The Cautious Eater

Yes..that is what I am.

I dont think I have ever shared the assessment that I was given when I started LA Weight Loss. Basically, I had to answer a lot of questions regarding my my eating patterns and feelings. This is what I was assessed as:

The Cautious Eater:

Eating Styles: You may appear on the surface to have "perfect eating habits". You usually are very careful about everything you eat and you are very health and fitness oriented. However, you may find that you are on your "best behavior" during the week, and then splurge on the weekends. You may also find yourself constantly thinking about what to eat next.

Your challenges: There is nothing wrong with being health-conscious. The problem occurs when careful eating goes to the extreme and you obsess about food. Your goal, then, is to have a healthy relationship with food, characterized by balance and moderation.

What may prompt you to eat this way?: Interest in fitness and health, need for control, fear of gaining weight

General Tips: Learn to try and develop a healthy relationship with food, Try to have a balanced meal, incorporating different types of foods, Dont be too hard on yourself if you are not perfect with your eating habits or appearance.

Yes, that assessment is me in a nutshell, pre- LA weight Loss. The part in the first paragraph about "perfect" eating habits and eating great during the week but like crap on the weekends summarized my experience with WW. I would weigh in on Friday so I would eat well all week, and then eat like crap Friday night, Saturday, and sometimes Sunday. Then I would have plenty of time during the week to lose whatever I gained by Friday. Didnt work too well, or I wouldnt be here!

I think the goal listed is important: To have a healthy relationship with food. That is all I really want. They mention always thinking about food, being obsessed with food. That was my life. Its exhausting to think about food all day long. Its nice to be phasing out of that. I dont have to sit and count calories or points, or worry about what Im going to eat. I just listen to my body and give it what it needs. Yes I need help from the counselors at LA Weight Loss in telling me what I should be eating, but I can feel it. I can feel when I dont have enough veggies or fruits. I can feel when I need a starch or a protein. And I give my body what it needs.

The last part says it all though: I shouldnt be too hard on myself. That is key because for example this weekend when I binged at Hooters, I was really hard on myself. I shouldnt be, we all make mistakes and we learn and move on from them. I am too hard on myself and how I look. I am never happy with how I look. Ever since I got fat, I have spent so much money on expensive clothes thinking, well if Im fat, I can at least try to look fashionable. I would buy a new outfit for every occaison and just LABOR over what to wear for certain occaisons..whatever would "disguise" me as a fat person.

Doing LA Weight Loss has changed a lot of my thinking and Im glad to look back on this assessment and see that it WAS me. Its not me anymore. I still need some work on the tips recommended, but I will get there.