I'm turning over a new leaf. If you have read any of this blog before, you know I love to eat, cook and yet maintain a healthy BMI. Heretofore, I have used fasting for my main body weight control method. But as I get older I have really come to believe that it is more important to focus on overall health, than on weight or dress size. In the last year I have focused on getting more exercise, eating more healthy foods and not obsessing on the gravitational pull of the earth on my body. Oh, I still look at the scale once in awhile to make sure it's not getting out of hand, but I'm not AS worried about numbers on a scale anymore.. they are, after all just numbers. Fasting works, but I really want to protect my bones as I get older, so I want to concentrate on eating what my body needs for healthy maintenance and repair, which includes calcium, leafy green vegetables and variety of fruits and vegetables.
Sometimes I feel like I have two dueling personalities. One side loves to cook, eat, create and celebrate life, often with food. Think Paula Deen... the more butter the better! The other side loves to be healthy, exercise, get stronger and be lean. After all exercise is the key to staying younger longer, and toned muscles under your clothes look far better than flab or even skinniness alone. These two personalities often seem to conflict with each other, but I am determined to enjoy both of them and try for a balanced whole.
So this year on this blog I will try and find delicious, yummy and satisfying meals and desserts with a healthy twist. I will still indulge in my favorite unhealthy foods too, but will balance those times with exercise and eating right most of the time. My goal is not to be skinny, but to be strong and healthy.
I have joined a gym recently, and have been exploring their aerobics classes and weight room, (as my husband can attest, as he has to listen to me grunt and groan as I go up and down the stairs after some of my workouts). It has been a lot of fun though and I love moving my body.
Maybe you will be encouraged to move more and eat better most of the time too, while still enjoying those special moments that call for that decadent chocolate brownie with ice cream and hot fudge topping!
Showing posts with label Weight Loss. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Weight Loss. Show all posts
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Fast Before Feasting!
I have a big eating weekend coming up! We have a ballgame to go to, a birthday to celebrate AND it's Mother's Day weekend, so I know we'll be eating out at LEAST twice! I know for certain I'll be having peanuts at the ballgame, a pizza buffet, Ice Cream Cake,, another great meal and cookies, etc., and I plan to enjoy EVERY bite of it!
So today, even though my weight is at a happy place, I will fast two meals, in preparation for the big eating weekend.
Hopefully, by cutting calories before and after a big feast time, the actual damage will be minimal. Today is a better day to fast for me than tomorrow, as I actually need to run a lot of errands and be out of the house for a long period of time. So it's the perfect opportunity to take advantage of my hectic schedule to burn a few extra calories. Chewing gum helps. Drinking lots of fluids, preferably water, but it can be anything calorie FREE, also helps. The biggest help is making up your MIND to do it. Once you do that the rest is much easier.
Celebrate every hour! Fasting two meals is really not very long. Anyone can do it. I'm 7 hours away from dinner and I'm not even hungry yet! So, it will be a good day. On days that I fast that I do feel hungry right away, I find that once you get past that first hunger attack, your body settles down and your hunger disappears for the most part. You will however feel a little hungry, from time to time, but isn't that the point? You are forcing your body to get it's energy from your stored fat. Keep your end goal in mind. Remind yourself that you are burning fat, and you have plenty to spare. Imagine your body taking some of your fat and using it for energy. Let it!! Most of us have plenty of fat to carry us through a long hard winter! Don't worry, you will refuel those storage tanks soon enough! There is always a reason to eat right around the corner, like this weekend for me.
Tomorrow I'll be back to eating smaller meals during the day. I don't fast everyday. It is just an easy way to cut calories for your overall week, without having to count calories, exercise like crazy, or eat only rabbit food.
One word of caution for women, please protect your bones by getting enough calcium, Vitamin D and green leafy vegetables, as well as doing some form of weight resistance exercise to ensure dense bones.
So today, even though my weight is at a happy place, I will fast two meals, in preparation for the big eating weekend.
Hopefully, by cutting calories before and after a big feast time, the actual damage will be minimal. Today is a better day to fast for me than tomorrow, as I actually need to run a lot of errands and be out of the house for a long period of time. So it's the perfect opportunity to take advantage of my hectic schedule to burn a few extra calories. Chewing gum helps. Drinking lots of fluids, preferably water, but it can be anything calorie FREE, also helps. The biggest help is making up your MIND to do it. Once you do that the rest is much easier.
