Categories: uncategorized
Date: 13 April 2005 21:56:04
Good question - how do I feel on this diet? I don't think I can honestly say I have more energy, I think because I was exercising a fair bit for a long time before I started it. But what I do think, it's hard to describe but basically I feel 'better' after eating, if that makes sense. I was thinking about this - when I pig out on something, chocolate, cheese, whatever, it's wonderful at the time but very shortly afterwards I find myself thinking "I wish I hadn't had quite so much of that", not just because of guilt but because I physically feel like I've overdone it. But with this diet I'm finding that, apart from isolated cravings, I do actually feel a lot better having fresh stuff like the things I've been eating the last week or so rather than more processed things. Also it's made me a lot more aware of deficiencies in what I've been eating before - I've sometimes found it hard to have enough protein, so being aware of foods which are higher in protein as a result of planning this diet is something that is really useful for me.
The other thing, from the health point of view, is that I have quite a strong family history of high blood pressure, and my own BP, whilst not usually outrageously high, is on the high side of average and I'd like it to be a bit lower. Likewise with my resting heart rate, which despite regularly working out is still too high. Previously I found that the only way I got my BP and heart rate down to acceptable levels (for me) was to lose some of the excess baggage I was carrying around and getting below 11 stone (I'm about 11st5lbs at the moment, I'm aiming for ten and a half. I was heading for 12 stone at the start of this year). I'm not trying to lose weight because I think I'm fat, I know I'm not fat, and I don't want to go lower than 10.5 stone as then I start looking gaunt, my bones stick out and my boobs look like two poached eggs. But between 10.5-11 stone I really like my body shape, I feel loads more confident and I've found that it has a huge effect not just on my self-esteem but also on my motivation to do stuff - when I feel good about myself I feel that I'm capable of so much more, if that makes sense.
So I suppose the short answer is that this is as much about my emotional health as my physical health. I have noticed physical benefits - I'm sleeping better for a start - but I think, particularly after my crappy end to last year when I turned to food for comfort and piled on the weight, I want to have a healthier attitude to food and feel better about myself, and I think this will help me do both. It's not the be-all-and-end-all, but will help as part of the wider scheme of things. Having some counselling is part of the same process of developing my emotional well-being, which is ultimately what this diet is all about for me. Does that make any kind of sense?