You have been here before, you know how good it is!  So I would say a 9.
• How will I feel after?  I am going to enjoy this delicious meal with the ones I love and feel satisfied afterwards!  A 9 once more!

This score is a 26 and I should go for it!  I can have this wonderful meal and still be thin because I have learned how to be smart about my indulgences.

After a little practice, these 3 questions will just pop into your mind and help you avoid regretful eating.

I like to write the letters CSOR in different places to remind me of this most important key ingredient of living thin.

CSOR means Choose Success Over Regret

I know this entry has gotten a little long, but let me wrap it up with one more sentence in caps:

VERY FEW FOODS TASTE AS GOOD AS LIVING THIN FEELS, SO BE SMART ABOUT INDULGENCE FOODS!



New You--New Mindset

Once you have set and attained a reasonable goal weight do not say to yourself,

"Yay!  My diet is over!"

Instead, declare to yourself,

"YAHOO! My new life as a thin person has begun!!"

Don't Be Ridiculous!

The first step to successful weight maintenance is choosing a reasonable goal weight.  This is so important because if you set it too low, it will be very difficult to maintain and constantly discouraging.  My original goal weight was 5 pounds less than what it is now.  I found that 5 pounds makes all the difference between feeling successful or like a failure.  To stick to my original goal weight would mean I would have to watch everything I eat, pretty much all the time.  I am not willing to live that way!!  I love good food.  I love holidays and eating out.  So it was my discovery that if I allowed my goal weight to be five pounds higher than first intended, I can enjoy all kinds of food in a reasonable fashion.

Also, do not set your goal weight based on somebody else's weight.  Two people who are the same heights can look very different at the same weight.  It has to do with your build and shape and muscle mass.  I have found it best to shoot for a certain clothing size (again, be reasonable about what size you can maintain) and then figure out what weight correlates with that size for you.  And yes, I am all about the number on the scale.  I know some people are successful without ever weighing themselves and that is great, but this blog is about what works for me.  And I weigh myself pretty much everyday.  The number is my indicator of what I can and/or should eat that day.  I like that my scale is digital and shows the tenth (as in 138.9).  That way I can monitor little gains or losses before they become whole pounds.

That is not my feet, nor my scale, but you get the idea, right?

It is best to check your BMI at your goal weight and make sure you fall within the proper range.  You can find an online BMI calculator at http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/bmi-calculator/NU00597 .  My BMI is at the high end of my "healthy range", but I don't care.  I have found the number that works for me.

Here's the Scoop

As an adult, I have been every dress size from a 4 to a 24.  I've been fat and I've been what most would call thin.  I say that because I have a hard time considering myself "thin" because I do not (and never will) have a "beach body".  Nonetheless, I have managed to maintain my "goal" weight since April 2009.  I am happy with my size and like the clothes I can now wear.  Before this stretch of time, I would travel up and down the scale constantly.  My highest weight was 220.  This does not include my first pregnancy wherein the last weight I remember being was about 270, but beyond that, I chose to not know the number and/or blocked out the memory.

1994

1996

1997

My first major weight loss was in 1997 when I lost 85 pounds in 8 months.  From that time until January of 2009, I was a great "DIETER".  I could put my nose to the ground and lose weight, but once I made my goal, I went "off the diet" and pretty much went back to my normal way of eating.  The result was over 10 years of gaining and losing the same 40 pounds.

The concept of maintaining weight was always quite daunting to me, as there is no end in sight.  Maintaining is just that--remaining the weight you are from here on out.  I am very goal oriented and I like to check things off and move on.  Weight maintenance does not fit on a neat little to do list.  It has to become a part of you. That fact never clicked for me, but somethings did change in me when I lost that stinking 40 pounds for the last time in 2009. These changes have caused me to be able to stay at the same weight and wear the same clothes for over 2 years now. 

Through this blog, I intend to share those changes and strategies that are now part of my life in hopes of helping others who are on this long, daunting, albeit worthwhile journey.  I welcome all feedback.  If you are already on the journey, please share your tips and tricks. 

Ok, here we go!
Angela

2009

2009

July 2011