Balanced meals and better mood
I started following some general principles to help get my weight closer to where I wanted to be. I stopped snacking and instead focused on having three balanced meals a day. I avoid highly processed food and have reduced the amount of carbs I consume, though haven’t cut them out entirely. I’ve been eating plenty of non-starchy vegetables and leafy greens, and will make sure I’m also eating enough protein and fruit.
I’ll try to eat within a 10-hour window, but it’s not the end of the world if I eat beyond these times — though will still try to finish my last meal at least a couple of hours before I go to bed. For breakfast, I now have Greek yogurt, granola and blueberries (no honey), and drink lots of water throughout the day.
The main thing I’ve learned is not to be too hard on myself: I’ll still make lasagna when hosting a dinner party, or catch up with friends at restaurants where carbs can be hard to avoid. But I’ll choose the healthier option, such as eating salad instead of fries with a burger, followed by a long walk.
I’ll still celebrate a colleague’s birthday by bringing cake into the office, but I’ll eat a smaller slice at the end of my lunch rather than a big slice between meals.
Not only have these changes helped me get back into the “healthy weight” category, it’s also had a positive impact on my mood and eating habits. While I sometimes feel hungry between meals, I don’t get irritable and “hangry” because I haven’t yet eaten. I no longer wake up in the middle of the night needing to gobble down a couple of slices of salami to get back to sleep.
Importantly, the dietary changes have not led to severe fatigue or energy crashes like I experienced last year and in 2022, when my long Covid symptoms were worse than they are now. (Other adjustments have helped me better manage my long Covid condition.)
I had an appointment with a dietitian recently who said I was making good progress with my weight-loss goals, but discouraged me from weighing myself every day to help prevent disordered eating. He emphasized the importance of a balanced plate and thought I should focus on getting more calcium in my diet.
Having spent more than a decade working as a financial journalist, I have found it oddly comforting to make a chart mapping my weight-loss journey. But now that I can squeeze into some old dresses that I wasn’t able to fit into earlier this year, I plan to spend less time making charts and more time enjoying my food. — Lisa Pham
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