Woman, early-30s, the old metabolism (never great because of PCOS) now slowing down.
I’m not overweight, but I’ve found I have to carefully control and watch *exactly* what I eat to remain at the weight that was my “fat weight” when I was 26.
Increasing exercise isn’t really on the cards I do 30-40mins cardio and HHIT most days along with some strength/calisthenics and Yoga, walk 10-15K steps a day and anything more for me would be pointless as it would be completely unsuitable so please don’t recommend “take up running marathons” or something because I won’t .
Problem is I’m *extremely* food-motivated, few things bring me greater joy, I love sweet things and am a grazer and stress eater… it takes every ounce of willpower I have, every day, continually to keep myself to 3 meals a day no snacks (which as I said is *maintaining* my weight)
There is never a scenario where I *don’t* crave chocolate or sweet things.
Basically my life would be so much easier if I could find a way to reduce these cravings which never seem to go away as the constant discipline needed can be draining and in very high-stress periods I go off the rails.
Essentially does anyone have a similar issue or found a way to cut out “food noise”
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Microdose tirzepatide, look up grey market on tiktok. Iām doing 2.5 weekly which is 3 months of the smallest dose for about $200. It completely removes the food motivation, itās wild. Itās also good for balancing sugars and hormones.
Fasting.
Fiber. I eat high fiber foods in the morning and afternoon and they keep me so full I can’t even think about food.
Therapy for stress and working on your relationship with food. Intermittent fasting so your body will burn the stores. Work with a dietitian and take a balance regimen of supplements in case your cravings are somehow tied to deficiencies. I loved the book Intuitive eating. Dieting and limiting yourself only creates more stress and then you are full circle. I used to graze and now notice my times when I snack more (usually around cycle) and allow shelf that grace.
You mentioned PCOS – have you been taking anything to manage it? Or keeping an eye on your A1C? Depending on your bloodwork, Metformin might be able to help here. I personally found GLP-1s to be far more effective at muting the “food noise”, but seeing as you aren’t overweight, that might be a bit overkill. Either way, taking a closer look at whether you’re insulin resistant might just be the key here.
Instead of fighting with yourself against wanting snacks between meals… why not spread out your food into smaller, more frequent meals so you’re eating more often during the day. Like less time in between eating. Snacks are not inherently the enemy if you plan healthy ones.
I dont know if this will be helpful, but I just don’t buy snacks. I guess it also helps that I guess I’m too lazy to go out and seek out food if it isn’t already in my house. If I don’t have it at home, I can’t eat it.Ā
I don’t buy chips, or cookies, or sweet things, or even soda.Ā
If I want something sweet, I eat berries or apples. If I want something more savory, I eat unsalted tree nuts.Ā
Like someone else said, fiber is important.Ā It’s probably best to get that from natural sources like eating the apple with the skin on it, but plain psyllium husk in lots of water works just as well (don’t get the brand names because those usually add sugar to it).
Iād suggest following the Food Peace Nutritionist on insta
Protein really helps keep me full. I make a protein smoothie for breakfast most days and it helps stop me from craving snacks all day. I think I feel less tired during the afternoon too, avoiding that ‘slump’ feeling that often leads me to crave sugar for a pick me up.
Allowing yourself healthy snacks (and perhaps smaller meals to keep your total calories stable) might be needed. Again, I focus on protein here. Pumpkin seeds are a favourite of mine (I like the action of picking up one at a time and nibbling on them), celery, apple or rice cakes with natural peanut butter. Plain popcorn is great for fiber and also low cal.
Actually, you might benefit from a few sessions with a dietician, if you have benefits that would cover it or if it’s in your budget. They can help make sure your meals and snacks are balanced while keeping to your overall calorie goal.
Another idea is stop thinking in terms of willpower, instead think in terms of habits. There is some thinking that willpower doesn’t exist and isn’t helpful. Instead, every choice you make is strengthening a habit; it’s up to you what that habit will be – one that serves you, or one that doesn’t. This type of thinking helps me not come down on myself for ‘slipping up’. Atomic Habits is a great read.
Also, perhaps talk therapy? I haven’t tried it for this (although I’m in therapy for other things and highly recommend it) but I wonder if CBT or another form of therapy could help.
Are you eating fiber and protein packed meals? If you’re craving a lot of sweets, I’m assuming that you aren’t getting enough of the nutrients you may need because your body is never fully sated. You may need more healthy fats in your diet.