Celebrate every hour! Fasting two meals is really not very long. Anyone can do it. I'm 7 hours away from dinner and I'm not even hungry yet! So, it will be a good day. On days that I fast that I do feel hungry right away, I find that once you get past that first hunger attack, your body settles down and your hunger disappears for the most part. You will however feel a little hungry, from time to time, but isn't that the point? You are forcing your body to get it's energy from your stored fat. Keep your end goal in mind. Remind yourself that you are burning fat, and you have plenty to spare. Imagine your body taking some of your fat and using it for energy. Let it!! Most of us have plenty of fat to carry us through a long hard winter! Don't worry, you will refuel those storage tanks soon enough! There is always a reason to eat right around the corner, like this weekend for me.
Tomorrow I'll be back to eating smaller meals during the day. I don't fast everyday. It is just an easy way to cut calories for your overall week, without having to count calories, exercise like crazy, or eat only rabbit food.
One word of caution for women, please protect your bones by getting enough calcium, Vitamin D and green leafy vegetables, as well as doing some form of weight resistance exercise to ensure dense bones.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Learning to Eat Less
I'm not a diet guru, or a doctor, or anyone of importance really. I have, however fought the seemingly never ending battle of the bulge. I tried many different diets through the years, and I believe I finally found something that works for me, that I can live with for the rest of my life. It may work for you, it may not. But if you are willing to try it, you might be surprised at how easily excess weight can be gone from your life forever.
We, as Americans, are so addicted to food. We eat often, we eat large, and if we happen to miss a meal we feel panicked and afraid, as if our bodies are going to give out the moment we don't eat. If we feel the slightest hunger pang, we feel we must instantly find something to satiate ourselves. Comfort ourselves. Feed ourselves.
We are trained early that we must eat three meals a day and add in a few snacks! Are we still in grade school? Are our bodies still growing? As adults, we may still be growing in an outwardly direction, but I think our height progression has probably been attained! We don't need to eat to allow for growth, as we do when we were children.
As I've experimented with eating less I now believe we just eat way too MUCH food. We don't actually listen to our bodies anymore. If the clock says we must eat, then we do, whether we are actually hungry or not. If we're bored, we eat. If we're stressed we eat. We start out with a nice large breakfast, proceed to a substantial lunch to get us through to an even bigger last meal of the day! And don't forget that Snickers Bar we must have around 3 o'clock to give us energy! No wonder we are so fat!
Then we try to compensate for our excess eating by excess exercising, or by going on a restrictive diet with many rules that we can't possibly hope to maintain for a lifetime. Diets don't work because they are so complicated and unrealistic! Don't eat carbs, don't eat fats, don't eat sweets, only eat vegetables, measure this, drink that.. it's unending! There are so many diets and so many rules we begin to feel hopeless that we can ever master the vicious cycle of food and weight gain.Many diets tell you to eat 6 times a day and NEVER let your body feel hungry! Does this even make sense? How is your body ever going to burn excess fat if you never let it? Diets don't make sense and take all the fun out of eating.
I remember feeling that I couldn't make the scale budge even one pound.. I was stuck... I was just going to have to accept being bigger and bigger every year.
Then I tried eating less. Plain and simple. No gimmicks, no diet wonder drug, no complex plan. Just eat less.
Now learning to eat less takes some time. We are so used to eating all the time, that eating less often is a new concept and not one we readily embrace. But the freedom you feel once you do is amazing. It is so simple. It's not hard. Whether by Intermittent fasting, or just cutting portion sizes, it doesn't matter. The goal it to decrease your total calorie intake in some way. Weight loss is the end result. Easily. Granted some days are easier than others, but keep the end goal in mind. I find it much easier than killing myself with exercise or following a strict diet regime.
Skipping meals here and there actually WON'T kill you. Allowing your body to actually FEEL hungry once in awhile not only re-tunes you to your body's cues but helps your body re-tune itself. In fact, if you look up Intermittent Fasting on the Internet you will find that science backs it up as a way to improve your overall health and add years to your life. I lost weight without ever counting calories and never measuring my food. I ate what I would normally eat, just less of it. Or I skipped a meal once in awhile. If I overate over the weekend, I fasted on Monday. If I knew I was going to eat a large dinner on Friday night, I ate lightly or fasted during the day.Yes, I walked and moved my body. I continued to exercise because I LIKED to. Not because I HAD to.
