ETeSelle wrote:carrotlvr wrote:Wow, I just saw the picture of you in the green tank and old jeans. You look so fit and trim. Do you mind sharing what you think keeps you on track with healthy eating and helped you persevere when you were tempted to overeat or eat unhealthy food? I don't have much to loose and I always slip up on the weekends. What do you feel is the biggest factor that contributed to your success.
The main thing that kept me on track and continues to keep me on track is that I feel SO GOOD now. I don't want to lose that!!!
I also really like the food. I love potatoes and find that no matter what I might THINK I want (i.e., "cravings"), if I eat a tater I'm good. So I make sure to have them around me all the time, LOL!
I make sure I have nothing in my house that is not MWL. Period. So I can eat as much of anything in my home that I want to. That helps a lot. I eat out seldom and try to stick to vegan sushi (my fave!), which has white rice and avocado but is blameless otherwise. If I do eat out someplace else, I do the best I can. I never eat anything that is not vegan (having been vegan for 22 years this isn't hard for me at all)--if I occasionally have to eat a little oil while eating out I do, but the key is to NOT EAT OUT very often. Eating out is fraught with danger b/c no matter where you eat you don't have control over the food. I try not to put myself in that position very often.
Hope that helps!
ET, you look wonderful (and is that your grandma in the "before" picture? JK, but really, you look so much younger!!)
I wanted to reinforce your emphasis on sticking to the plan, and MWL at that, being the key to long-term success. I have been gone for a week visiting my baby granddaughter, and flew back last night. I ate on plan (so easy when you're staying at a home and can eat at home for each meal!), and I had two bags of potatoes & veggies for the flight home, but I had eaten them all before I got on the plane and still felt hungry. I thought why not make an experiment: I looked on the airline menu and found the vegan, gluten-free option, a Mediterranean tapas "picnic pack." I knew by looking it would be high in fat (olives was one of the offerings), but I was hungry and wanted to check it out. This was the sum total of what I got:
Olives: 100% fat
Hummus: 40% fat
Whole Grain Crackers: 30% fat
Almonds: 72% fat
Fruit leather: 100% sugar (duh!)
Dark chocolate square: 70% fat
So, I ate it, and I'm back on track today, no problem--but I can guess that all that VEGAN food is exactly what derailed you before, wasn't it? I am so on your wavelength with sticking to MWL, and I will stand with you on your soapbox about how vegans can get fat, all day long! That meal is an example of how easy it is for us to fool ourselves with "healthy" options. We have to keep that fat in mind at all times!
Again, your before and after pics are so inspiring! I am right behind you, you know! You are amazing!
