SPLURGES

Deprivation IS NOT sustainable. If you are depriving your self...STOP...it will not last and you are wasting your precious time, life and energy on uselessness. Weight loss and management is about eating healthier and moving more and enjoying some splurges along the way. it's not ONE piece of cheesecake that makes you overweight. Mostly it's our day in and day out eating. Throughout our day we have to learn to negotiate. If we want a yummy dessert then if we have a light breakfast, snacks throughout the day of fruits and veggies, a sensible lunch and dinner we can make it work!! For me, I could have lost weigh a whole of a heck of a lot faster if I would have GIVEN UP on all those foods that I just love. I didn't! I ate them in very small quantities and negotiated them in my plan. I know that I would have given up if I had been extreme and cut out all of those things. I would have worked really hard for two or three months and then would have stopped trying and gained the weight back slowly over time.

ambience and satiety

One of the things that I've learned through this weigh loss and maintenance journey is to ENJOY my food. I used to think that the only enjoyable thing about food was how it tastes. This is very true. However, there are also other factors that can help you to enjoy your food. One of these is the ambience. A little music, candle light (it really only takes seconds to light one), and something pretty on the table can do wonders. It helps you to slow down and enjoy what you are eating. This has really helped me to eat less and enjoy my food. Even a glass of ice water is more satisfying in a pretty goblet. Having color in your food also makes it appear more appetizing (and usually offers you more fruits and veggies). I always try to look at the plate and make sure it is full of color. As we are more satisfied in our environment we will eat less and LOSE MORE!