I have been trying to lose a little baby weight over the last year, except I can't really blame Baby, only my love of food and my habit of overindulging.
My best efforts in the last year of being good haven't worked and I have come to realise that I have far less willpower when it comes to food than I used to.
I am not too hung-up on the way I look, I have always had good body image regardless of size and despite the occasional comment about my weight gain from others, my husband has always made me feel like the most beautiful woman in the world alhumdulillah (may Allah (SWT) reward him and bless him for the kindness and love he has always shown me).
I am mindful of the impact of the extra weight on my health in the long-term, especially in terms of diabetes and heart disease which are endemic in my ethnic group in this country. As a mum I want to keep healthy for my children and set a good example.
What has worked for sisters who have lost weight? Is it only good old fashioned willpower? Cutting out sugar or flour? Avoiding carbs? Going vegetarian? Calorie counting? Being strict with yourself? Being kind and gentle with yourself? Replacing certain types of food in your diet? Educating yourself about diet and health?
I would love to hear if anything worked particularly well for someone.
Cutting out chocolate and sugar does it for me.
ReplyDeleteWhat worked for me in the past to lose weight but also keep it off for years is two steps: healthy eating in moderate portions (not going hungry but also not overindulging) and if I do slip up, accept it, be gentle to myself and go back to eating sensibly. Especially the second step is very important because in the past I would slip up and just quit altogether. Now it's more of a lifestyle and if I slip up, I accept it and just carry on with the healthy eating.
ReplyDeleteI gave birth to my second child two months ago and though I did eat healthy during my pregnancy I ate more generous portions (;)) and still have eight kilos to lose in order for my weight to be healthy. Now I'm nursing but noticing the extra weight won't come off if I keep eating this much. So your post was a good reminder to start eating a bit less, so I can lose the extra baby weight (very slowly of course to keep my milk supply up and not hurt me or the baby).
Chips and cheese??? Please explain this strange combo. Don't get me wrong sis, I love cheesy chips, but it's usually mozzarella and it has to be melted! Is chips and grated cheese a new invention that has bypassed me?!
ReplyDeleteOh dear, people must think I'm odd!
DeleteNo some people like to sprinkle cheddar cheese (or any type they like) over chips and eat it when it melts.
I like to season my chips well with salt and coarse black pepper and eat it with grated cheese while the cheese is still cold. Something I like about the combination, and I find melting cheese greasy.
Get rid of the processed food. (No Kit Kat!) Just eat real food, not too much. Since processed foods and sweets tend to be hyperpalatable (thanks to artificial flavors and additives), you tend to eat more of it. If you introduce more whole and organic food into your diet, you'll see a definite improvement without calorie counting or restricting certain foods.
ReplyDeleteI had my second child about 6 months ago and am back to my normal weight without any special dieting or exercise regimen (except for the occasional yoga). I attribute this to the fact that I don't eat anything that is pre-packaged or ready-made or contains ingredients I can't pronounce. I cook everything from scratch, use REAL butter and natural oils, meat on occasion, not daily as the Prophet, pbuh, advised, and keep meals simple. I also eat only 2 meals a day with a small snack and tea in between simply because I can't eat so much food.
I hope this helps. Also check this out--very informative: https://youtu.be/sXAkMkzptMA