Wisdom from My 14 year old DD

[AlmiraGulch]

So I've been doing really well on this diet I've been on. I have been very strict on this very strict plan, and I've said out loud how proud I am of myself for sticking to it this time.

 

The thing is....I feel like I could eat my arm. I'm cranky and my stomach is growling to the point i don't even think I could sleep. I tried drinking more water, having a piece of fruit, some veggies....nothing. I think I'm even hungrier.

 

So, I was just in the kitchen starting to make a sandwich, beating myself up for failing again. I also felt like I was setting a bad example because I've been so vocal about how I've been able to stick to this plan. My 14 year old dd was there, too. I looked at her, sandwich makings in hand, and in a moment of weakness asked her if she thought less of me because I was giving in.

 

Her response....? "No, mom. I think of you as hungry."

 

Oh, yeah. Wow. I really need to get a grip. It's a sandwich, not a failure.

 

I think we could all take a lesson from that simple statement when we can't do that one last thing that we think we MUST do or we won't be the perfect mom/wife/employee/daughter....whatever. I needed that tonight.

[elfgivas]

:hurray:

[Miss Sherry]

.........

Her response....? "No, mom. I think of you as hungry.".......

 

 

:lol: Teenagers are great. I love having my teenage daughter. She's 15.

Maybe it would help to add some things to your diet to add some bulk to it and energy. What about things like brown rice with steamed veggies or pinto beans flavored with your favorite spices. That is , if you want suggestions. Maybe others can offer some suggestions of things to fill up on that can help keep you from getting too hungry but not add many calories. I don't know if that's helpful or not.

[AlmiraGulch]

:lol: Teenagers are great. I love having my teenage daughter. She's 15.

Maybe it would help to add some things to your diet to add some bulk to it and energy. What about things like brown rice with steamed veggies or pinto beans flavored with your favorite spices. That is , if you want suggestions. Maybe others can offer some suggestions of things to fill up on that can help keep you from getting too hungry but not add many calories. I don't know if that's helpful or not.

 

Thanks! I do know the tricks, but none of those things are on "The Plan." I've done really well and have lost a good amount of weight for the time I've been on it, but I think I may have to throw in the towel and try another route. I'm certainly not accustomed to being in the fridge at close to midnight.

[Miss Sherry]

Congratulations to you that you have done well and lost weight on it.

I think some diets are great for a season. Don't feel defeated if you need to switch to something else. Do what you think is best for you, no guilt allowed.;)

Edited October 12, 2010 by Miss Sherry

[Harriet Vane]

I'm on a really draconian diet myself for health reasons. I found myself shaky and hungry and some fellow WTM board friends advised me to increase my fat intake. That was exactly right--as soon as I did so (avocados, butter on my veggies, full-fat plain yoghurt, etc.) I felt much better.

[Rosie_0801]

The plan ain't a good plan if you are miserably hungry. We all have different body chemistry. The current plan might work for some, but it surely isn't working for you. Tailor your diet to your needs, because it doesn't work the other way around.

 

:grouphug:

Rosie

[Tohru]

Love it! Love it! Love it!

 

Sometimes when we beat ourselves up, we need to step outside our own selves and actually see what our kids see (or even our dogs) when they look at us. So sweet.

[Miss Sherry]

The plan ain't a good plan if you are miserably hungry. We all have different body chemistry. The current plan might work for some, but it surely isn't working for you. Tailor your diet to your needs, because it doesn't work the other way around.

 

:grouphug:

Rosie

:iagree:

[NanceXToo]

I love your daughter's comment!

 

I DON'T love your description of "The Plan" and how it makes you feel. Have you considered Weight Watchers? Not to sound like a walking advertisement, but WW is effective, healthy and realistic.

 

You don't cut out entire food groups.

 

You don't replace meals with shakes.

 

You don't eat pre-packaged meals only.

 

You don't take pills.

 

And you don't walk around feeling cranky and hungry enough to gnaw off your own arm resulting in a guilt fest over a sandwich. :)

 

Maybe you should look into it!

