by stephanie » Fri Nov 30, 2007 3:56 am
I second the advice to focus on the health benefits along with (or, as much as possible, instead of) the "slow" weight loss. In addition, remember that weight doesn't tell the whole story when it comes to "slimming down." Your body composition will likely change so that less of your total body weight is fat (especially if you do whatever amount of exercise you are capable of). Since the same volume of muscle weighs more than the same volume of fat, you can be losing a substantial amount of fat without having your total weight drop be as impressive. But your physical size (measured in clothing size, inch measurements of different body parts, etc.) will likely be decreasing faster than the scale might have you believe. So don't get too down, since weight is only one (imperfect) measure of results on this program.
In my opinion, skipping meals and starving yourself isn't a viable long-term plan. When I do this, I only end up too hungry, and eventually I give in and start eating everything in sight. Make sure you're eating enough not to be hungry, and also make sure you're optimizing the nutrition in each calorie you eat. For example, 100 calories of cookies will have far less nutrition than 100 calories of fruits or vegetables, and since satisfying your body's nutrient requirements plays a part in satiation, eat the most nutritious foods you can (i.e., the McDougall Program).
Focus on all the positive changes that you're experiencing, make some tweaks if you feel the need (for me, flour products just don't work, either), but don't get too down on yourself. It's a long-term process.