Another way to eat less, is to quit eating just BEFORE you reach 100% fullness. This is a popular concept in Asian cultures, and it works for us here too. If you can't judge when you are ALMOST full, then just limit yourself to one serving. You are still eating the foods you love, just not a lot of it. Drink lots of water and when you are finished eating, get up and leave the table. Go for a walk. Get away from the temptation. Eventually you will find that food doesn't tempt you the way it used to. Food won't control you anymore.
It's just food. It's all food. Some food is certainly better for you, but it's all just food. Why let it dominate you? Once you break the cycle of continuous feeding, you will find a freedom in not HAVING to eat! Your body was designed to be very efficient and to burn fat when needed to provide the energy it needs. Doesn't it seem weird to keep putting gas in an engine that is overflowing already from too much fuel? If our bodies could talk to us, they would probably beg us to quit making it store so much excess fuel, increasing our risk of diabetes, metabolic syndrome and high blood pressure. Our bodies were made to use the fuel we store, not become a fuel reservoir. We are only damaging our bodies when we insist on packing in so much more than we need. You may think I never eat, but that's not true. I eat everyday. Most days I eat several times, small meals with one larger meal in the evening with the family. Some days I skip breakfast and lunch and just eat dinner. I listen to my body's cues. Is is crying out for food? Is it not really hungry at all? Many times I may not eat breakfast until 11am or later. Sometimes I eat by 9am. Or maybe I'll wait until 2pm? I have no set rule, no set schedule. I listen to my body.
I don't rush to feed it the moment hunger hits. Sometimes I'll have a drink, something hot or my favorite iced beverage, and wait a few minutes, then see if I'm still hungry. When you are fasting, this is a great way to get through the day. Drink lots of water and enjoy your favorite calorie free beverages. Once you wrap your mind around the concept, it is much easier. You CAN do this, and actually come to enjoy it.
My light meals might not look like meals to some. I may have two scoops of crunchy peanut butter and an apple for lunch. Or half a sandwich and a few chips or a half glass of milk. Or maybe I just need a few animal crackers or a granola bar. You will be surprised at how little you really need to feel full, if you will just listen to your body. I eat small during the day, followed by a good meal in the evening. I do allow myself to eat larger meals on occasion, such as on holidays, weekends or celebrations. I eat cookies and ice cream just about every weekend. I don't worry about it because I know I'll eat small or fast during the week. You can eat more if you are maintaining, eat less if you want to lose. The healthier you eat, the faster the weight will come off, but never give up indulgences completely. What is life without cookies and ice cream? Or my favorite, peanut butter? Sometimes ice cream IS my lunch on the weekend, and my stomach and my sweet tooth are both completely satisfied.
If you have struggled with weight, I would recommend you try it, given that your doctor approves and you don't have any conflicting health issues. Find what works for you. Most people can do some form of eating less. Eating less leads to LESS weight for you!
One word of caution for women, please get enough calcium, Vitamin D and green leafy vegetables in your diet to protect your bone health. This along with some weight resistance exercises will help keep your bones dense.
We, as Americans, are so addicted to food. We eat often, we eat large, and if we happen to miss a meal we feel panicked and afraid, as if our bodies are going to give out the moment we don't eat. If we feel the slightest hunger pang, we feel we must instantly find something to satiate ourselves. Comfort ourselves. Feed ourselves.
We are trained early that we must eat three meals a day and add in a few snacks! Are we still in grade school? Are our bodies still growing? As adults, we may still be growing in an outwardly direction, but I think our height progression has probably been attained! We don't need to eat to allow for growth, as we do when we were children.
As I've experimented with eating less I now believe we just eat way too MUCH food. We don't actually listen to our bodies anymore. If the clock says we must eat, then we do, whether we are actually hungry or not. If we're bored, we eat. If we're stressed we eat. We start out with a nice large breakfast, proceed to a substantial lunch to get us through to an even bigger last meal of the day! And don't forget that Snickers Bar we must have around 3 o'clock to give us energy! No wonder we are so fat!
Then we try to compensate for our excess eating by excess exercising, or by going on a restrictive diet with many rules that we can't possibly hope to maintain for a lifetime. Diets don't work because they are so complicated and unrealistic! Don't eat carbs, don't eat fats, don't eat sweets, only eat vegetables, measure this, drink that.. it's unending! There are so many diets and so many rules we begin to feel hopeless that we can ever master the vicious cycle of food and weight gain.Many diets tell you to eat 6 times a day and NEVER let your body feel hungry! Does this even make sense? How is your body ever going to burn excess fat if you never let it? Diets don't make sense and take all the fun out of eating.
