From skwigg's journal:
I was thinking about the book Naturally Thin as I was cleaning my plate and anticipating dessert. I realized I don't really do that "taste everything, eat nothing" approach anymore. Or, "you can have it all, just not all at once." No "skinny girl" portions for me, thanks. I get hungry and I eat until I'm fully satisfied, which is generally not after four bites, or half a sandwich, or one french fry. I don't scoop my bagels, discard buns, or eat partial cupcakes, and I'm becoming iffy on sharing. LOL
I think when I first read Naturally Thin, I really needed all of those little tips and tricks so that I could allow myself to try eating what I actually wanted instead of ordering skinless chicken and vegetables by default. I'm grateful for the book because that was a huge and scary leap for me. Being able to go anywhere and eat anything meant freedom! But now that I'm confident in my my body's ability to maintain, and I'm not trying to eat as little as possible, "downsizing" is much less relevant. I may need a meal to last 7-12 hours. I'm also far less concerned with what other people might think. I used to want to be...dainty or something. Now, if someone comments on how much I eat, I tell them that I'm a werewolf.
I think I would have arrived at this happy and sustainable place faster if I had ditched the weight loss mentality sooner actually. Restriction is not benign. It always brings consequences. When I was deliberately trying to control my food for the purpose of weight loss, there were equal and opposite indulgences and lapses. Eating enough up front and never feeling deprived was a game-changer. That was the plan all along, to enjoy the process and not do anything crazy, but at times I would enthusiastically underfeed myself thanks to all those “tips” and “tricks” I’d learned. It would be unsustainable (duh!) and I’d pretty quickly regain anything I’d lost beyond where my body wants to be. Now, I just let it be. My wide shoulders and muscle butt and ice cream curves aren’t meant to fit into a size 2. There comes a point when pursuing smaller and lighter just for the sake of it is a meaningless endeavor. Pursuing AWESOMENESS, on the other hand, never gets old. Feeling great, being strong, having fun, living life. That creates all the positive vibes, self-confidence, and freedom we hoped to achieve by managing food intake and weight. So, my advice is to take great care of yourself and continue to tune into how food makes you feel, the nuances of hunger, fullness, and satisfaction. There is so much to learn, and things just keep getting better the more you practice. It’s like learning a new language or opening up a new world. Employing some trick to make your lunch smaller isn’t the solution to anything.
Just curious...you were slowly losing weight when you first started eating in a “naturally thin” way, right? Do you think you would’ve lost weight if you’d never done the dainty type of eating? Like if you started off the bat with your current way of eating? I think I already know your answer but I’d love to read your thoughts on it :) I’m struggling because I feel like I’m really happy with how I eat and exercise in a day to day way. I feel good about how I’m eating in the moment BUT it’s not leading to weight loss which is starting to get annoying, lol.
I love the werewolf idea. There is a huge variation in how much I eat at work lunches. People often comment when I’m eating more. I’ll have to try that next time. 🐺