Always something that comes in the way - BUT WAIT

[laodamaren]

Okay so, I've been struggling so hard with losing weight like, ever since I was 10 years old (and my mum kept on saying that i was too fat and i had to lose weight even though i was only 2 or 3 kg above average)?
Now, 8 years, 2 eating disorders, loads of therapy and a few food intolerances later, I feel determined (actually more like desperate) to lose 7 kg. I am still incredibly struggling with the way I see myself and find it hard to respect my own body. I still have bruises on my legs, arms, hips, etc from times I just couldn't bear feeling my body move and when I see myself in the mirror in underwear/a bathing suit I still start crying or go to the toilet only to throw up out of disgust. It is time to change something about this, not just the weight, but mostly the self-esteem.
It's outright shit to live like this, nobody deserves it. So, in order not to crash diet or develop another disorder, I made a plan.
 

Rather than dieting, I will make one lifestyle change every week and stick to it. I'm slowly working up to a practically plant-based diet (although I will eat a little meat or fish once every while), but I feel most at ease with fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and gluten-free grains only. As I do have some sort of protein goal for the day, I'm thinking about getting a plant-based protein powder like soy or pea.

 

Next to that, I will keep a food log. This is a way of checking up on myself, why I ate barely anything one day or binged the next and find a way to prevent this behaviour. I won't set a calorie limit, cause it'll make me feel too distressed.

 

So, my starting point is basically a gluten and sugar free diet, which is quite something already, and every week I will make one change.
Here's a list:

Week 1: No more peanut butter
Week 2: Go for a walk every morning for 5-10 minutes before breakfast

Week 3: Minimise dairy intake to 1 portion/day (ie 1 pot of yoghurt or 1/2 cup cottage cheese)

Week 4: Incorporate short meditation sessions before every meal (except when at school, where it's quite impossible)

Week 5: Make sure to be in bed by 10:30 PM every night except for fridays and saturdays

Week 6: No dried fruits anymore except for all kinds of berries

 

What happens after that, I'm not sure. I just want to make sure I'm slowly progressing towards a lifestyle that suits me, while gradually trying to love myselft or at least accept my own body.

It will be hard, but then again, nothing great has ever been accomplished that was easy.

 

If you have any suggestions or tips, would really appreciate it.

 

We can do this, rebels!

[Aegle]

I just want to make sure I'm slowly progressing towards a lifestyle that suits me, while gradually trying to love myself or at least accept my own body.

 

It takes a lot of bravery to confront your vulnerabilities, so props to you for doing so. Some people just ignore them, so you're already doing great by acknowledging them and planning how to improve your life. I think that you make a really powerful claim in wanting to progress towards a lifestyle that is both sustainable and healthy. You should be making these changes for you and yourself only. I truly hope that you can find inner peace and love with yourself. 

 

For advice, remember that small changes really do add up in the long run. To help you get there, consider the following:

1. What's the why (the reason) for making your goals?

2. What exactly are your goals?

3. What steps can you take to accomplish your goals?

 

Try writing out a mission statement or mantra that you can refer to to help you stay motivated during your quest. Also, at the end of each week, you can refer to the questions above and think about how your actions either helped or hindered your pursuits. Then, you can plan how to make improvements for the following week. By setting small goals and accomplishing them, you'll gain momentum and can then set new goals, slowly "leveling up" your life. I support you, so if you ever want someone to talk to, feel free to message me. 

[laodamaren]

It takes a lot of bravery to confront your vulnerabilities, so props to you for doing so. Some people just ignore them, so you're already doing great by acknowledging them and planning how to improve your life. I think that you make a really powerful claim in wanting to progress towards a lifestyle that is both sustainable and healthy. You should be making these changes for you and yourself only. I truly hope that you can find inner peace and love with yourself. 

 

For advice, remember that small changes really do add up in the long run. To help you get there, consider the following:

1. What's the why (the reason) for making your goals?

2. What exactly are your goals?

3. What steps can you take to accomplish your goals?

 

Try writing out a mission statement or mantra that you can refer to to help you stay motivated during your quest. Also, at the end of each week, you can refer to the questions above and think about how your actions either helped or hindered your pursuits. Then, you can plan how to make improvements for the following week. By setting small goals and accomplishing them, you'll gain momentum and can then set new goals, slowly "leveling up" your life. I support you, so if you ever want someone to talk to, feel free to message me. 

 

That's wonderful advice! Thank you

I'ms taying home for the day due to a double eye infection (boo!), so I have plenty of time to write this out. I will also post it on here, just to make sure I actually commit!

Again, thank you loads for the advice and for actually reading through this massive essay

[Jett]

Soy is a good protein powder! There are a lot of scare articles about it, but my research has suggested to me that it's actually fairly safe, and almost as effective as whey. Since you're a girl, the only thing to be careful about is if you notice that your periods get a lot heavier/longer after you start taking soy. That means that your body is breaking it down into "phytoestrogen" (plant-based, estrogen-like compounds) that are causing your body to react like you have too much estrogen going on. This is quite rare, so most likely it won't be a problem. (I've recently started using soy, myself, and I haven't noticed any issues yet.)

 

7kg isn't insubstantial, but it's not a huge amount, either. While you're working on attaining the lifestyle that you want, try to also love yourself as you are now. Losing 7kg won't solve everything. It won't make you love yourself. I like that you are planning to add mediation to your days on week 4. Something else I have seen others here on NF do, which seems like a really good idea, is to try to find something nice to say about yourself each day. Maybe even say that thing aloud to yourself. "I have beautiful eyes." "I make amazing salads." Whatever it is, write it down and remind yourself that there are many, many reasons to love who you are, and they are not related to what weight you are.

[laodamaren]

Soy is a good protein powder! There are a lot of scare articles about it, but my research has suggested to me that it's actually fairly safe, and almost as effective as whey. Since you're a girl, the only thing to be careful about is if you notice that your periods get a lot heavier/longer after you start taking soy. That means that your body is breaking it down into "phytoestrogen" (plant-based, estrogen-like compounds) that are causing your body to react like you have too much estrogen going on. This is quite rare, so most likely it won't be a problem. (I've recently started using soy, myself, and I haven't noticed any issues yet.)

 

 

Oh wow, I dodn't know that! Very useful information; (certainly given that I am ALWAYS the except with these kind of things haha)

You're right, maybe I should writte something nice every day. So to kick off the good habit: I have a pretty cute nose!

There we go :')

(although I have to admit I had to think a while before I could come up with something...)

Thank you!!

[Jett]

You're right, maybe I should writte something nice every day. So to kick off the good habit: I have a pretty cute nose!

There we go :')

(although I have to admit I had to think a while before I could come up with something...)

Thank you!!

It will get easier with time. (Hopefully!)

You're welcome.

[Aegle]

Warm fuzzy to make you feel good about yourself: your pro pic is cute =)
Hang in there; you got this!

[Jett]

How did your no-peanut butter week go?

 

Don't forget, you are beautiful and there are tons of reasons to love yourself.

[Aegle]

I struggle with binge eating, and I also want to lose weight and change my lifestyle for the better. I strive to become the best version of myself, but academic stress and emotional troubles weigh me down. Because we have similar experiences and goals, perhaps we could team up and help keep each other accountable. For example, we could check in with each other daily or weekly to share our challenges, support one another, and motivate each other to accomplish our goals What do you think?

[Aegle]

Here's a good article that I got from JMitch: http://darebee.com/fitness/the-first-step-to-permanent-fitness.html

[Aegle]

I came across this website and it has some useful resources: http://blog.juststopeatingsomuch.com/resources/