We just had a delicious, spicy, homemade pad thai for dinner. The combination of chicken, rice noodles, sauce and fresh veggies was so good that I gobbled a second serving as well. And my mouth and brain wanted more, but my tummy is so full I can hardly move.

Eating good food feels sooooo good. But chasing that feeling is also sabotaging my weight loss goals.

I’ve been losing weight for a little over a year now. I started on my own, and then started Weight Watchers when we were offered free meetings at work. That first year of Weight Watchers went quite well, although perhaps a little slowly. I didn’t always stick to my point limits, but I did (mostly) cut out regular soda, fast food, and convenience store breakfasts. I added more fresh fruits and veggies to our menus. I started choosing the turkey sausage and other lower-fat products. I continued riding my bike to work, and added some crunches and yoga here and there, along with some longer bike rides. The weight came off, and I reached my ten percent weight loss target over the summer.

Since then, however, I’ve been bobbing up and down right around that ten percent target number. I’m not really getting anywhere. Part of that is probably the stress of starting a new school year, both on the job and with my own kids. But it’s also that weight loss is getting a little harder for me. I took off the easy weight. If I want to take off more, I’m going to have to work a little harder. I need to work on portion control and just eating less each day, and I need to add a little more exercise. And I need to make it a lifestyle change, so that I won’t just start bingeing again.

And THAT is hard. It’s hard for me to resist the euphoria of good eating. And sometimes, I just plain feel hungry when I eat less. I get a little of both.

I know the usual suggestions:

  • Do something besides eating that makes you feel good.
  • Plan healthy snacks so you won’t get hungry.
  • Eat more protein and fewer carbs.
  • Drink more water.

Sometimes those things work. Sometimes they don’t. The hardest part is the “do something besides eating.” I haven’t found anything that really works.

I’m going to keep plugging away, though. I’ve committed to tracking my food and activity this week, which I’ve been slacking off on, so I’ll be able to see what I’m really doing.