I have lost 5 pounds, which is quite a lot by normal standards. I credit this to my body responding to suddenly getting what it needs and not getting what is harmful to it. I predict as the weeks progress, weight loss should be less dramatic.
As predicted, my new diet is leaving me sated with far fewer calories. I am not controlling calories and fat intake as such, but Sparkpeople automatically records them. I have found this diet results in less fat and calories eaten with the same or better levels of satisfaction. I feel more in control of my eating and I find myself eating smaller portions automatically, though there was no limit on how much I could eat as long as the foods were high in fiber and contained no processed sugars.
While I still crave unhealthy foods, I feel that the choice to eat them is more in my control. I also am going with the knowledge that I have not given up bad food altogether, but will be more measured and careful about how I consume them. As one should with alcohol, I plan to indulge only occasionally. The first time this happens will be a test. In the past this has led me to spin out of control and resume bad, addictive behaviors.
I’m being careful with exercise, because overtraining has been my other downfall, leading to burnout. I’m making sure to give my muscles plenty of rest and take progression of workouts slowly. The goal is to feel challenged, but not exhausted. While I was sore up to my rest over the weekend, I seem to have recovered completely.
The most unexpected aspect of the changeover is my energy levels. In the past, I would experience a spike in my energy when starting a new diet. I became restless and overly obsessive. This usually led to overtraining. With this diet, my energy levels are moderate. I do not feel sluggish, nor do I feel overly energetic. I believe this is a good sign, but since the body usually takes about 2 weeks to stabilize, I’ll have a better idea of how my energy is affected in the next week or two.
Overall, my results are positive, and sustainable good health and weight seem to be a possibility. So far, it would seem that food addiction is indeed treatable. I do not feel like I’m fighting with my appetite, and this is almost easy. That’s important to success I think.
I’m reminded of when I gave up another addiction, smoking. I remember that every time I quit was horribly difficult, except the last time, which was quite easy. I had decided that I really didn’t want to smoke anymore, which meant I psychologically was not working against myself. This made the treatment go smoothly. I think all addictions work in a similar fashion. You have to really be ready to make a change, if you force a change on yourself, it will never work. It is not so much the desire to lose weight and become healthy, it is the desire to commit to what needs to be done to make this happen. And of course the careful application of the right methods of treatment, which is the basis of this experiment.
Most importantly I decided to stop hating myself for what I have done, and to stop hating my body for not looking the way I want it to. I am as I am, and I want to be healthy. If my body takes on a more pleasing shape, I will be happy, but I will not hate it if it doesn’t.
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