How I changed my eating habits - 3 phases

As I write this I am 3 weeks away from completing my second stint of concentrated weight loss: mostly achieved through changing my eating habits.

As I already said I had a program for 20 weeks in 2015, took a break, then started for another 20 week cycle to finally reach my goals.

During these two 20 week phases, and my time when I'm in my normalization phase, I have had to change my lifestyle and habits considerably. This post summarizes how my eating habits have changed over the year.

As I approach phase 3 some of what I write is more idealist, and how I will be planning to normalize after the weight loss, than actual hard fact.

Eating Habits - Phase 1

In the beginning I was eating soup twice a day almost every other day. I was eating stir-fry or salad during the weeks for lunch. At the weekend mostly soup. I was very strict with what I ate. I would have 3 or 4 all soup days per week.

As it became apparent that I was losing weight too fast for my target I became less exact. I started to allow myself a steak on Saturday for example, still healthy food but without the usual trimmings of chips or potatoes. On the whole I wasn't eating pastas or rice at all any more.

Eating Habits - Phase 2

During phase 2 I was perhaps not trying as hard as in the first one. Although I knew that it would be harder to lose weight since my body was adapting to the changes already I knew I would never lose 15kg nor need to.

From my starting point I actually had to lose around 8kg to get to my BMI target - not the full 10kg that I had initially targeted. Therefore it would be a slower burn. I will be a bit less extreme.

To this end, the lunches at work remained the same. In the evening times though I would have smaller portions of "real food" and the soups would only be 3 to 4 days instead of 4 to 5 as in phase one. All soup days were limited to only once or twice a week.

Eating Habits - Phase 3

As I prepare for phase 3, normalization, I plan to eat soups maybe one or two days a week, with perhaps one all soup day. The diet otherwise would just be careful eating and making sure that I continue drinking like a boss.

I hope that future updates on my status will be that I have normalized my weight through health eating, not dieting!

How have you faired post diet?

Originally created: 2016-05-15 10:00:22