[freshwaterfish]

I recently tried the South Beach Diet and found it was a very extreme way of eating, and triggered all kinds of binge eating urges for me (I have had a binge eating disorder for many years). In the past I've done Weight Watchers, Atkins, Protein Power Plan, Slimfast, Intuitive Eating, fasting, and a whole range of binge eating in between these... Over the past year I've come to realize that dieting is NOT the answer for me, and looking back at my weight history, the only evidence i see of a truly health lifestyle was when I was NOT dieting. As a child I was very petite and slim. Then puberty hit and WHAMMO! I went from being this little ballerina-type body to a voluptuous woman. I was still slim (at 5'4" and 130 lbs), but compared to my pre-pubescent body, I felt enormous and awkward in my own skin. To add insult to injury, my mom, who was quite overweight, started nagging me about what I was eating, and I started sneaking food to avoid her lectures... Over the next 14 years I managed to put on 110 lbs... When I got pregnant with my son I was 239 lbs and miserable. The during my pregnancy I stopped worrying about weight loss, and just ate for my health. It was the healthiest I've ever eaten as an adult! I ate only when I was hungry, only until I was satisfied (not bursting, as that meant I'd immediately throw up), and only what really appealed to me. I only gained 17 lbs during my pregnancy and after the birth of my son, I dropped down to 230 lbs immediately. Then people started warning me about regaining my pregnancy weight cause my appetite would increase so much while nursing, so I joined WW, and dropped down to 205 lbs. I was CONSTANTLY hungry though, and couldn't maintain it, and ended up binging my way back up to 230 lbs. A year ago I got totally fed up with the whole diet INDUSTRY and threw all of my diet foods and books in the trash and gave up dieting for good. I have maintained my weight just by switching to healthier options like whole wheat and whole grains instead of white flour in things like breads, pasta, tortillas and rice... I completely eliminated all artificial sweeteners and after some experimentation, discovered my favorite beverage is club soda and unsweetened cranberry juice or unsweetened organic teas. I have also started buying as much organic whole foods as is available, and leaner cuts of meat, such as salmon, chicken, and lean beef. Unfortunately I'm surrounded by chocolate bars, candy and chips at my work (I work for a movie rental store), and that has been my downfall... I'm wanting to commit to eating healthier and want to cut those out of my diet now too.

So here's a challenge... Anyone that's interested in pursuit of health is welcome to join this thread (sorry about the SBD thread that died such an early death... ). This is NOT a diet... it's about making healthy life choices, including exercise, food, and lifestyle. Please post any suggestions you have to promoting health in your own life.

Here's mine in bullet form:

• Eliminate all artificial sweeteners
• Drink lots of water
• Walk my son to and from preschool everyday (40 min) and go on a couple longer walks each week
• Add as many organic, whole foods to my diet as are available
• Eat treats and sweets in moderation (1-2 times a week)
• Lean protein
• Better time management for university studies
• Reduce sugar/processed carbs/additives

I can't think of anymore right now, but I'll add to my list if I think of any others... 

April