I remember feeling that I couldn't make the scale budge even one pound.. I was stuck... I was just going to have to accept being bigger and bigger every year.
Then I tried eating less. Plain and simple. No gimmicks, no diet wonder drug, no complex plan. Just eat less.
Now learning to eat less takes some time. We are so used to eating all the time, that eating less often is a new concept and not one we readily embrace. But the freedom you feel once you do is amazing. It is so simple. It's not hard. Whether by Intermittent fasting, or just cutting portion sizes, it doesn't matter. The goal it to decrease your total calorie intake in some way. Weight loss is the end result. Easily. Granted some days are easier than others, but keep the end goal in mind. I find it much easier than killing myself with exercise or following a strict diet regime.
Skipping meals here and there actually WON'T kill you. Allowing your body to actually FEEL hungry once in awhile not only re-tunes you to your body's cues but helps your body re-tune itself. In fact, if you look up Intermittent Fasting on the Internet you will find that science backs it up as a way to improve your overall health and add years to your life. I lost weight without ever counting calories and never measuring my food. I ate what I would normally eat, just less of it. Or I skipped a meal once in awhile. If I overate over the weekend, I fasted on Monday. If I knew I was going to eat a large dinner on Friday night, I ate lightly or fasted during the day.Yes, I walked and moved my body. I continued to exercise because I LIKED to. Not because I HAD to.
Another way to eat less, is to quit eating just BEFORE you reach 100% fullness. This is a popular concept in Asian cultures, and it works for us here too. If you can't judge when you are ALMOST full, then just limit yourself to one serving. You are still eating the foods you love, just not a lot of it. Drink lots of water and when you are finished eating, get up and leave the table. Go for a walk. Get away from the temptation. Eventually you will find that food doesn't tempt you the way it used to. Food won't control you anymore.
It's just food. It's all food. Some food is certainly better for you, but it's all just food. Why let it dominate you? Once you break the cycle of continuous feeding, you will find a freedom in not HAVING to eat! Your body was designed to be very efficient and to burn fat when needed to provide the energy it needs. Doesn't it seem weird to keep putting gas in an engine that is overflowing already from too much fuel? If our bodies could talk to us, they would probably beg us to quit making it store so much excess fuel, increasing our risk of diabetes, metabolic syndrome and high blood pressure. Our bodies were made to use the fuel we store, not become a fuel reservoir. We are only damaging our bodies when we insist on packing in so much more than we need. You may think I never eat, but that's not true. I eat everyday. Most days I eat several times, small meals with one larger meal in the evening with the family. Some days I skip breakfast and lunch and just eat dinner. I listen to my body's cues. Is is crying out for food? Is it not really hungry at all? Many times I may not eat breakfast until 11am or later. Sometimes I eat by 9am. Or maybe I'll wait until 2pm? I have no set rule, no set schedule. I listen to my body.
I don't rush to feed it the moment hunger hits. Sometimes I'll have a drink, something hot or my favorite iced beverage, and wait a few minutes, then see if I'm still hungry. When you are fasting, this is a great way to get through the day. Drink lots of water and enjoy your favorite calorie free beverages. Once you wrap your mind around the concept, it is much easier. You CAN do this, and actually come to enjoy it.
My light meals might not look like meals to some. I may have two scoops of crunchy peanut butter and an apple for lunch. Or half a sandwich and a few chips or a half glass of milk. Or maybe I just need a few animal crackers or a granola bar. You will be surprised at how little you really need to feel full, if you will just listen to your body. I eat small during the day, followed by a good meal in the evening. I do allow myself to eat larger meals on occasion, such as on holidays, weekends or celebrations. I eat cookies and ice cream just about every weekend. I don't worry about it because I know I'll eat small or fast during the week. You can eat more if you are maintaining, eat less if you want to lose. The healthier you eat, the faster the weight will come off, but never give up indulgences completely. What is life without cookies and ice cream? Or my favorite, peanut butter? Sometimes ice cream IS my lunch on the weekend, and my stomach and my sweet tooth are both completely satisfied.
If you have struggled with weight, I would recommend you try it, given that your doctor approves and you don't have any conflicting health issues. Find what works for you. Most people can do some form of eating less. Eating less leads to LESS weight for you!
