You’re not stuck where you are unless you decide to be. ~ Dr. Wayne W. Dyer
Are you feeling stuck in the same old unhealthy eating habits, feeling like you just can’t let them go? Do you feel stuck in a rut because you haven’t been getting any exercise, but you know you’d feel better if you did? Have you ever felt like even though you want to change, you just plain “stuck”?
I’ve felt like this before, not only in weight loss, but also in other areas of my life. In regards to weight loss, how do you get “unstuck” and find that motivation to change? Well, let’s first look at one reason why you might be feeling stuck.
In my experience I’ve learned that when I eat sugar, flour, fats (the unhealthy ones, we all need healthy fats), all of those ingredients in those tasty processed foods, I can easily get stuck in a rut. It’s like “I can’t stop eating”. Have you ever felt like this? On the flip side, I can tell you that when I eat healthy, whole foods, I do not feel like I can’t stop. I definitely don’t feel stuck.
I believe that food addiction can sap your motivation and keep you in a cycle of destructive eating and overeating, at least that’s been my experience. How do you get out of this stuck state? Well, you really need to cut out those addictive ingredients. This does mean eliminating many (possibly all) of the foods that you currently eat. It depends on how you eat today, but if you eat like I used to (98% or so processed foods), this means making a change.
I cannot eat these ingredients in moderation. If you can, then you don’t need to eliminate them all at once, you can make gradual changes. Unfortunately, gradual changes (when it comes to sugar) don’t work for me. If I eat a little sugar, I always want more; it’s never enough.
If you are stuck in the cycle of endless, “it’s never enough” overeating and/or binging, there is a way out, and you do not need to stay stuck. The way that I have “unstuck” myself is by following the Six Week Body Makeover plan, which I highly recommend. Or, you could cut out all addictive ingredients on your own, or you could try the The Sugar Addict’s Total Recovery Programme
I haven’t done these plans myself, but they are both programs for sugar addiction, and I really like the first book. I’ve also heard excellent things about Potatoes Not Prozac, but I have not read it yet. I don’t have a problem recommending it to you because it’s by the same author, Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D.
You are the only one who decides if you stay stuck or not. You CAN “un-stick” yourself if you want to. If I can do it, I feel that anyone can. 😉
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When I started taking birth control along with Zoloft it brought my metabolism to a screeching halt. My best course of action was learning how to eat healthier. I can say with confidence that I have not gained weight but still continue to stagnate.
I drink skim milk, use canola oil instead of vegetable oil even though vegetable oil claims it is trans fat free. I eat whole wheat bread instead of white, use lean cuts of meat drink no more than 36 ounces of diet Pepsi a day and eat breakfast.
I can’t stress how important it is to eat breakfast, it really is the most important part of the day. I can tell if I skip my energy level is worse than it normally is and my ability to concentrate throughout the day is hard.
So yes gradual is the best way to go in making changes in ones diet. I couldn’t go back to the way I used to eat. 😎
Hi Joe,
Thank you for sharing how you have made healthy lifestyle changes. You are right that breakfast is so very important, for both your metabolism and your state of mind/concentration, as you mentioned.
It is hard to go back completely to the old ways of eating, although I have slipped up before. I always pay for it in my level of energy.