Also I see you are a hospital doctor. You may need to get some kind of meal service and have protein packed snacks on hand so that you are not tempted. You want to be sated before those cravings come on. I can imagine your job is stressful and those cravings may partly stem from that.
Since you’re already working out, the big change has to be your diet.
Pcos is often driven by insulin resistance. There are many ways to address it so youād have to find what works for you. For me, metformin and regular exercise have been good, but Iād like some extra help so Iāll be taking semaglutide soon
From what I understand about the science of metabolism, it actually doesnāt slow down that much as we age from 20s to 30s. A lot of people think weight gain is due to that, but more often itās due to lack of activity.
So a good tip is focus on getting more steps in your day to day! Doesnāt have to be fast walking or sweating, but just getting more steps/activity in general.
Edit to add source for anyone curious: āResearchers found that metabolism peaks around age 1, when babies burn calories 50 percent faster than adults, and then gradually declines roughly 3 percent a year until around age 20. From there, metabolism plateaus until about age 60, when it starts to slowly decline again, by less than 1 percent annually, according to findings published in the journal āScienceā.ā
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/metabolism-adulthood-does-not-slow-commonly-believed-study-finds-n1276650
I donāt really have tips but Iām similarly āfood motivated,ā so thank you for posting this!!
One thing that really helps me is having something fun to drink. I KNOW plain water is best, I know!! But itās more enjoyable to have iced tea or a flavored seltzer or lemonade heavily diluted with sparkling water. It scratches the āI got myself a treat!ā itch without an actual chocolate bar.
I actually am overweight (but no PCOS) and Iāve thought about a GLP1, but I canāt bring myself to actually do it.
Since you’ve mentioned PCOS, have you had a good chat with your doctor about this? Metformin is something that can be prescribed and might help with those types of cravings, is a standard drug for PCOS and has a really good long term safety rating (it might actually reduce some cancer risks). With PCOS you’re more at risk for metabolic syndrome, hence using metformin as a treatment option even if you aren’t currently insulin resistant (but you should have this checked annually as well). These might be worth discussing with your medical team.Ā
The real answer is that you likely need some professional help, like cognitive behavioral therapy, to manage this. Especially if you really can’t seem to stop yourself. There’s no shame in getting the help you need to be healthier!
I’m the same, grazer, sugar addict. the usual advice is : When you feel like something sweet fill up on Greek Yoghurt for protein and satiety.Or have a nut butter and sliced apple. Eat more protein and real non UPF foods. I have to say I do all this but still want the chocolate ( did you say chocolate!!)
Old wives trick was to have a pickle. I eat 100% or 90% dark chocolate now, everyone says you can only eat a few squares, but not me – I can still eat lots but at least no sugar but more caffeine. I also check the nutritional info on products and go for the one with least sugar. I have gone “cold turkey” numerous times but like you always fall off the wagon. I try to eat crackers, rice cakes, even unsalted crisps instead of biscuits and have stopped baking or buying cakes. and cookies etc. It is working slowly- I no longer want to eat commercial cakes or muffins or snack bars, milk or low perscent dark chocolate, or frosting, or most biscuits. I don’t add sugar to anything I make- if I have porridge I add some berries or a grated apple, or some of a baby puree pouch for sweetness. I’ve stopped buying sauces that have sugar, so no sweet chilli, hoisin etc. I think my palate is changing.
I found it easy over my life to stop smoking, stop drinking alcohol etc but the cravings mid to late afternoon for sugar/sweet things is insane for me.
Good Luck x
I really hate to advertise an online doc but I have endo and my sister has PCOS and we both have found a lot of relief from our symptoms with a glp1. Her hormonal hair growth went away and my endo bloat is gone. Like I have bloat in my ankles that even went away. I went to an online doc called midi, and they were very informed about how glp1ās help with both endo and pcos. Iām on a low dose, which is managing my weight and cutting food noise but not making me lose weight. Extra bonus: itās helped with pain as well.Ā
I don’t know if this would help you or make the problem worse, but it worked for my mom.
She has a relentless sweet tooth, so years ago she adjusted her meals to accommodate this while still staying within her calorie goals. She’s retired so her days have more flexibility than most, but she also doesn’t like to spend a ton of time prepping food so her meals are simpler.
