"Diet"

People give me a hard time all the time about how easily I lose weight. When somebody says to me, "I hate you! You just had a baby and look how skinny you are!" I am torn. Part of me wants to say, "I work so hard for this, though! How dare you be jealous of me!" Another part of me feels so much compassion that I want to cry.

Weight is such a huge issue. Yes, I have always been a skinny person. Some of it is genes, but if you saw certain extended family members, you would understand that is not all of it. I think most of what causes families to be skinny together, are the eating habits they pass on to each other.

Two things this takes: time, and money. It's not quick to eat right, but the time involved requires balance in life - something we need anyway. When it takes me an hour to make dinner, I have time to interact with my family in the kitchen and think about stuff and keep my countertops and refrigerator clean. When we mindfully choose to spend a big portion of our income on healthy food, it keeps our attention there. I feel like making sacrifices in these two areas sorts out other life issues before they even become issues.

The last thing being "I hate you" skinny takes, is knowledge. The fact is, the old "don't eat fat, live on carbs" approach doesn't work. Neither does just not eating. I will guarantee you, if you are eating well and still not losing weight, you are probably allergic to something you eat regularly. There are lots of different opinions about losing weight, but you can always tell which ones work and which don't. The ones that make people miserable and unable to stick with it long term don't work - even if people lose weight on them. If you can't stick with it, it doesn't work. Right?

I read this article today, and although I don't agree with all of it, the general idea is right on. I personally eat more protein even than this diet, with hardly ever going more than four hours without protein and carbs. Eat often - your metabolism needs it.

Also, cheating occasionally is totally FINE. If you NEED chocolate, go to the store and buy a bar of really good chocolate, for when you have to have it. If you spend money on it, you won't eat it nonstop, and it will be more satisfying anyway. I eat a ton of stuff I don't usually when we go to holiday meals and stuff. I'm sick for a couple days afterward, but it's usually worth it. Just don't eat like that every day. The weight will melt off.

Lastly, food is a major personal thing. I long ago lost any sense of privacy about what I eat and how much because the only way to control my seizures was to tell people about everything I ate. So, another piece of advice I have is make yourself accountable. This is the best part of seeing a nutritionist. You are required to keep a journal of everything you eat. No more snacks you're ashamed of.

Now, go get yourself some raw nuts and a piece of fruit.