The Diet Pet Rock
By itsthesmallthings on Etsy
It's that time...time for a DIET. ACK! I know half of my reading audience just went *yawn,* but this is an important part of life. Especially considering that America is the most obese country in the entire world. Why? Because we over eat, our portions are ridiculous, and we (Americans) don't cook at home as often as we should.
First let me say, I am NOT an overly large person. I'm a healthy size 14. But...I still have the desire to want to look good. The experts say that half of maintaining a healthy weight is a healthy outlook. I am healthy and I see myself as a beautiful person. But now that I am in my 30's and I know that when the big "M" hits I'll be gaining weight instead of losing it, I think it's time to slim down a little. After this surgery that I had last week, it shouldn't be too hard. But here's the problem. I'm ALWAYS hungry. Even when I'm not eating, I'm hungry. I think about food a lot during the day...what's for dinner, what I can have for lunch. And often, despite my best intentions, I usually overeat.
In the past I have been able to trim off 20 pounds in a matter of a couple of months with hard work and diligence. So how much do I want to lose? I'm starting small and rewarding myself when I meet those goals. Overall I'd like to lose 15-20 pounds. But...when I lose 8 I'm going to do something special....what, I don't know. But I'll come up with something.
Here's the issue...in my life where I'm either running ragged and never home, or sitting in front of a computer all day, or sitting in my studio creating...how is it possible to trim down, stay healthy and lose the extra pounds? Well...I'm trying to figure that out. I'm making a sincere effort this time around too...none of this "half way" stuff that I like to do (say I'm on a diet and splurge on calories in the wrong way...I mean I just couldn't help it, that pie looked so good). Nope. Not this time. The holidays are quickly approaching and decadent foods of all kinds will begin to filter into my radar. And they will be desperately hard to resist if I'm only quasi-committed to a diet plan.
Cooking isn't the problem in my house. I cook dinner for hubby and I every night. I cook smartly and we eat healthfully. But...our portions are usually DOUBLE what they should be. The easiest thing my hubby and I did when we dieted last time, was we took lunch out of dinner first. Sounds backward, I know. But what I mean is, there are only 2 of us...yet I cook for at least 4 and sometimes 6. Because hubby and I work and are busy, this allows for at least 2 if not 4 leftover portions to put in the fridge to pack in our lunches for the next several days. Well...when I cook our favorites, those 4 or 6 servings ends up being 2...all eaten at one meal together.
Here's my plan:
*1,600 calories a day
- Virtually eliminate empty calories (that 2nd glass of milk, etc)
* Increase vegetable & fruit consumption
* Carefully portion carbs (1 slice of bread, not 2)
* Portion control - retrain my brain
* Smile at myself in the mirror every day and remind myself that no matter how I look on the outside, that Jesus LOVES who I am on the inside!
Have you successfully lost weight? How have you done it in the past? Are there any tips, suggestions, web sites you can give me to help me stay on track and keep focused?! We'll keep you up dated on how we're doing...
I found this online and I thought the information there was useful. See what you think:
7 Snack-Smart Guidelines | Eat This, Not That
18 comments:
After my second child, I had a good 20 lbs to take off - I simply replaced my dinner size plate with a lunch plate and never took seconds. This forced portion control and the lbs melted off quickly. You can do this, too!!
Thanks for the encouragement. My husband and I were very successful before by simply cutting our portion sizes. The only problem is we're usually still hungry...
Drink lots and lots of water between meals. Don't let yourself get hungry! Snacks should be protein and carbs together.
You can do it Katie! You're such an amazing person :)
I'm the same size as you, I have that portion control issue too :(...and a lack of discipline! Good luck!
@Kelly - I will definitely have to get used to water. I've NEVER liked water unless it's ice cold. Thanks for the uplift.
@OTM - Portion control stinks! I've gotten so used to "American sized" portions, that I forget what a REAL portion size is. Not to mention, I'm undisciplined too.
Good luck!! Portion control is a big thing... why do we think our plate needs to be full?
Katie, that diet rock is HILARIOUS!! I need one of those watching me too. I'm in the same boat as you, about the same size, eat healthy but LOVE TO EAT!! 3 apples are still caloric but I'm trying and it definitely helps when you have support. I found the best thing for me is to join a Volleyball Team (last week) with my boyfriend to balance the extra food
(working out makes me less hungry down the line)
Great info and yes we have to learn to eat small portions everyday especially starting from next week on Thanksgiving.
Good luck with yours.
Hi, Katie...I know you said you don't like water unless it's ice cold, but that is actually the BEST way to drink water or anything else...your body works extra hard to warm it up, burning calories while doing so, & you don't even know it! :-)
Coming from someone who wears size 0-2 even after the birth of my daughter, you want to steer clear of soft drinks & sugar, & if you are really hungry, go for protein!
Best of Luck!!!
I love the Diet rock.. I recently lost 45 lbs...just eating more protein and less carbs...and the MIO helped me drink tons of water...
great info!
That's a great goal you have and I'm sure you'll stick to it. I have been quite lucky in that I can eat what I want and avoid gaining weight. But honestly, I still eat healthy and get at least 6 hours of exercise every week.
yeah, it's hard. More protein, more fruits and veggies. it's hard but doable.
Good luck. You can do it!
Having a friend to join me in my weight loss made the trip so much easier. I completely changed my eating habits, added lots of water and spent some serious time in my bible. If you need a support, let me know. I have 25 more pounds to go. Lost lost 25 lbs. so far!
uniquecozytreasures - Katie, losing weight is a lot of work but it is attainable. While my dad was sick I went from a size 8 to 18. I am now back to a size 8 a year after his death. Couldn't lose a pound while under so much stress. I drank alot of water, when I was hungry. I cut my portions in thirds, I quit drinking soft drinks and anything with high frutose corn syrup in it, I quit eating pork and only ate sugar sparingly. Lots of veggies, eat meat only once per day. Here's the main tip: EAT DINNER BY 6:00PM AND NOTHING ELSE UNTIL BREAKFAST! You will get used to it and the pounds will drop off. Remember, If you aren't a little hungry, you aren't burning enough calories! It will take a couple of weeks or more to notice the weight loss. Let us know how you do and reward yourself with some new clothes as you drop sizes!
I hope you achieve your goals!!!
Thank you all for the advice and comments! I'll keep you updated.
Good luck on your journey - it looks like you've got a good plan in place! My problem is always sweets - I do much better when I do without them for a few weeks. With sweets, I just can't seem to eat in moderation!!
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