The key for her is that she doesn’t forbid herself from eating chocolate, she’s just worked out how to incorporate it in her day in a way that makes sense for her. She knows that both her lunch and dinner will have chocolate at the end of them, so it’s taken the constantly-thinking-about-it part away from her.
She buys individually wrapped chocolates – the Dove brand – so that way she’s not opening up a whole candy bar and trusting herself to portion that responsibly, because she knows she won’t.
Again, I don’t know if this would actually help you or make it worse, but it might be worth considering if you can try to make a small portion of chocolate/sweets a regular part of your day going forward.
I eat frozen banana or canned pineapple to deal with sugar cravings.
i’m currently on a specific diet that focuses on protein in order to prove to insurance that i can get a GLP-1 prescription (it’s a pain and sounds nuts but whatever). something about it has greatly reduced my sugar cravings.
so i use protein powder (isopure unflavored) in my coffee and have been eating these protein bars that have almost no sugar but remind me of cookie dough as an afternoon snack. they do have stevia, but it’s near the end of ingredients so not much. fake sugar is not for me. i also drink spindrift fizzy water as my tasty drink. it all takes some getting used to, but i’m surprised at how much less sugar i’m consuming without my head exploding.
writing all that out makes me feel like a weird diet influencer š
I think eating small snacks and alternatives is helpful, like dry cereals or a low calorie chocolate milk or those dense protein bars.
But honestly, it sounds to me like you have a sugar addiction that you need to break from. I was like you, I could eat chocolate at anytime of the day and loved sweets, and felt like I really wanted nothing more and it drove me up the wall. But after a good chunk of time restricting those foods I really lost a lot of interest for them. I’ve now gotten to a point where too much sugar makes me feel ill, so my body does the work of repelling those foods while I mentally still want to eat them to excess at times.
A tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with a glass of water just before a break has been shown to reduce the glucose secretion after the meal.
My cousin has this same āproblemā. She started Noom and it helped her a ton. I have no other details lol
Wow, you work out a LOT. Seems like you really focus on cardio with the exercise choices, but that’s only going to burn so many calories – your body just gets super efficient. So instead of adding in more exercise, how about changing the exercises that you do? Do something you love or brings you connection, not just something that burns calories.
As for diet, there’s intuitive eating. This would suggest that you crave sugar because you are restricting it, and for as long as you have the “sugar bad” voice in your head, you’ll keep wanting it. Does the voice also tell you that if you gain weight, you’re a bad person / unloveable / something else?
Listen to your body when it’s getting stressed, not just when you’ve become so stressed out that you crack. Then makes changes to remove whatever is stressing you out. During this process, you’ll also want to discover more ways to self-soothe than just eating. I like showers, swimming, holding soft objects or my cat. I find sensory release is best – you’ll have to find what’s best for you.
Anyway, you think your problem is craving sugar and the solution is to not crave sugar. I wonder if the problem is not listening to yourself/ your body, and instead trying to control it.
I find ways to satisfy my cravings but in a healthy way.
For example, for chocolate, I’ll get some vanilla Greek yogurt, add some granola for crunch and a small piece of dark chocolate 90% chopped up. The sweetness of the yoghurt helps to balance the bitterness. It’s high in protein, low-ish calories and fills me up. My craving also goes away.
Honestly taking a low dose of glp-1ās for me. Now I actually have a normal relationship with food. Iām not overweight or obese but the food noise/food addiction is real, and glpās have been shown to be very helpful for curbing addiction, too.
GLP-1 and Wellbutrin has worked here.
Iād look at swapping some of your cardio HIIT for weight training when I put on muscle I found I could eat more food and maintain my figure far more easily. I could go away at an all inclusive and drink for a week and really have no weight based repercussions. I didnāt lose weight, but my body comp changed and I increased my maintenance cals by almost 500 a day easily and could maintain that no problem. It wasnāt anything extreme three weightlifting days a week in and out in 45 minutes I think I took my cardio down from 45 minutes 4 to 5 times to 45 minutes a week.
Metabolism doesn’t slow down until you’re 60s. If you have a feeling it did, please see a doctor.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/surprising-findings-about-metabolism-and-age-202110082613
Are you in therapy to find out why you’re stressed and to reduce stress?
Maybe you have a sugar addiction and need to start replacing sweets with bananas at first.