[RoughCollie]

I DON'T love your description of "The Plan" and how it makes you feel. Have you considered Weight Watchers? Not to sound like a walking advertisement, but WW is effective, healthy and realistic.

 

:iagree: with this entire post.

 

Being hungry is not a good thing. My gosh, it is hard enough for me to change my eating habits so they are healthy, without being hungry at the same time when there is no need for that.

 

IMO, and YMMV, a *diet* should be a healthy eating plan so one is forming healthy habits that will last a lifetime. In my experience, if my diet is draconian and therefore unhealthy, I will gain the weight back the minute I go off it.

 

Also, my DD watches everything I do, so I believe it is incumbent upon me to give her a good example -- especially in the dieting realm. I won't have a leg to stand on if she decides to quit eating enough food because she decides, with or without merit, that she is fat. We are the same in these ways, which is a red flag to me -- apple-shaped, love food, love to cook and bake, and will gain weight at the drop of a hat if we don't eat healthily and/or get a lot of exercise. This is genetic: Every female on my Mom's side of the family is like this. (OTOH, every male in my family, both sides, is naturally thin, no matter what they eat. Why?)

 

Right now, she eats what I eat so she will have a healthy diet, and to be supportive of me, except that she eats more protein than I do and I encourage her to eat desserts because she's a kid, she doesn't have to lose weight, and my heart problem doesn't mean she has to adhere to a diet as strict as mine is (or should be, depending on the day).

 

I spent plenty of time in my younger years on what I call starvation diets. They were not helpful in the long run. When I was in my teens and 20s, I tried to lose weight because I was 5'6" tall and thought I should weigh less than 120-125 lbs. To achieve my misguided goal to become an ectomorph, I used prescription diet pills (given by an unscrupulous doctor who was later imprisoned for this very thing) and subsisted on diet coke and salads without dressing. In between, I tried every popular diet that came down the pike. I keep that in mind because I don't want my daughter to do the same thing.

 

When I was on WW, I was not hungry and I lost weight. The only reason I'm doing something different now is that I have a heart condition and on my healthy eating plan which I tailored personally for me, I don't have to count anything. WW is a heart-healthy diet.

Edited October 12, 2010 by RoughCollie

[Teachin'Mine]

Is that a Diet Center plan by any chance? I did that years ago and the amount of food you were "allowed" to eat was ridiculously little. It's a starvation diet. Try Weight Watchers or something more reasonable, and healthy, and you won't have to go to bed hungry. :)

[AlmiraGulch]

Thanks so much for the insight and advice from everyone!

 

The plan is actually very good, and very healthy, if you stick to it. I haven't really been hungry the whole time, and if I have I just ate some of what is allowed and I was fine. I went way off plan on Saturday, though, and since then I've been ravenous. Yesterday I'd had enough of feeling like that and I had to have something.

 

I'm going to continue as best I can. The most restrictive part is over next Sunday, at which point you gradually add in more calories and a larger assortment of foods. I think I'll be ok, but I definitely won't allow myself to feel like that again, for sure!

 

As for those who have recommended Weight Watchers.....I've never been able to stick to it and I don't know why. Two of my sisters and my niece have done incredibly well with it, but I just don't seem to lose much on it, even the 1 - 2 pounds of week that is considered healthy and normal, and so I get discouraged and quit.

 

At any rate, my wonderful daughter and all of you here have helped me to gain some perspective. I do need to figure out what works for me, and I know that feeling that hungry shouldn't be a part of anyone's nutritional plan.

[OleanderRain]

I know with many diets you are allowed to have unlimited veggies. If your diet is like this maybe you can start drinking some green smoothies between meals. Many veggies have a neutral flavor so adding a little banana, pineapple, or some berries is all that's needed for a great tasting green smoothie. They are very filling too (you can get a whole days worth of veggies in one smoothie). And you will never be more regular. :tongue_smilie: