I am not a trainer or a fitness guru. I am a normal person who loves to write and is on a journey to get healthier. I say that because I don't have a magic path for you to follow for you to lose the weight I am losing. I mean, I guess I do kind of have a magic path...run three times a week adding mileage each week and spin 1 to 2 times a week and make healthier choices. It is the healthier choice part that appears a bit ambiguous and I have been asked by four different people recently what I am eating these days so I am going to go there for you now. However, keep in mind I am me and I had made this health plan according to who I am. That is kind of the fun of it. Start thinking about what might work for you and have FUN with it!
Quite truthfully I want to vomit at the thought of food when I wake up in the morning. Really, you could even put cheetos or french fries in front of me and I would balk at them (and you, because why are you putting cheetos and french fries in front of me?). Yet, I have read so much research that says breakfast is the most important meal of the day so I force myself to eat within 2 hours of waking up. Research says one but you know, sometimes scientists are wrong and 1 could make me vomit and my number one rule is listen to MY BODY...even over research! Breakfast is either a luna bar and fruit (usually a banana because breakfast has to be fast and easy for me to stick to it) or a bowl of cereal. I have some kind of healthy shit like Kashi or special K. Again I read research that your breakfast cereal should have lots of protein and 10 g of sugar or less so that is what I buy. Now, when I go on vacation and my choices are homebaked muffins (thanks Grammy and Krista) I am not going to turn down that muffin. No thank you, because I am not on a diet. I am too old for diets and quite frankly too sick to death of them and their wrongness. So my steadfast rule for myself is to have a fruit with whatever I have. It is easy to travel anywhere with bananas and apples.
Next is one of the most important things I have learned. Do not let yourself get hungry. This is hard because I am being truthful when I say sometimes that means I am eating when my body has not signaled hunger yet. But that has been key to not overeating for me. So about 10 or 10:30 (much easier to stay on track when I am in school and on that schedule) I eat a cheese stick and a red delicious apple. Easy, fast and I LOOOOVVVEEE them. Oh sometimes I don't feel like that apple because who does over cheetos, but I actually force myself because I know I won't overeat at lunch and it will make me feel good.
Lunch is more ambiguous. During the school year I try for chix and a vegetable, but at home this summer it really varies. I just try to get protein in and not too much processed. I try to stay away from bread in most instances but that is not a steadfast rule. I love bagels and the occasional sub. I am not going to give them up. But, usually I can do without bread without feeling any sacrifice at all so that is an easy one for me.
Then- if I need to eat before dinner, I try to do fruit. Sometimes it is not at all what I want and I have to both fight myself to eat it and force myself to eat it, but it always does the trick for hunger and that feeling of wanting something to eat it.
Dinner is whatever we are having. (My husband is the cook and he makes yummy stuff every night) So, my rule is no seconds. That is such a damn easy rule to follow...well, most nights.
If I want dessert I have dessert however I should confess here that I am not a huge dessert person, nor am I huge sugar person. My weakness is salt and crunchy. Most nights after Krista is asleep my hubby and I share a bowl of pop chips. They are healthier than the average chip and I love them more than pringles!!! That is saying something.
Finally, lets talk drinks. I force water on myself often. I believe it helps me stay on an even keel mentally. I love my coffee!!!! It seems to be that I love coffee even more now that I don't have alcohol. Oh yes, for those who haven't read that post, I don't drink alcohol (that was a huge weight loss starter and I highly recommend it for fast weight loss and many healthy benefits). I have never been a soda person. About once a year I get myself a cold coke and drink it up like crazy but other than that no soda. So, the treat drink is seltzer because who doesn't love bubbles and when I am out to eat I have them add cranberry juice because that makes it extra special!!!!
Now, with any diet plan I failed easily because if I couldn't do it to a t than I felt I was failing and just gave up. So, I recommend as you start working on your plan think of one thing that you do often that you are willing to stop. For me the first think was alcohol, for some it would be bread, for others it would be soda. You can make it as big or as little of a sacrifice as you want, but commit to it. This is a life change so don't do what I had the tendency of doing and try to commit to something that is too hard for you to do. If wine is something you have with your spouse during date nights and or even every night and you don't want to give it up...I say don't. (Remember, I am not a health guru- what I just said might be why) Give up something that has calories you don't need and feels pretty easy. Here is my theory why. If you give up something that you really can't commit to then you will fail and when you fail you feel bad about yourself and if you are commited to this blog than my guess is when you feel bad about yourself you do things that cause you to gain more weight. However, if you pick something easy you can succeed with, you will feel good about the success and it will get easier to pick other things to stay away from.
Nothing has to be cut forever. The goal isn't miserable. The goal is healthier and therefore much, much happier. So, if you are just at the beginning stage of thinking about wanting to be healthier, just sit back and notice what you eat and drink. Try to pick one thing that would not make you feel miserable to stop for awhile. Delve in and give it a try. Have fun!
Proud of you success and for taking charge of your own self.
ReplyDeleteI like your sane stragey suggestion! A 'tip' for your consideration from my very healthy, more self aware about her physical well being than I will ever be be god mother and aunt that I thought I would share - Her go to tip if you are trying to lose weigh 'have half'. Don't deny yourself what you want, but try to see if half will fill the need for half the calories.