I have pretty high fiber, protein, and water goals each day, and I try to hit these goals through whole foods (as opposed to say fiber supplement pills). By the time Iāve hit my goals I donāt have the stomach space to eat anything else. I try to get at least 20 grams of fiber, over 100 grams of protein (most people donāt need this much, but I weight lift and am trying to grow muscle), and 100 oz of water per day.Ā
Wellbutrin and/or a GLP-1 is the only way I’m not food motivated and I can tell you almost to the minute when I need to take another GLP-1 shot.
There’s a supplement called Berberine that my doctor recommended to me when I gained 15 pounds of fat due to perimenopause hitting me like a truck a couple years ago. Until age 42 I could eat anything I wanted and be thin. I’ve always played sports, took up CrossFit at 40, ride my bike everywhere, etc. When I played rugby I ate 4000 calories a day and was a US size 6 (that’s like a UK 10). So when I suddenly had to watch my caloric intake, I really struggled with it. Berberine cut my appetite in half and got me back to normal. I’d definitely recommend giving it a try. I like BioVitals, and take it according to package directions.
Damn so sad to see so much diet culture shit in here. You’re not 26 , OP. You’re not going to be the same weight.
Look into https://leahkernrd.com/ and intuitive eating. Will change your life
this is a wild thing i know works. but it’s unhinged
watch extremely obese people eating mukbang or watch people eating mukbang and CHEWING out loud. they both disgust me and id lose my appetite.
Iāve started taking NAC for fertility reasons and itās essentially dulled all of my sugar cravings. It can also suppress your appetite so I take it with breakfast and then after dinner. But itās curbed my nightly dessert craving and mid-day sugar hunt.
Lots of people have mentioned things that I find very useful myself. I think the main thing to keep in mind that some new habits can take a long time to make stick. Iāve been working on this for five years since losing 60 pounds, and all of this time I have tried losing the 15 I still have left to lose. Iāve tried a lot of different things, but I donāt want to see a drastic change overnight as much as I want to establish a healthier lifestyle. I donāt strive for perfection I just want to increase the number of days in which I am acting on better impulses than before.
This approach has allowed me to notice that I have a period of one or more days once a month where I get extreme hormone-motivated insatiable hunger. Iām more capable of noticing that because Iām focusing more on my habits, than on the scale.
So I donāt have it all figured out, but thatās how I think about it now. Lately my fancy bakery treats have been less frequent. At the same time Iāve started adding back in Hersheyās chocolate nuggets, fruit and yogurt smoothies with added sugar, and fiber cookies. These are small sweet treats that are still satisfying to me. All of these are about 150-300 foods. So Iām not going to do anything super drastic. If you figure out something better however let me know.
I did the carnivore diet for a while. The cravings for junk food never went away, but because I was eating so much fat and protein I felt really full all the time, so I just physically couldn’t eat other food.
Other than not having it in the house, maybe try lots of protein.
*editing to add that for me, eating is a boredom thing. When I’m out and about with a hobby or a job I just don’t have the time or the will to eat
With hormonal imbalances at play, I’ve found that eating more protein is actually important (and annoying). Especially eating something high-protein for breakfast has made a big difference for me.
I add protein to my morning coffee (usually half a protein shake and some milk) and recently have been making Jenn Luke’s high-protein breakfast biscuits. I eat less during the day when I do this and can usually keep to about 1800 calories a day. It’s hard though because I also love food!
I eat a lot of low calorie snacks (celery, cucumbers, pickles). They’re practically 0 calories!
Is there any possibility that you can meet with a registered dietitian? They’d be able to give you the most informed suggestions.
PCOS does a number onto how your body functions including the massive cravings so we need to address that, than act like it’s just you enjoying treats and need to stop. If you haven’t addressed the PCOS, I would consider balancing out the hormonal ups and downs taking the right supplements like my chiro inositol, pcos support teas, etc.