One word of caution for women, please get enough calcium, Vitamin D and green leafy vegetables in your diet to protect your bone health. This along with some weight resistance exercises will help keep your bones dense.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Why I Like Intermittent Fasting
I think it's obvious from all the recipes on this blog that I love food. I love to cook. I love to bake. And I love to EAT! I always have! But I don't love being fat. I've never been morbidly obese, but I've certainly carried around more weight than was healthy for me.
The first time I lost a sizable amount of weight, I was around 16 years old. I went on a low-carb diet and upped my exercise and lost around 30 lbs. I kept that off for most of my twenties, always conscious of my carb and calorie intake. I have never been an athlete, but I have always and still do a lot of walking, with the occasional bout of aerobics or light running thrown in.
Then after being married for almost a decade and having three children, I found that I needed to again lose weight. This time I latched on to the Weigh Down diet. I don't agree with the founder's spiritual beliefs, but the diet itself did work. I lost 30 pounds. Again. This diet teaches you to eat when you are hungry and stop when you are full. The problem with this diet is that you end up not eating much ever! I guess that really solves the weight problem, but I began to miss food. I missed eating. Remember, I LIKE to eat! With this diet, the less you ate, the less hungry you get, and if you aren't hungry you don't eat! Thus the rapid weight loss. Eventually I rebelled from this diet and slowly gained the weight back.
Though I value exercise for it's wonderful and many health benefits, I certainly wasn't going to work out like a Biggest Loser contestant. Bob Harper would kill me in a week! One comment that stuck with me from the Weigh Down diet, was that disabled people were not destined to be fat just because they couldn't exercise. I agree with that. Reducing your calorie intake is a sure way to lose pounds. You should exercise to increase your health, stamina, overall feeling of well-being and flexibility, but you don't have to kill yourself to be thin.
I had resigned myself to being a bit overweight. I wasn't huge, certainly acceptable for a woman in her 40's. I didn't love my body, but I didn't absolutely hate it either. I didn't want to follow a diet that precluded me from eating carbs, or fats or sugar or said I could never have a feast. Like I've said in a prior post, I don't like to be told I can't have something! It just makes me obsess about it until I get it!
Then one day my husband started losing weight. For him it's simple. Just don't eat and you lose weight. He was losing a lot of weight by just not eating all day and only eating a reasonable dinner. I wasn't willing to do this every day. I like eating too much.
That's when I discovered Intermittent Fasting, (IF). You can search Intermittent Fasting on the Internet and have a slew of people explain it much better than I can. But here is my take on it. Basically you pick one or two days a week and FAST for a period of time. For me this means that after eating dinner one evening, I will not eat anything until dinner the next evening.
I find this so much easier than counting calories, or eliminating whole food groups. I just don't eat for a 24 hour period a few days a week. As you can imagine this really puts a dent in my calorie input for the whole week. Some people do this once a week, others do it three times a week. Mormons evidently do it once a month. The benefits are incredible. Not only will you lose weight, but you actually extend your life span, fight cancer, and re tune your body to insulin. Think about it. You are putting less carbs, fats etc. into your body, just by not eating for one day. You will therefore decrease your inflammatory index. Your cholesterol will be lower. Your blood pressure will improve. I don't have a problem with overeating the next day. That has not been an issue for me at all.
On my eating days I eat what I want, though I try to eat small during the week. This means I still try to not overeat for the most part, but if I'm hungry, I eat. On weekends I allow myself to splurge, and eat what I want, within reason. I don't eat all day, all weekend long. But I will allow myself to eat cookies and ice cream and pizza. I still follow my rule of two, which is simply that I only eat two of the indulgent item and call it quits. This plan has worked, with little effort on my part. I tolerate fasting well. I actually look forward to it, especially if I have eaten a lot over the weekend! As it is only one day at a time, I know I can eat the next day, so I don't get stressed out about it. With the Weigh Down diet, I could never eat cereal in the morning because I wasn't sure I was really hungry. But with IF I can look forward to my cereal and decaffeinated coffee on my eating days and enjoy eating. I can have those nachos at the ballgame, because I know that though I may be consuming more calories than I need for that day, tomorrow I will have a deficit on my fasting day. It all evens out. I don't have to resign myself to only eating rabbit food for the rest of my life. I have lost those pesky 30 pounds again and I have kept it off for about a year now. I feel confident that this plan will work for a lifetime. I don't feel the urge to rebel, as I can still eat what I enjoy in moderation and stay thin.
