Some people have asked me what program or diet I am following. The mere question sends my life flashing before my eyes every time.
I’ve been a chunker my whole life. (Anyone else remember the horror of having to buy the “Husky” jeans as a kid?)
It seems I’ve been on one diet or another throughout all my years. That is, until I just said “screw it,” and we see where that got me.
I’ve done The Grapefruit Diet. The Cabbage Diet. The Low-Fat Diet. The Low-Carb Diet.
My young adulthood favorite: The Cigarettes and Diet Coke Diet.
This time? I’m trying to be sensible (not always my strong suit). I’m taking the advice a doctor gave me years ago when I asked him to help me lose weight:
“Eat less, move more,” he said.
Trust me, both of those thoughts (eating less and moving more) scare the hell out of me. I’ve always had the appetite of a grown man, even as a young girl.
But I figure right now any movement is “moving more.” I’ve done nothing for far too long.
(I did just get off the treadmill, by the way. I went 22.5 minutes for 1.1 miles today.)
That eating less thing can be tricky, though. I have to tell myself it is fewer calories, not necessarily eating less.
And the key to that, for me, is being prepared. Take a look at my picture. That was taken Sunday.
I plan to cut up vegetables for the whole week, just like that, so that I just grab them and go to work.
For breakfast yesterday, I had a Fiber One bar, a banana and a glass of V-8. Snack: raw almonds.
(Note: I really like Egg Beaters and turkey sausage links, but the above breakfast is usually what I have time for, especially since I’m exercising and writing in the mornings.)
For lunch, I had tuna mixed with the reduced-fat mayo made with olive oil (even better if you can eat the tuna dry, but it gags me) and reduced-fat Triscuits. Plus some of those vegetables (I take grape tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, carrots, broccoli and cauliflower. I try hard to eat them alone, but hummus is a pretty good dip for veggies.)
For dinner, I had salmon burgers, which I found in the frozen food section. I was pretty pleased. Not too fishy. And you guessed it … more veggies.
So, that’s just one day, but you get the point. Use common sense.
Eat less, move more.
What works for you?
mooooving is the only thing that's ever worked for me. That combined with avoiding the abundant snacks at the office! I thought I'd lose weight while off with my broken ankle ... not so. I was less mobile (though I gained some great upper body strength from using crutches for two months), ate three meals a day plus snacks ... ugh.
ReplyDeleteI have to say.... as soon as the kids left for school I wanted to check to see if you had a new entry today! I start my "eat less, move more" today!! Thanks for the inspiration.
ReplyDeleteMisty, I'm rooting for you! You are a strong person and can do this. What works for me is whole foods, and if I do eat something from a box it needs to have less than 5 ingredients in it. Any breads or pastas are 100% whole wheat. I recommend you to read some of Micheal Pollan's books on food, "Omnivore's Delimma, In Defense of Food, Food Rules", if you haven't already. It gives you a history of our food system and really breaks down how these foods are made and why they are not healthy for us. These books have changed the way I eat. Wishing you the best!! ~~~Jennifer Bottom Sobecki
ReplyDeleteTuna hint..they make packages of Tuna with Lemon Pepper seasoning, hickory smoke, etc..They are really really good! I use half a pack on a bed of lettuce with other good veggies mixed in...and use a light italian dressing. I LOVE IT! and it is a great filling lunch. Keep up the great work. I think of you every time I want to cut a workout short or stop and get some fast food...Keep inspiring and motivating!
ReplyDeleteShauna
Forgot to tell you how wise you are to get up and exercise first thing. Once upon a time (that means my mid-20s) I got out and jogged at 5:30 a.m. before I had to get the kids up and go to work. I was 40 pounds overweight and felt every fat ounce. But exercising first thing does get the body in gear better for the whole day. After two weeks I saw a big difference and began to look forward to getting outside and moving in the quiet of sunrise. When the weather gets warm, consider taking a tour of your neighborhood, which looks perfect for a brisk sunrise walk. Cheering for ya!
ReplyDeleteYou rock girlfriend! I've found a few things that work for me and one of them is that I don't ignore cravings. If I have a hankering for ice cream, I have to have it or I'll eat everything between me and it. Now I just have a sample and walk away...my favorites are the Dove 70 cal ice cream bites. Also, I had to make up my mind that exercise was just going to be a part of my day like other daily necessities so then it stopped being something I dreaded. After a year of working out two hours a day and losing NOTHING I did have to have doctor intervention and tried a round of some crazy drugs. I hated taking them but they did teach me that food doesn't rule my life and even though i stopped them earlier than I was supposed to, I think of the lesson they taught me a lot...especially when I'm starving at lunch and really just want a big ol' greasy somethin'. I will still live with a salad. Just change one thing at a time. Keep on rockin'!
ReplyDelete