For people with PCOS who are active but still struggle with weight stagnancy, that could be a sign of you having high insulin resistance/IR. I dont mean to scare, but the stats are by 35, half of us PCOS folks get T2 diabetes due to insulin resistance so it’s important to address this. I am now type 2, despite not ever showing pre diabetes numbers previously. It went fast. If that’s the case, that also can explain why you have massive cravings and addiction to sugar and carbs. Its a pretty common experience with IR PCOS people. If the cravings are really loud and you are insulin resistant, it might be worth talking to a doctor about GLP-1 meds, metformin, etc as a means of support for the PCOS and IR. If you haven’t had yourself tested for your glucose, insulin resistance or any hormonal panels in a while it’s worth looking at. GLP-1 makes my brain quiet at a low dose. I am also ADHD and while you didnt mention if you have any neurodivergence, people do not talk about how much that contributes to the loudness enough and meds have really helped my brain so so much. If your brain doesn’t make it, store bought is fine!
How’s your fiber intake? My food balance having a priority to protein and fiber makes my brain a little less needing dopamine food hits as the blood sugar and digestion is far more even through the day. People don’t talk about this enough that diets that are lacking will make your brain be a bit loud about needing more food to ensure we feed our bodies for survival. The problem is that it goes hand and hand with our society being more of a convenience foods, high fat/sugar/carbs diet that this survival brain doesn’t quite work right. It just helps us feed addictions to the foods that feel the most rewarding to eat.
I have a sweet tooth and while I indulge it, I also cut back in many easy ways where it makes sense to. Like when cooking I dont add sugar to sauces and things where it’s easy to get quite a ton of hidden sugar. I have more often healthier sweet treats at home to eat daily, and on a weekly basis have 1 full indulgent treat. Example I made some sugar free (allulose monkfruit sweetened) cheese cake greek yogurt cups with homemade strawberry sauce and crumble. They’re 150 cal, 3g of sugar and 5g of carb from the crumble. Compared to my cheese cake parfaits clocking in normally 350 cal, 30g sugar and a ton of sat fat from the cream cheese and heavy cream
And honestly? This taste close it doesn’t feel like a shitty sub at all. I made a Dubai chocolate and a butterscotch samoa cookie one also. I can eat these everyday as a snack. During the end of my period I want all the fucking chocolate – black bean brownies might be the answer. Seriously. That fiber helps so much, the texture is good and then I reduce the sugar by using allulose and half maple (yes I know it’s real sugar) and a ton of chocolate powder and dark chocolate chips to hit that need for a fudgey treat. I got a batch right now in my fridge.
i think this takes a pretty long time to get to, but i made the switch from being food motivated (slowly) by managing it as an addiction vs as a nutrition thing.
I started seeing snacks as a dopamine budget issue not a calorie issue. I told myself, the reason to not eat the cookie is not the calories it’s the sugar addiction cultivated by every cookie. (you can look up addiction theory for more on this.)
It also means whatever boundaries I set, spontaneous “cheating” and “failing” at them was a big problem because intermittent rewards are extremely addictive. I stopped “drinking alone”, ever, so to speak, and limited my indulgence foods to restaurants with others, or immediately after significant exercise (when it’s actually good for me nutritionally, too)… if you try this out, lmk if it worked for you too
You need to find something works for you, and right now, eating just 3 meals a day doesn’t seem to be working quite like you’d like. I’ve had similar issues. It’s important to remember that it’s a journey, not a destination. Some days may be better than others, but in the grand scheme of things, you are working to try to maintain and not gain. Things you might want to consider:
– spacing meals out to 3 meals and 2 snacks per day or 5-6 smaller meals per day
– prioritizing protein over all else – it will help you retain muscle and keep you full. Also focus on water intake and fiber. These things will help you feel full between meals/snacks.
– Don’t buy anything from the store that you feel tempted to have all the time. I don’t buy cookies, baked goods, etc. because I know I’m a goner if I let it in my house.
– I bought a Ninja Creami this year to help with my sweet tooth and it has been a GAME CHANGER. There are sweet tooth protein ice cream recipes you can try and are simple to make. It feels so satisfying when you can eat a whole pint of it and it’s only like 300 calories. WIN!
– Plan your meals. Have your “go to” meals/snacks you can easily make/get in a pinch. I keep protein bars on hand in a cookie jar and I have lots of protein rich foods around – greek yogurt, eggs, high fiber protein tortillas, etc. Then you don’t have to think as much when you get a craving.
I could never do small sensible meals, I was always munchy. I discover I’m much better off having one big protein filled meal than trying to do a bunch of little meals and snacks. The one big meal keeps me satiated all day and I don;t bother to weigh out anything, I just eat what I want but for one meal. I also always have a nice real desert instead of “diet” sweets. A good pastry or chocolate is better than cheap candy.
