August 22 2006

Shaunta Alburger

Eating only when she's hungry and becoming physically active are the main ingredients of Shaunta's weight loss strategy. After years of 'dieting' failed to bring the results she wanted and needed, Shaunta decided to stop focusing on counting calories and to go with something called natural or attuned eating.

Country: Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.A.
Age: 34
Starting weight: 323 lbs.
Weight now: 298 lbs.
Target weight: 150 lbs.

-What finally made you decide to start with a weight loss program?
I decided to give up dieting all together when I realized that diets were actually making me fatter. Stepping on the scale and seeing 323 was a big catalyst. It was scary. I realized that my binging was out of control, and that I had to do something to stop it. Giving up dieting was the first step. By legalizing all foods, I no longer had a reason (you know, the old "I better eat TWO Big Macs, cause after today I can't eat one ever, ever again" argument) to binge.

-What type of weight loss program are you following?
I am learning to eat naturally. When I'm hungry. And I'm learning to stop eating when I'm full. Who knew that was a skill? I'm learning to listen to my body and to eat what I'm actually hungry for (instead of everything else that's not nailed down...and then what I was hungry for anyway.) I'm learning to respect my body, and to listen to its cues.

-Why did you choose this weight loss method?
I chose to give up dieting after reading Fed Up! by Dr. Wendy Oliver-Pyatt. Her book changed me. I had no idea that going on 1200-calorie diets (or trying to) might have been actually hurting me. Or that all of the hundreds of diets I've been on since I was eight years old might have been contributing to my binge eating -- might have actually caused it.

-How long have you been using this weight loss method?
I gave up dieting on May 1, 2006.

-What kinds of physical activities do you like doing to help you lose weight and stay fit?
I joined the YMCA. It was the best decision ever. The Y is far more family friendly than any other gym in my area. It has fantastic swimming pools for the kids, and a great kids' gym for my baby. I like riding the exercise bike, using the indoor track, and swimming.

-What were the most difficult obstacles you had to overcome or are still overcoming?
By far the hardest thing was learning to accept being "not hungry" vs. being "full." When I first gave up dieting, I was used to eating until I was very full. The first two weeks of putting down the fork when I wasn't hungry anymore were torture. And then it got easier. I actually felt anxiety over not feeling full enough. I still do occasionally. Like when I get full with three bites of a sandwich left. Or when I plan on eating something, but I'm not hungry for it yet.

-How do you keep yourself motivated?
I write in my blog. I measure my waist (8 inches gone!). I read books about natural or attuned eating. But really, I don't need much motivation, because I truly am not dieting. I eat whatever I want, as long as I'm hungry. I work out because it feels good. But if I need a break, I take one.

-Do you have any weight loss tips for our readers?
Listen to your body. You don't need fad diets or points or waves or to cut out entire food groups. Trust your hunger signals. If you have a problem with binge eating, make your first priority working that out. It's as real an eating disorder as anorexia or bulimia. Get therapy if you have to. Don't be afraid to ask for help.

Also, try to move a little. Even if it's just getting up and walking to the end of your driveway for some sunshine or dancing in your living room with your kids.

-Do you think it will be easy to fall back into your old lifestyle pattern? How do you prevent this from happening?
Occasionally, I have a bite of anxiety still over not being "full enough." And I find myself actually thinking it through "I can eat all these cookies now, just get it over with, and then start again tomorrow." It's so hard to give up the dieting mentality that every American woman is steeped in. I am afraid sometimes that I will backslide. That I'll step on the scale one day and the 25 pounds I've lost will have found their way home. When I start to feel that way, I make myself think it through. Since the only thing I'm doing is not binging, I have less of a chance of falling into old lifestyle patterns than if I was on a complicated diet.

-Do you have a favorite Web site or blog that helps or inspires you to lose weight?
My blog is Once Upon a Fat Girl.

I use CalorieKing to track my eating (I don't do this all the time, but I will if I feel like I'm starting to get out of control with how much I'm eating).

TOPS is a wonderful, very inexpensive weight loss support group. It doesn't have a diet philosophy, which I like. Everyone does what works best for them.