EAT YOUR CAKE AND KEEP IT TOO! How I lost weight and still ate what I like!

FOOD, or what and how much food you eat, is only half of the equation for losing weight and being fit. Actually, is less than half of the equation. If you've read the last few posts here on VeloDiet, you know that being active on a daily basis really is the key to a healthy weight and a healthy lifestyle. In fact, my daily calorie intake today is probably very similar to what it was when I weighted 135lbs more. The more active I am, the more I can and should eat. By riding my bike daily, all I had to do was make a few changes to my eating habits.

It helps to be married to a great cook! Lunch:
Salmon with Pasta topped with Spinach and Feta Cheese and a side of Brocolli.

MORE OF THE GOOD, LESS OF THE BAD. Along with "never be full, never be hungry", those were the only two eating rules I followed while losing all my weight. Since I don't believe in diets, I knew I was going to eat what I liked, and since I liked "bad" food, moderation was key. But since I realized I could eat more of the "good" food, all I had to do was find healthier food that tasted good!

THE BAD: my approach to eating unhealthy tasty foods, was to budget how much of these "bad" foods I would eat. I never thought of food as a reward, but I knew that I had burnt enough calories to justify eating what I wanted to eat. I also never wanted to feel "guilty" about eating my favorite foods - associating a negative feeling with food is not something I wanted to have for the rest of my life.
Budgeting the "bad" food involved knowing how much leeway my activities afforded me, and how unhealthy the food was. I started employing simple tactics like eating half the piece of cake now, and saving the other half for tomorrow after the bike ride. Or if out dining and wanted a desert, I always split it with the wife - after a year or so, the full order became too much food for me to eat alone! Also, I stopped eating the bad things that I didn't like too much but used to eat out of habit. I was never a fan of potato chips or chocolate fudge for example, so I would skip on those and save those "calories" for a treat I really wanted after my ride. Doing this budget also made me feel accountable, so that I would ride the longer loop a little faster than usual because of the brownie - keep in mind, that "brownie" and "riding a few extra miles" are all fun things to me!



Light Dinner (this is usually part of my breakfast):
Granola with Berries, 2% Milk and sliced Bananas

THE GOOD: yes, you get to eat more...of healthy tasty foods that are good for you. Now, taste is a personal thing, and everyone will find different foods tasty. The key is to keep an open mind: healthy food can be delicious, and finding a few favorite tasty healthy foods were essential for me to lose weight. I always liked meat, and substituting red-meat for salmon or chicken breast was easier than I thought. My weaknesses always revolved around fatty foods, but since I was riding my bike so much, I could eat more carbs - so I started eating more pasta and rice. Finding a healthy snack to keep you from getting hungry and opening that Snickers bar was also key, and it turns out that fruits were my way out! Not only did I always have fresh fruit around the house, I found a 100% fruit puree smoothie (no fat or sugar added) that I swear tasted like a milkshake! Vegetables were my mortal enemy, but I found that a Greek salad with chicken breast is incredible even without salad dressing - it turns out I really enjoy beets and spinach! You could be surprised how food can still taste pretty fantastic without the dressings or sauces. Next time you eat a salad, try to enjoy the food without the dressing, or order your favorite Thai dish with very little sauce - it might taste even better than the original!

Also, a big part of healthy eating does not actually involve food - small changes such as drinking lots of water, eating a good breakfast, not eating too late and not keeping junk food around the house, were pretty easy to incorporate into my routine. But more of the non-food-related stuff later!

Healthy Snacks:
Having fresh fruit nearby is always handy when the cravings arrive.

Those were strategies that worked for me to psychologically change my eating habits. They made a lot of sense given my sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy eating habits. With time, I started craving less of the bad and more of the good - and this happened naturally and effortlessly. So nowadays, I do crave fruit or a salad and will feel nauseous if I eat 2 heavier meals in 2 days - that was unthinkable 6 years ago.
A balanced nutritious diet with more vegetables and fruits, less fat and sugar, is the end-goal - but shifting into that diet would've never worked in my old days. Starting by concentrating on eating more of the healthy foods and less of the unhealthy foods worked for me. Regardless, the food you eat should always taste good - if it doesn't, try something else! Bon Appetit!