I usually have my meal for lunch and if I get munchy in the evening, I’ll have pistachios which have fat and protein and you have to open individually so you can’t just grab mindless handfuls. Back when I could tolerate dairy, having a bit of Ben and Jerry’s in the evening satisfied my sweet tooth.
Hey, you are me. I also have zero willpower so I literally just can’t have sweets in the house. A package of Oreos will be gone in 24 hours or less through ‘grazing’. But that’s how I do it. Just don’t allow them in my home. Then when the cravings get really bad, it makes me have an actual emotional reaction. Like I get really sad about it. I feel pathetic in the moment that I’m near tears over how badly I want a KitKat, but I’d rather cry over not having a KitKat than eat one. If you gravitate towards grazing, that’s not necessarily a bad thing, you just need to graze healthily. Nuts, raw veggies, fruits, etc.
Edit: Sorry, to answer your original question, I have no idea how to be less food motivated. I just try to redirect my attention to being more weight/health motivated.
Intermittent Fasting helps me with this. Iād eat pizza and ice cream or donuts for every meal. Maybe a salad and salmon sometimes. But IF helps keep my food and eating brain calm down a bit.
I drink water, tea, black coffee and donāt eat anything until 3-5pm, depends on the day. The first thing I consume is a protein shake; 30g protein, low carb, low sugar.
For chocolate, I generally keep something like Andes mints or Aldi has these different flavored chocolate bars that are individually wrapped as 5 mini bars and I have one almost every night. After I have that, I brush my teeth and that signals to my brain that we are DONE EATING FOR THE NIGHT. It works 95% of the time.
I’m also extremely food motivated! I’ve found what has helped me has been changing my gut microbiome w some tools:
* gut cleanse – w oil of oregano, caprylic acid and lauricidin. Take daily for ~2 weeks to kill off “bad” gut bacteria
* take a probiotic – something like Pendulum Metabolic Daily that has strains that help with weight
* Find a way to get psillium husk and Supergut into your food (smoothies or yogurts) – these feed the “good”gut bacteria and it’s helped me curb my sugar cravings alot
it’s really hard, good luck OP!
I don’t think this will be popular, but I’ve turned food into my hobby. I spend a lot of time thinking about food. I look at recipes, watch chefs and food vloggers on youtube, I ponder what restaurants to try, and I read reviews. Hell, I even planning restaurants for future vacations. I’ve found I can spend a lot of time thinking about food without eating it!
And then I’ll decide something to bake or cook, compare recipes, build a shopping list, and then get to baking! I treat really good food like a hobby. I’ll make or cook something elaborate on weekends and then everything else is just a “go-to”. Yogurt, fruit, salads, sandwiches, cheese, crackers, whatever. Basic meals that are reasonably balanced so I can spend my time thinking through what I want to eat.
And meal kit subscriptions help me a lot too for meals during the week.
The only thing that works for me is counting calories and trying to get 40% protein, 25% fats, and 35% carbs of total food in a day.
My 30+ protein meals are keeping me sustained lately so I havenāt been snacking much since I actually kicked it into gear.
Iāve lost ~2lbs per week in my calorie deficit. Ive been active close to you, gym 5-6 times a week, 10k steps etc but still gaining weight for years.
I also do eat sweets I donāt have self control to eliminate it. But even though I track all my food now (for about a month) I havenāt been stressing about it in the last weeks.
Kit Kat? Eat one instead of 3. Pringles? Eat 5 instead of 20. Just fit the calories into your deficit (or maintenance).
Iāve also been learning to make sweets with healthy items like Greek yogurt and dark chocolate and cocoa powder. Getting diverse.
I used to have an ED and my thoughts revolved around food quite a bit. But, after years of treatment for anxiety and depression, and slowly shifting my focus re: food to nourishing my body/ eating what will be best for my digestion and my overall mood / well-being / headaches, I have changed my relationship to food. It is a variant of intuitive eating.
It isn’t perfect, of course, but I generally have a healthy relationship to food now. It happened one day and one meal at a time. Instead of thinking what will taste the best for the least calories, I asked myself what will make my body feel the best, and I chose that. It was a practice, the way mindfulness is. I have set backs, but I move forwards.
I also shifted my focus with exercise to what will best help my body feel strong and stable and healthy, not what will change the way I look.