Friday, June 1, 2012

The Rest of the "Rules"

So, it's been about 2 weeks, hasn't it?  I wanted to share with you how these "rules", how this list started.

Most of the people I meet and talk with about weightloss know exactly what is making or keeping them fat.  Most know if the are ready or not ready to change those things and are honest about it.  I, myself, knew for years that I was not ready until I was!  No big deal if you are not...unless you are asking me for my advice, or my help.  Which is how this started.

As I mentioned most people admit they know what is making or keeping them fat, and then we have the other ones!  There is anther group that really believes they have no idea how this is happening to them.  It's as if the "Fat Fairy" has tapped them on the shoulder with her wand and magically made them fat.  I get exhausted with this attitude!  So after the last person asked me for some help I laid down these "rules" and told her to email me in two weeks!

These "rules" were simply the first thoughts that came to me, and I know in my personal experience that cutting these things out completely, was not a hardship in anyway.  In fact I could make the list longer!  The intention of excluding the things on this list is to:

#1 Bring awareness that you are not a victim of the Fat Fairy.
#2 Start to open and expand other food choices and possibilities.
#3 Change the habits that may be causing, or at least supporting, you to be overweight.
#4 Help you gauge whether ot not you are ready.

I'll finish up the rest of my reasons for the foods included (or should I say excluded) at the end of this list in one fell swoop and without much explaination because at the end of the day you eat what you want.

No bags of chips. Promotes mindless snacking......if you are hungry eat a meal.  Chips are starchy vegetables full of salt, oil and if they don't have these ingredients then God only knows what else is in them, or on them to make them taste good. I don't care what kind of chips even if you buy them at Whole Foods, cross them off the list.

No rice cakes.  How old school are you?  If you don't buy rice cakes when you are not on a diet, don't buy them now!  They weren't worth eating then and nothing has changed!  Rice cakes became popular during the "no fat" dieting era and that's over and done with.  Fat does not make you fat, but carbs do!  No cardboard cakes...I mean, rice cakes.

No hummus. Hummus is not all that healthy when you overeat it!  It's loaded with calories because it's primarily beans and tahini (seed paste, aka, oil/fat) which is why it tastes so good, and why you are more likely to eat more than one, or two servings.  That small container you buy is not a single serving size!  Hummus is not "bad", but you won't die if you cross it off the list.

No bananas.  Bananas are to fruit what potatoes are to vegetables.  Starchy, dense, and highly concentrated in sugar.  I know I'm going to get in trouble for saying this, but the most common fruit choice of the overweight is bananas.  Coincidence?  Get out of the habit of making choices that contribute to being overweight.  I'm not saying that thin people don't eat bananas, but don't get upset, just try something else for a while.  At least I didn't include mangos....this time. (#2 on the no-no list!  If mango was your second choice, coincidence?  just sayin')

No bagels.  Bagels are not healthy donuts!  Most bagels pack a whopping 400 calories each!  Have a bowl of oats instead...or two bowls of oats!

You don't want what you don't see......

No criusing of bakeries / sections, candy or ice cream isle!  


And keep up on your journal!

No body has to agree to any of this.  These are some of the "rules" I incorporated into my new life, and many of them still apply.

Since losing 120lbs I had McDonald's, or should I say "tried" to have McD's one time, and only out of curiosity. After more than 3 years I drove thru, ordered my former beloved cheeseburgers and practically spit my first bite out because it was so dry.  I threw it all out and have never once thought about going back.

I didn't eat my first "bar" until two Novembers ago at Hardstyle Ventura (caught without another choice), and have since had maybe 3 or 4, and only surrounding events like RKC Certs where I'm surrounded by people eating bars (and for the right reasons I might add, which is why I had my first one at HSV)

I probably would have never had chips either if I didn't hang out with Fawn Friday!  Little Miss Corn Chips!  Not a choice I would make on my own, but I always eat chips when I'm around Fawn.  But I'm not even tempted by a rice cake!

I never buy bananas except one time.  You know those cute little baby bananas?  Well, they are hella cheap at Asian markets and I bought some once thinking I would make some banana chutney of some sort.  I didn't, and they went to waste.

I will eat a donut before I eat a bagel....kidding, but neither one is ever a choice I make.

I'm not trying to come across as some sort of saint.  BUT, I got out of the habits of buying and eating these foods, and I'm a healthier, and smaller person, I believe, because of it.  I only know what has worked for me.  When, and if, I recognize a habit that supports causing something I don't want as part of my life any more, or something I want to change, I think about establishing a new habit that helps me feel and look the way I see myself and my life.  That's all.

6 comments:

Jen said...

That's a pretty cute fat fairy :)

Thanks Tracy for the rules!

Tracy Reifkind said...

Jen,

Thanks, she is kind of cute, but it's not the kind of cute I want to be! When I went looking for a "fat fairy" image I had a ton of choices (pun intended!), but I wanted to keep it light, not mean or embarrassing in any way....that's not the point.

guy said...

Excellent, hit the nail on the head multiple times BossLady! I did use to eat banana's thinking the pottasium in them would help prevent cramps (my calves cramp up in summer time) started drinking 4 liters of h20 daily and taking pottasium pills instead, worked like a charm.

Ken White said...

Tracy, you busted me on a few counts, here! After all this time I still occasionally find myself wandering down the crap (chips, candy, cookies) aisle telling myself I'm "reminiscing". In reality, it's a reminder that those desires and cravings haven't completely gone away...fortunately I'm a good fighter (of my temptations)! As for the bananas, rice cakes, and Clif bars, I guess I'll have to expand my healthy food choices; things can get a bit monotonous at times. One last thing, my trainer tells me he'd rather have me drinking BEER than soda! That should tell you what poison the carbonated beverage can be.

Tracy Reifkind said...

Guy,

and you probably don't need the potassium pills...no calories though, lol!

Leafy greens are a better source of potassium! Tons!

Tracy Reifkind said...

Ken,

I call it "stalking" the candy isle, lol! It's only when I really don't want any that I find myself "stalking". If I really want some then I go, I chose, I buy! No big deal...unless I make it a big deal. It's usually not the candy I want, it's some other feeling I'm looking for.

If I had to chose one of your food habits to get rid of it would be the rice cakes! Those aren't even real food! Like I said, have a meal, a bowl of oats....but you are your own expert. If it works for you then knock yourself out! (But don't replace them with beer!)