I agree with Anita on this one. You’ll have to experiment and see!

Hi Tessa-

First, I just want to say that there is no need to compare your body to anyone else’s body, not even your past self’s body. Our bodies change, our metabolism changes, sometimes in ways we don’t like, but sometimes in ways we come to love as well. The important thing is to nourish it and care for it.

It sounds to me like there are exercises that you enjoy doing, such as yoga. Exercises we enjoy are quite often the only ones we’ll stick with. Yes, there are people who push themselves at cross-fit, but the most dedicated are the ones that enjoy that type of exhaustion. There are other people that maintain a healthy body by walking to work or doing their errands, because it works for their schedules and they enjoy it. I personally would never achieve the peace of mind that I enjoy from a good sweat session, if I were just to walk, but I have no interest in pushing myself to my limit like they do in Crossfit. I think that in adopting any exercise, if you want it to be sustainable, it should be something that you enjoy. If the gym feels more like a chore or punishment, then I wouldn’t recommend doing it anymore. Being active is important, but that doesn’t mean the gym is the solution! (By the way, yoga is not easy, so kudos to you for thinking that is taking it easy!)

Now as for the sweet tooth and the addiction to sugar… so many people have this. I do! There are some bingeing stories that I would never admit to, but hey- a lot of people seem to share this struggle so I’m not going to beat myself up over it. I don’t bake either because I know I’ll eat it all. I also don’t keep sweets in the house because I’ll eat them when I’m bored/stressed/craving sugar, etc. Sometimes if you recognize a vice, a good way of defeating it is to just remove yourself from the temptation. I know plenty of alcoholics that will not even let their spouse keep wine in the house, because it could make them relapse. That doesn’t mean they’re out of control, it means they’re doing what it takes for them to stay in control. If you’re sugar crazy right now, lay off the baking, it’s what works for you and you’re already doing it so great job!

I also recommend not counting the calories, at least not your fruits and veggies. I would try to eat as much fresh possible as you can at meals, drink lots of water and herbal teas if you like them, and try listen to your body to find out when it’s actually hungry. Definitely drink a full glass of water before any binge. The binge will be smaller, and you might not even do it if you have the time to pause with the water anyway.

I know people say you must eat breakfast, but if you’ve had a big dinner the night before, you might not need it first thing when you wake up. We tend to be in better self control in the morning anyway, so if you think you might want to treat yourself to a bigger meal later in the day, you can plan ahead by eating a little less starting at breakfast. These are just tips, they are not necessarily what will work for you. But I went through a similar experience and I felt that diet and workout science was not the answer… the answer was finding pleasure in a healthy lifestyle that worked for my schedule, energy, and budget. Much of our food is filled with chemicals or ingredients like sugar that are designed to get us hooked, so don’t feel like you are at fault for over-doing it on the sweets. It’s sometimes a long haul, but if you’ve struggled with food and body image, developing a happier relationship with food and exercise is one of the greatest feats and feelings. I know you’ll get there!

I hope this helps, keep me posted.
Helen