Realizing you've put on a lot more weight than you thought? I hate that feeling.
I'm not much help in the diet department. I tried a low carb thing once a long time ago (before I had Aidan) and it helped, but I could never
live that way. I'm too much of a pasta/bread/rice junkie.
What has worked FAR better for me is to keep a food journal and count fat/calories (actually, I'm using Weight Watchers points, but I didn't actually
join WW). I have the type of personality that can't handle being denied something completely - if I can't have chocolate, for instance, I want it even more! So, this food journal thing has helped me immensely by letting me eat whatever I want, but forcing me to do it in moderation. Just being aware of what I am eating on a daily basis helps me to better regulate it. Just yesterday, I ordered a pizza and had 3 slices - with bacon. That amounted to nearly an entire days' worth of fat & calories! But, I went ahead and did it because I knew that earlier in the day, all I'd had to eat was a low-fat English muffin and a cup of fruit. On a normal day, where I hadn't eaten so skimpily for breakfast and lunch, I might still have ordered the pizza, but had it without the bacon. Or only had two slices.
I don't like "diets." I feel more like a "lifestyle change" is what is going to do the trick. So I don't think of this food diary as a temporary thing. I hope I get to the point someday where it's such second nature that I won't actually have to write it down, but for now keeping track is the best way for me to make better choices about what I put in my mouth.
Check out the link at the top of the page for Dotty's Weight Loss Zone - there are a bunch of really helpful tools there, including lists of foods and their associated WW points.
Good luck, Marielle, and be sure to come back and let us know your goals and how you're doing with them!
Lisa
