When people ask me how I lost the weight, my quick answer is:
—Portion control
—Eating whole, unprocessed foods
—Eating a variety of foods
And, my sister points out, being active (throughout my weight loss I primarily did, and still do, a combination of yoga and hiking/walking). I’m currently taking a rock climbing class!
I also eat an amount of carbohydrates appropriate to my activity level.
But before I could make any of the lifestyle and habit changes that would help me make healthy choices each time I ate, I needed to cultivate awareness.
Awareness is the first step.
In her book The Willpower Instinct Kelly McGonigal writes “We’re used to seeing temptation and trouble outside of ourselves: the dangerous doughnut, the sinful cigarette, the enticing Internet. But self-control points the mirror back at ourselves, and our inner worlds of thoughts, desires, emotions, and impulses”.
Take the time to start to notice what’s going on. And not just on the surface. As I learned from my short time spent in improv theatre, the subtext has meaning.