Answer to a question.

Yesterday, in Comments, Tricia asked . . .
I’m greatly admiring your weight loss but am wondering if you ever eat chocolate or cake or biscuits? (All my downfall!) If not is it because you don’t indulge anyway?

I started answering as a reply but it got a bit long (you know how I can rabbit on at times) so here it is, as a post instead. Feel free to fall asleep . . . :-)

Hi, Tricia.
As it happens, I don't at the moment, for two - no, three - main reasons.

The first is that at the moment it would not be wise, medically. Cakes and biscuits are high fat and would likely set off my gall bladder and - ouch! Not nice at all. So I've been more or less off higher fat foods since the beginning of November when I was admitted to hospital with what was initially thought to be cardiac problems but which turned out to be gallstones. That's when the weight started falling off.
I just don't buy them at all. It's no use getting stuff 'in case of visitors' - we all know that once it's in the trolley, it's as good as eaten - by us!

The second is that I'm on a pre-op restricted eating regime called the liver shrinking diet. It's pretty strict about how much of each food group I am allowed to have and when. I'm afraid cakes and biscuits (and wine - sob) don't even get a look in! I know I whinged a lot about it at first but I've got used to it now and it seems to be suiting me.

The third is that over the years my downfall wasn't sweet, it was savoury. Cakes and biscuits are nice, don't get me wrong, but really not my craving. Crisps, on the other hand, or cheese . . . and I can't have crisps and not a lot of cheese either and the cheese I do have is low fat; not the same at all, so that is controlled too.

How I will manage once the health restrictions are lifted (after the operation is done and dusted), I really don't know because this is all a very new experience for me. I have been very fortunate really all my adult life as far as health is concerned. Hopefully, I won't go mad and binge on all those things I am not allowed to have at the moment. I know my appetite is smaller than it was but I also know that that can reverse very easily.

I think one of the motivations of sorting out all my clothes, apart from lack of space and general tidying up, was to get rid of everything that is now too big for me so I can't go back, so to speak.

Hopefully I have learnt some lessons and can continue to lose weight as I work towards frugality. I want to continue on a similar pathway with more flexibility - so low fat but not no fat, lowish carbs and sensible amounts of other food groups. Will it work? Ask me in the autumn! :-)

So - tips.
Oh, that's hard because we're all individuals and have our own battles to fight. Of course, I wouldn't recommend being ill but, undoubtedly, it has been the biggest factor in all this.

Know thine enemy, as the saying goes, and stay away from him! Is it possible to just not have cakes, etc, in the house so you can't indulge? Sugar does have addictive qualities and causes certain reactions in the body that may create cravings so the more you have the more you want.

Out of necessity, I use stevia sweetener but not an awful lot, and I love my daily apples with their natural sweetness and crunch. I have low or no fat yogurt and the fruit versions are artificially sweetened which also helps when I 'need' something sweet.

I plan my meals on a weekly basis and that helps both the eating and the finances. At the moment I'm into weekly rewards for sticking to it and not wandering off the track and that is treating myself to bunches of daffodils which are plentiful and inexpensive and sit there in the case reminding me. I'll find something else once they go but it won't be food!

And finally, I have made myself accountable through this blog and also on Facebook. Having declared what I intend to cook/eat, I'm in honour bound to stick to it really! Works for me and if it helps others too, that's great.

Stay in touch and all the best with it all. Fingers crossed for us both.