Food Woes

Hello. My name is Kyle and I'm a carb-o-holic.

I will take them in any shape or form be it muffin, cake ball, or pasta.

Smother it with cheese (the pasta, of course) and you are my new best friend.

Another confession: I rather loath people who don't have to work to be at a healthy weight.

I know some people have those freaky metabolisms that make gaining weight hard. Boy what I wouldn't trade for one of those. And I know some women were just blessed with good genetics, but not me. Nope.

My genetics would predispose me to obesity and heart problems.

No skinny-ness here.

So my question for "naturally skinny" people is usually, "What do you eat?"

I know you don't look that way by sitting on your butt eating bon bons all day like you would love me to think.

Honestly.
"What do you eat?"

Maybe more importantly..."HOW do you eat?"

When given an honest response, I was actually able to acquire some much needed wisdom about food that I thought I would share with you. I believe this is a lot of what has helped me to lose and sustain weight loss these past months.

1. Pay attention to when and why you are eating.

I'm a bored/emotional eater. My mom was the mom that fixed my troubles with ice cream and my favorite dinner. My saddle bags are still thanking her for that. I notice that when I'm anxious, nervous, happy...Ok, when I experience any heightened emotion, I think it needs to be accompanied by food.

Solution: When I find myself standing with the cupboard open, blankly staring at all my choices, I stop and make sure I really am hungry. If I'm not sure, I drink a tall glass of water and wait a few minutes. If I'm still hungry, I have had time to think about what I will eat and usually make a better, less compulsive decision.

2. Don't eat until full; eat until satisfied.

The food will still be there next time I am hungry. I do not need to sit down and eat as much as I can in one sitting. I fix my plate and don't go back for seconds. I always leave satisfied. Feeling "full" doesn't mean satisfied, it means I over did it.

3.  Cut the carbs

You know I am saying this with tears in my eyes, but it's true. I'm not saying to go Atkins or anything, but carbs are full of sugar and starch, and they are easy to consume. The other problem is they are also cheap. Did you know you will save 120 calories by not eating a bun on your hamburger? When you fix a sandwhich you are eating about 180 calories (sometimes more) in bread?

I am not a big veggie person, so we generally use carbs as a side dish (rice, pasta, potatoes etc).

Solution: If you do buy carbs, buy 100% WHOLE WHEAT. They are higher in fiber and less starchy. Don't be fooled by "MULTI GRAIN" labels. They are higher in calories and don't have as much fiber. If I make a sandwich, I only use one slice of 45 calorie a slice bread and fold it in half. I no longer buy rice, or potatoes and I make side dishes of the veggies I like or make a salad.

4. FIBER, FIBER, FIBER!

Due to the lack of raw foods we Americans consume, we do not get nearly enough fiber. This causes constipation, bloating, fatigue etc. If you need to start your day off with a bowl of Raisin Bran or eat a ton of prunes, do it! Fiber is key to weight loss.

5. Packaged diet foods are a gimmick

Things like Lean Cuisine's, Weight Watchers Deviled Cookies, and Nutrisystem are NOT good. They are meals that have little to no nutritional value, replacing them with carbs and fake sugar to make you feel full.

6. Don't just count calories. Look at the whole label

When counting calories, it's easy to overlook things like carb, sugar, and fat totals. Those all account for weight loss as well. Try using a website like www.livestrong.com/thedailyplate  to help you account for all of your food consumption. It helps to give you a better idea on the areas of your diet you need to work on.

7. You drink a significant amount of your calories

If you are a Starbucks frequenter, pop drinker, juice lover, milk guzzler, or tea diva, you are in for it. Drinks are loaded with unseen calories. The average Starbucks drink has 460 calories. A large regular soda at a restaurant has almost 500 calories. Juice is packed full of sugar; even if it says 100% fruit juice. Diet soda contains no calories but also has a high level of aspartame giving you more fatigue and head aches.

8. Check restaurant nutritional information before you eat out

Almost every restaurant, fast food chain, and coffee house, now has their nutritional information posted online. These are a valuable resource that we should be using. I was surprised to find out my favorite salad from Chili's has 1,700 calories! Use them before you go to Sonic, Mcdonalds, Starbucks, and Smoothie King. They will help you immensely.

If you made it through this lengthy post, still awake, then tell me...

What is your biggest food vice and what tips do you have to share?