Fighting Weight Gain From Overeating
I am 70 years old and have fought weight gain most of those years. In my very early teens I knew I had an eating problem, not anorexia or bulimia, but just overeating. For instance, I ate a dozen oranges while watching TV one night. I never vomited or hid in a closet to eat, not that type of eating problem.
My large Italian family obsessed on food, and family life revolved around the dinner table. My mother, who did the family shopping, never questioned where all the oranges had gone. She obviously knew I ate them, but nothing was ever mentioned about the huge amounts of food I was able to put away. Most of the time I was able to control my appetite enough to stay a normal size.
When I graduated from a two-year college and began a regular job which I loved, the food obsession abated enough for me to model on a runway in the department store where I worked in the office. It was before “Twiggy” so the look wasn’t waif-thin.
Over the years I tried, like so many women, every kind of diet that promised results with no effort, cabbage diet, grapefruit diet, Atkins, etc. etc. etc. Yes, the weight came off, but the boredom set in and the weight returned. So, if you want to take the advice of a yo-yo dieter who’s learned the lessons of trying to lose weight in the hard knock school of life, remember this advice……
The only sure way to lose weight is to expend more calories than you take in. And, if you enjoy food and the taste of food, forego the dopey one-food diets. That’s the way, believe me, the only way.
Some hints: Try matzohs instead of white bread with your lunch or soup. A large one isn’t many calories and the crispness satisfies your chewing urge. Use a smaller portion of meat but make a huge salad with your dinner, using a light dressing. Forget the no-dressing or the fat-free or the plain lemon juice. They won’t satisfy your food craving. Try Paul Newman’s light balsamic vinaigrette. Hebrew National’s fat free franks are great for taste with baked beans or alone, no pork and beans.
Save money on fancy flavored waters or diet sodas and instead squeeze some lemon juice into the ice cubes and water; refreshing and no calories. I eliminated potatoes or other carbohydrates like corn or pasta with my dinner and instead substituted a vegetable. If I make berries with cream for breakfast or a snack, I use Splenda and skim milk, with a splash of fat free heavy cream. Satisfying but not too many calories.
Before I got serious about not trying quick loss diets, I knew I looked older than I should because of my weight. My doctor was medicating me for high blood pressure and high cholesterol. After 9 months of eating less calories than I used, I lost 60 pounds and I was never starved. After the first month, my friends began to notice the difference. After the ninth month, my doctor was able to eliminate one medication and halve the other.
-Paula
Tags: Overeating, Weight Gain