Breaking My Unhealthy Eating Habits

I learned another valuable lesson over the past couple of weeks: No matter how hard I try, I can't outrun poor food choices.

It is one thing to have an indulgence once in a while and incorporate that into a healthy lifestyle. It's a completely different story when I try to sneak in some of my former eating habits and expect to be able to lose weight simply by completing my regular workout schedule.

Recently, that is what I've been trying to do -- and let me save you the trouble and tell you that it doesn't work. No matter how much I'd like to believe that because I went to the gym and even spent 10 extra minutes on the treadmill that entitles me to eat my favorite foods in excess, it doesn't.

Please notice the term "in excess." It would be completely fine for me to enjoy these treats in moderation within my daily calorie limit; however, I have noticed that when I try to have an indulgence I tend to binge on that item.

Binge eating is a serious problem, and I do not use the term lightly. A few years ago, I saw a therapist who confirmed what I already knew, that I had a binge eating disorder. While I'd like to think that I've moved past binging, I caught myself in some all-too-familiar situations recently. The most troubling that I've noticed is trying to hide the evidence of the food.

I have also noticed that I've replaced my old binging staples of potato chips, French fries and other forms of greasy takeout with foods that don't seem quite as unhealthy, such as pizza as well as crackers and dip. I have tried to rationalize by saying, "Oh, it's a veggie pizza so it can't really be that bad, plus it's not fried," or, "Well, they are wheat crackers, and it's a low-fat dip, so it'll be fine."

I realize I'm not perfect and we all make mistakes, but when is enough enough? Indirectly my wake-up call came from an email with someone who has been a constant source of knowledge during my blogging experience. She gave me some awesome things to consider, such as how many calories are in a pound and that I should look at my food choices to see where I might be able to cut additional calories from the week.

I honestly believe that the reason why I haven't gained weight is because I've been working out consistently, but if I want to lose weight -- really lose weight and make long-term lifestyle changes -- it's time to stop making excuses and sugar-coating my real problems. I am consuming far too many calories to truly reap the benefits of the hours I spend at the gym.

So, it's back to the basics -- again. I've been re-reading my blogs and notes from my discussions with the nutritionists, not only using my notebook but also the Sparkpeople.com nutrition tracker on my phone and also re-teaching myself the art of saying no. No, I don't need four slices of pizza. No, I don't need four cookies. No, trying isn't good enough.