Nutritionists, Meal Planners, Weight Control Programs and Needing Help

I'm the type of person who hates to admit she ever needs help with anything. A legend in my own mind. Beholden to nothing and nobody.

Paradoxically, or perhaps as a result, I have a deep need for community - creating, participating, organizing and keeping them in touch. Business community, so I host free coworking and brownbag lunches in Firecat Studio every month. Save-the-world community, so I'm co-organizing a TEDx San Antonio event to bring big thinkers and big ideas together. And I've been a Weight Watchers member for more than 10 years, with mixed success.

Seeking Help Controlling and Organizing My Eating

It's not that I have no clue what foods I could or should be eating to improve my health, body-fat ratio, self-esteem and fitness. Weight Watchers, South Beach, Andrew Weil, Dr. Oz, Oprah - they all give good advice. More fresh fruits and vegetables. Cut out or drastically reduce white bread. Whole grains. Limit alcohol and sugar. And so on.

What I need help with is making a plan and sticking to it. Making myself DO the right thing. Teaching me to delay gratification, overcome temptation, and focus on the goal, rather than the tempting thing in front of me, whether it's a Bellini or a blini.

So I'm seeking help from a nutritionist who offices with my favorite Complementary Medicine doc. I'm going to lay out my difficulties on the table and see if she can help me. Topics I plan to cover:

• I tried going pescatarian (vegetarian + fish) but end up eating too much bread and cheese. Need meal ideas and an evaluation of how helpful/important this is from a nutrition standpoint. I may still opt to do it for sustainability/environmental reasons.
• Weight Watchers: Why I can't stick to it, the fact that I believe it's sound nutrition for the most part, especially the "Core Plan" or the "Simply Filling" Technique.
• Geneen Roth's emotional eating guidelines and the boomerang effect of deprivation and dieting. I believe Geneen, need help and some sensible boundaries.
• The need for meal planning and easy-and-quick-to-prepare foods, restaurant and takeout options and boundaries. Greg and Matt (husband and 12-yo-son) have to be factored in.
• Ideas for making any plan STICK and be sustainable.

Whatever helps me in this area will also help my career and personal lives, as I also need better plans and boundaries around time commitments. I say "yes" to way too many requests and opportunities, so book myself unreasonably tight.

I picked up the Food, Inc. DVD from the Leon Valley public library last night, and we're going to watch it tonight. Pursuing any way to fan the flames of sane, sustainable eating at this point.

I've been in that sweet, positive-feedback loop of exercise leading to better mood and centering, leading to sensible self-care, boundaries and nutrition, leading to higher energy, leading to --- repeat and synergize. I want back to that space, and I'm READY.

So - maybe what I need is therapy or counseling. I'm open to that. I'll report back findings, and thanks as always for your support and ideas. Keep 'em coming!

Comments

[Sine Botchen]

I've had much success with the South Beach Diet. I recommend it to anyone who will listen. I've been able to lose 80 pounds over a couple of years (although that included exercise as well.)

If anyone is remotely interested in the South Beach Diet I tell them to go buy the book (don't just download recipes from the internet) and *read* it first since it's not just a cookbook. Once you've read the book and understand the hows & whys of the Diet it's very easy to adhere to since it is truely a lifestyle change. Next, I suggest going through the meal schedules and make a shopping list of all of the ingredients so there are no excuse when it comes time to start.

My own personal tip is to prepare lean meats (a bunch all at once) and then combine the meat with an already frozen vegetable into your own "TV dinner" and shove them all into the freezer. This is what keeps me from hitting the drive thru when I am late getting home or pressed for time.

[Nancy House]

I agree with Sine. The South Beach Diet works very well, has options and it is easy to still be able to go out to eat. I just lost 20 pounds in 3 months and have been able to keep it off for the last 5 months. Need to start it up again and lose another 20. It helps you with just a total change in the way you eat and choices that you make. It is the only diet that has ever worked for me.

Good luck!

[Qotu]

Thanks for the recommendations! I'm looking into South Beach for sure.

South Beach sounds a lot like "Fit for Life" and the Weight Watchers Core Plan which has evolved to the Simply Filling.

In general, I think it's often easier to sustain a diet that eschews whole food categories (bread, sugar, alcohol) than to carefully control portions or intake. The line between "being on track" and "being off track" is much clearer. Meting out points for this or that, measuring, weighing, counting - I can do it for awhile, but then I rebel.

Or maybe that's just me?