Since I was about 20 I have struggled with my weight. I have never been obese, however I have often flirted with numbers on the scale that make me uncomfortable. I have tried Slim-Fast, medication, Atkins, calorie counting, fat-free foods and meal replacement bars along with a host of others. You might say that I have more than enough experience yo-yo dieting than I care to admit!
It's with joy that I can finally announce that I think I have cracked the secret to a healthy, maintainable weight. I have been eating differently ever since I got pregnant (at about 15lbs overweight) and have gained almost nothing. In fact, I weigh now at 9 months pregnant just about the same as I did at my heaviest point. It's all due a shift in how I view my daily diet.
I invite you to think back in time to books you have read, movies you have watched, or your Grandmother's account of what ladies used to eat during their days. I cannot remember my (very formal) Grandma ever recounting how she used to have a breakfast of low-carb bread with fat-free margarine and a banana-flavored protein shake. Her meal used to consist of hot oatmeal with brown sugar and cream, or perfectly cooked eggs with buttery toast and tea. One of my mother's favorite memories is of the time she was walking home from school in the rain. To her surprise, she saw my Grandma coming down the road the opposite way. In her hands she carried a tray covered with a tea towel. Under the towel were warm homemade scones and hot chocolate, so that Mom could have a nice warm snack on that cold walk home. I can guarantee the scones were smothered with butter and the hot chocolate was not made with skim milk. Think of the ladies at the ultimate feminine meal--afternoon tea. Can you imagine them eating low-fat chips made of dehydrated potato pulp? How about watery, bland fat-free cottage cheese on a fat-free cracker? Of course not. Ladies used to eat the most delicious food in tiny quantities and feel perfectly satisfied. In fact, to make a proper sandwich for a tea party most vintage recipe books will specify that cream cheese or butter should contain more fat than the regular kind!
It's with joy that I can finally announce that I think I have cracked the secret to a healthy, maintainable weight. I have been eating differently ever since I got pregnant (at about 15lbs overweight) and have gained almost nothing. In fact, I weigh now at 9 months pregnant just about the same as I did at my heaviest point. It's all due a shift in how I view my daily diet.
I invite you to think back in time to books you have read, movies you have watched, or your Grandmother's account of what ladies used to eat during their days. I cannot remember my (very formal) Grandma ever recounting how she used to have a breakfast of low-carb bread with fat-free margarine and a banana-flavored protein shake. Her meal used to consist of hot oatmeal with brown sugar and cream, or perfectly cooked eggs with buttery toast and tea. One of my mother's favorite memories is of the time she was walking home from school in the rain. To her surprise, she saw my Grandma coming down the road the opposite way. In her hands she carried a tray covered with a tea towel. Under the towel were warm homemade scones and hot chocolate, so that Mom could have a nice warm snack on that cold walk home. I can guarantee the scones were smothered with butter and the hot chocolate was not made with skim milk. Think of the ladies at the ultimate feminine meal--afternoon tea. Can you imagine them eating low-fat chips made of dehydrated potato pulp? How about watery, bland fat-free cottage cheese on a fat-free cracker? Of course not. Ladies used to eat the most delicious food in tiny quantities and feel perfectly satisfied. In fact, to make a proper sandwich for a tea party most vintage recipe books will specify that cream cheese or butter should contain more fat than the regular kind!
Reduced-calorie, fat-free, artificially sweetened foods are a fairly recent invention. As the consumption of these "foods" has increased, so have our waistlines. Doesn't this seem ironic? It does, however I believe the reason we continue to get fatter despite all these new options is because our bodies have not changed over the years. Our bodies know what real food is, and crave it insatiably when we fill them with such artificial junk. Thus, when we eat these horrible fake things they try to compensate my forcing us to eat more and more, in an attempt to satisfy our need to be nourished. We have been designed to find fat tasty, because it's a substance that we need to stay alive. Our wonderful bodies will not be fooled by chemicals and flavors that it knows are not the real thing.
I have adopted this philosophy for myself. I no longer buy anything labeled "low-fat." The original versions taste better, and a smaller amount will bring satisfaction. I invite you to try it for yourself; make an omelet from that awful fat-free egg substitute they sell in cartons and dump on some fat-free cheddar. Put some low-carb bread in the toaster and then spread it with fat-free margarine. To contrast, make yourself a perfectly cooked soft boiled egg. Place it in one of those dear little ceramic cups, break off the top, and sprinkle a pinch of sea salt directly onto the creamy yolk. Toast up a hefty slice of crusty country bread and spread with real butter. Cut it into slices so you can dip it into the yolk. Now, which is tastier? Which satisfies with fewer bites? Which to you feel more ladylike eating?
This morning, as I have for many other recent mornings, my breakfast was a large bowl of strawberries, sprinkled with real sugar and drizzled with a generous amount of cream. With all the fat and sugar I have been consuming, the people at Jenny Craig would likely fall off their chairs to warn me about how fat I'm going to get.
