Wild eating extremes are gone! - CANADA - It Took Me 10 Years To Lose 10 Pounds

By Raelene / Book Review

Comments

wild eating extremes were my life for 40 years and lead me to make choices totally out of character
exercising like a maniac makes it harder to lose weight
Kelly’s book stopped emotional eating

Wild eating extremes disappeared after reading Kelly’s book

Country: Canada

Career: Nurse

Wild eating extremes were the result of dieting

When I was 13 or 14, I went on my first diet.

It was the summertime and I had this orange bathing suit I wanted to wear to my friend’s cabin.

Looking back I only had about 5 pounds to lose, but to me it felt like a spare tire and I was desperate to get rid of it. So I followed the diet my mother was on, to the letter.

My memory of that cottage is feeling hungry in my orange bathing suit. I can’t even remember who was there.

Then when I went back to school in the fall I gained about 15 pounds.

Wild eating extremes were the result of dieting

Now I’m 54. So for almost 40 years I’ve been either “on” a diet starving, or “off” my diet overeating.

After meeting my husband these wild eating extremes stopped for while. Then I had my daughter and went on a strict diet.
I was straight back into periods of not eating much, to all-out bingeing. And the heaviest I'd ever been— Raelene, Nurse, Canada
Pretty much right away I was straight back into periods of not eating much, to all-out bingeing. And the heaviest I’d ever been.

It’s soul-destroying to feel out of control when I’m in front of the fridge. And start bingeing again and gain all the weight back. Especially after so many weeks of feeling hungry all day.

My wild eating extremes made me do something I’d never normally do

One day I found myself eating a load of handmade chocolate that was meant for my niece’s birthday. My sister gave me tons of little heart-shaped chocolates with little yellow confectionery flowers to bring to the party because her chemo compromised her immune system and she couldn’t be in social situations.

I was so ashamed.

And confused.
Eating chocolate I couldn't replace, was so out of character for me— Raelene, Nurse, Canada
Doing something like that was so out of character for me.

Usually if I ate too much it was food I could replace. But that day I just couldn’t stop myself.

My diary entry after stealing

Here’s what I wrote that night:

“Omg!! What have I done?
I was at Connie’s today, picked up chocolates she’d slaved over all day Friday.
On the drive home I ate half of them and the other half at home.
Was totally conscious throughout it.
This is a new low.
And I don’t know how to move on.
Is this guilt? Frustration? Self sabotage?
Anxiety about going out tonight, when I haven’t eaten a regular meal in weeks
and know there will be pizza and lasagna?
Epic failure today.”

After years of wild eating extremes I read Kelly’s book

That night I stayed up late looking for an alternative to the same-old, same-old.

And landed on Kelly’s website.

The 3 biggest things her book taught me are:

The belief that I don’t have to diet to lose weight.
The key to lasting weight loss is consistency—not wild eating extremes.
The belief that I don’t have to exercise like a maniac to lose weight.

How my life has changed after reading It took me 10 years to lose 10 pounds

I have made some big shifts.

Like I have taken on board the notion of Making Today Count and focusing on little improvements each day.

And all the wild eating extremes are gone.

I’ve even stopped exercising after I think I ate too much. Now I understand why purging that way doesn’t help.

Here’s what a typical week in my diary looks like now

I’ve been eating according to Kelly’s book for ages now.

My wild eating extremes have leveled out and I feel in control even when I slip.

No wild eating extremes on week days!

MONDAY:
Feel really great about all my food choices and I didn’t have chocolate tonight.
Was full from dinner and didn’t feel like it.

TUESDAY:
Woohooo!!!! Didn’t even feel like bingeing.
Just got home and ate a big bowl of beef-vegetable soup, french bread and cheese – yum!

WEDNESDAY:
Felt really ‘in charge’ today.
Good choices of healthy food.
Had one treat in the afternoon so didn’t look for it at night.
Came home from the hospital and went for a short walk rather than sitting in front of the tv.

THURSDAY:
Back on track today.
“Kept moving forward” after eating an extra serving of pizza when I wasn’t hungry.
Before this really would have set me back but I got right back to my healthy routine.
#MakeTodayCount
Ate healthy meals and was elegantly satisfied. Overall, good!

FRIDAY:
Another good day.
Felt positive and ate more fresh produce today, like green beans, strawberries
and a big serving of salad with a baked potato, full-fat sour cream and steak.

No wild eating extremes on weekends

SATURDAY:
Felt great with my choices today.
I’m learning I can meet friend’s for a morning coffee and cookie and I don’t need to feel guilty for it or let it spark a binge.
Feeling ‘in the groove’…

SUNDAY:
HUGE win!!! I had the busiest day of the month dealing with nursing staff changes – lots of zoom calls and meetings. In the old days after a day like this I just ordered-in deep fried chicken and ate it all. I’d be thinking I was treating myself but really it would upset me for ages. This time I ordered the chicken, ate 2 pieces with a salad and baked potato and felt satisfied. And proud of myself! Before I finished I was feeling full and left a few bites. I’m learning to listen to hunger cues!

Wild eating extremes, be gone!

These days I feel like the woman who ate a homemade gift of chocolate that was meant for someone else, and did this act feeling totally out of control, is a completely different person.

No more emotional eating because I consistently meet my body’s needs.

I’m kicking goals, having positive day after positive day and building momentum.

My worst day is: “Overall good!”

How many stars would you give Kelly’s book?

Absolutely read it – it’s simple and affirming.