QuestionHi,
I'm 5.3" and weigh 110-115 pounds -depends on the day. Please don't say : so what do I want ?! :)
I can only keep this weight with HUGE effort, I loose it fairly quickly if I can keep my hands off the best foods: pasta & chocolate :)) which understandably is very difficult. I have a tummy which I can't seem to be able to get rid off - whilst I'm a small frame I wear UK size 8 I could wear size 6 if it wouldn't be for my stomach.... so its a fairly large one...
I don't exercise, I don't eat breakfast, I drink 1.7-2 l of water every day (I'm very good at this) eat boiled eggs for dinner or mozarella cheese,a bowl of pasta around 5pm, and snack on fresh & dried fruits,seeds, chocolate, coffee till late.
I could be smaller if only I could stop eating... but every now & then I loose it and start eating everything.
Can you pls provide some long term thoughts of what & how to do....
Your answer would be much appreciated
Best Regards
June
AnswerHi June! It sounds like you snack quite a bit at night. If you could turn this around and snack more during the day and less and night, it may help you. Also, you mention you have coffee "till late"...people who are night owls tend to have more weight problems. One of the theories behind this is the most human growth hormone is made by your body in deep sleep between 2-3am and human growth hormone helps with fat metabolism in adults. Another theory is people snack to help themselves stay awake!
The pasta you are eating is probably refined, white pasta. If you could try different whole grain pastas till you find one you like, that would be beneficial. Staying away from heavy, creamy, buttery, and/or cheesey sauces can also help cut calories. Olive oil is nice to add to pasta because olive oil seems to keep you full awhile and is full of "good fat." Also try to not make pasta your whole meal. Have 1/2 to 1 cup of pasta and fill the rest of your meal with vegetables, salad, protein, and maybe a little fruit. Also, dried fruit is very high in calories because the calories are condensed. While dried fruit is very convenient, fresh fruit is always best. As for the chocolate, well, it's been my experience that if you are really craving something, you should eat some of it. I would tell you to try sipping hot chocolate or a low-fat chocolate pudding but if what you are really craving is a chocolate chip cookie, none of those other foods are going to make the craving go away and you are going to end up eating all that AND a chocolate chip cookie in the end! (Or more than one since you've been thinking about it for so long!) The best idea is to eat a small portion of whatever you are craving, really enjoy it (make sure you are not just putting it in your mouth while you are doing something else), then move on with life. Sometimes when people feel like snacking but they aren't really hungry, they find going for a walk, calling a friend, or taking a bath helps take their mind off of snacking. If you really feel like you "lose it and start eating everything," you may have a binge-eating issue (usually derived from feeling out of control in your life). If that is the case, you may need to speak to your doctor about seeing a specialist in disordered eating.
As you probably know, the best way to reduce the size of your stomach is to get physical activity into your day. You don't need to necessarily "exercise" but if you can find ways to walk more (your goal should be 10,000 steps per day...you can buy an inexpensive pedometer if you would like to see how much you walk) it would be a great start. The physical activity will help tone your body so you look better instead of just weighing less. As for breakfast, studies show people who eat breakfast consume fewer calories throughout the day. However, I believe breakfast is a personal decision and I know plenty of people who are not overweight who do not eat breakfast.
I hope that helps. If you have any more questions, please contact me again!
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