Eating well will be my little weight loss secret.
I have adopted this philosophy for myself. I no longer buy anything labeled "low-fat." The original versions taste better, and a smaller amount will bring satisfaction. I invite you to try it for yourself; make an omelet from that awful fat-free egg substitute they sell in cartons and dump on some fat-free cheddar. Put some low-carb bread in the toaster and then spread it with fat-free margarine. To contrast, make yourself a perfectly cooked soft boiled egg. Place it in one of those dear little ceramic cups, break off the top, and sprinkle a pinch of sea salt directly onto the creamy yolk. Toast up a hefty slice of crusty country bread and spread with real butter. Cut it into slices so you can dip it into the yolk. Now, which is tastier? Which satisfies with fewer bites? Which to you feel more ladylike eating?
This morning, as I have for many other recent mornings, my breakfast was a large bowl of strawberries, sprinkled with real sugar and drizzled with a generous amount of cream. With all the fat and sugar I have been consuming, the people at Jenny Craig would likely fall off their chairs to warn me about how fat I'm going to get.
Eating well will be my little weight loss secret.
11 comments:
Hello, I'm visiting via "Charming the birds from the trees" and just want to say HOORAY! I'm so glad you're eating natural foods with such wonderful results weight-wise, and I'm guessing you're feeling healthier too. I loved your post. All the best for the approaching birth and the return of your husband. You must have an excited household. Kathy
*lol* It's my exact experience too! Since I've ordered the book 'nourishing traditions', which says about the same thing.... I've made an incredible dieting decision, which is.... eating high fat! (well, actually just 'regular' fat)
So instead of frying in oil, we now use butter (something anyone on a diet would call me crazy for!) .. and real butter on real bread (as you stated) instead of low carb - low fat substitutes..
At first I was a little squemish about it.. and then I though.. the worst thing that could happen is gaining a few more pounds.. If that is so, I'll quit. But the opposite has happened.
For some *miraculous* reason, I no longer can finish my dinner plate! *lol* And I used to eat a BIG plate, or even two plates full of food at night. But now there is some *real* fat added to the dish, about half of what I usually ate is enough. Needless to say that the calories from that little amount of butter are WAY less than the calories in the leftovers....
Same thing during the day: after eating bread with REAL butter in the morning, I no longer crave snacks in between meals.... so you could see this 'way of eating' as a sort of investment really.. You eat a few more calories than usual at mealtime, but then skip so many during the day ;)
greetings from the netherlands!
Your post reminds me of the book "French Women Don't Get Fat". I actually read her second book about the Four Seasons. I love it! I'm sure you would enjoy it, too, if you haven't already!
Strawberries and cream, is there anything better. I think not, unless it would be mulberries and cream! :)
I am just visiting. I was over at Charming the birds and she led me to you. I just wanted to say. You are soo right! I gave up eating fat free years ago. Actually it just wasn't my thing. But This article has caught me in the middle of a Slim Fast frenzy. Thanks for snapping me out of it! And the advice.
YOu have a nice blog!
Tina Kay
I was just starting to think that all this l/f and ff stuff was begning to hinder me in my journey to better health. I am going to continue being active with exercise and switch to a more natural healthy fat diet.Thanks for the post
Bravo! Totally agree, there's no low fat rubbish in our house :) Blessings from butter-mad England.
hi! I popped over from "Cherish the Home"
Your attitude reminds me of the Weigh Down diet I did several years ago. Basically it was, eat what you want, but only what you need.
Great post!
Hi!
I found your blog via a link on Mrs. U's blog. This is a wonderful post and I linked to it on my blog. (o:
Blessings,
~Mrs.B
Great post! I'm going to link it to my blog. I, too, am reading Nourishing Traditions and we stopped eating ff and lf long ago. We do eat more raw fruits and veggies and whole foods and we feel great!
Blessings,
Donna
I linked over from Mrs. B's blog and I LOVED this post! It goes right along with what my diabetic instructor shared with us in class. Our bodies still desire what we needed to nourish ourselves back in the day when we had to go out and mow the back forty on the farm! Work was hard and intense. We burned up and sweated out what we didn't need. Now with our modern lifestyles, we still eat the carbs and fat we used to need to eat just to get through our harder work days. Hope I made sense here.
Hi,
I saw your link from Homeliving Helper. I gained 45 + pounds with my first pregnancy. I lost about 30 pounds and found out I was pregnant again. The second time, I gained exactly 25lbs. Since the birth of my second I have lost all the weight from both pregnancies (all the weight and more actually and my second is 7 months old) by doing the exact same thing you posted about. Real butter on Steel Cut oats, full fat cream cheese on bread, olives and nuts for a snack, etc. I do exercise 6 times a week but by doing things I like (such as walking) rather than some crazy exerice routine. I have enjoyed your posts thus far!
~Susie
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