Now I've set a number on the scale. If I go over that number, it's time to really crack down and increase my fasting days. Otherwise, I just maintain, enjoy the occasional feast and splurge on the weekends and get back on track during the week. I love it!
For more information and science on this eating style, visit Intermittent Fasting or Eat Stop Eat. I never bought a book, or spent any money. I just read enough to want to try it and I am here to tell you it absolutely works!
One word of caution for women, please be sure and get enough calcium, Vitamin D and green leafy vegetables in your diet to prevent bone loss. This along with some form of weight resistance exercise will keep your bones healthy.
The first time I lost a sizable amount of weight, I was around 16 years old. I went on a low-carb diet and upped my exercise and lost around 30 lbs. I kept that off for most of my twenties, always conscious of my carb and calorie intake. I have never been an athlete, but I have always and still do a lot of walking, with the occasional bout of aerobics or light running thrown in.
Then after being married for almost a decade and having three children, I found that I needed to again lose weight. This time I latched on to the Weigh Down diet. I don't agree with the founder's spiritual beliefs, but the diet itself did work. I lost 30 pounds. Again. This diet teaches you to eat when you are hungry and stop when you are full. The problem with this diet is that you end up not eating much ever! I guess that really solves the weight problem, but I began to miss food. I missed eating. Remember, I LIKE to eat! With this diet, the less you ate, the less hungry you get, and if you aren't hungry you don't eat! Thus the rapid weight loss. Eventually I rebelled from this diet and slowly gained the weight back.
Though I value exercise for it's wonderful and many health benefits, I certainly wasn't going to work out like a Biggest Loser contestant. Bob Harper would kill me in a week! One comment that stuck with me from the Weigh Down diet, was that disabled people were not destined to be fat just because they couldn't exercise. I agree with that. Reducing your calorie intake is a sure way to lose pounds. You should exercise to increase your health, stamina, overall feeling of well-being and flexibility, but you don't have to kill yourself to be thin.
I had resigned myself to being a bit overweight. I wasn't huge, certainly acceptable for a woman in her 40's. I didn't love my body, but I didn't absolutely hate it either. I didn't want to follow a diet that precluded me from eating carbs, or fats or sugar or said I could never have a feast. Like I've said in a prior post, I don't like to be told I can't have something! It just makes me obsess about it until I get it!
Then one day my husband started losing weight. For him it's simple. Just don't eat and you lose weight. He was losing a lot of weight by just not eating all day and only eating a reasonable dinner. I wasn't willing to do this every day. I like eating too much.
That's when I discovered Intermittent Fasting, (IF). You can search Intermittent Fasting on the Internet and have a slew of people explain it much better than I can. But here is my take on it. Basically you pick one or two days a week and FAST for a period of time. For me this means that after eating dinner one evening, I will not eat anything until dinner the next evening.
I find this so much easier than counting calories, or eliminating whole food groups. I just don't eat for a 24 hour period a few days a week. As you can imagine this really puts a dent in my calorie input for the whole week. Some people do this once a week, others do it three times a week. Mormons evidently do it once a month. The benefits are incredible. Not only will you lose weight, but you actually extend your life span, fight cancer, and re tune your body to insulin. Think about it. You are putting less carbs, fats etc. into your body, just by not eating for one day. You will therefore decrease your inflammatory index. Your cholesterol will be lower. Your blood pressure will improve. I don't have a problem with overeating the next day. That has not been an issue for me at all.
On my eating days I eat what I want, though I try to eat small during the week. This means I still try to not overeat for the most part, but if I'm hungry, I eat. On weekends I allow myself to splurge, and eat what I want, within reason. I don't eat all day, all weekend long. But I will allow myself to eat cookies and ice cream and pizza. I still follow my rule of two, which is simply that I only eat two of the indulgent item and call it quits. This plan has worked, with little effort on my part. I tolerate fasting well. I actually look forward to it, especially if I have eaten a lot over the weekend! As it is only one day at a time, I know I can eat the next day, so I don't get stressed out about it. With the Weigh Down diet, I could never eat cereal in the morning because I wasn't sure I was really hungry. But with IF I can look forward to my cereal and decaffeinated coffee on my eating days and enjoy eating. I can have those nachos at the ballgame, because I know that though I may be consuming more calories than I need for that day, tomorrow I will have a deficit on my fasting day. It all evens out. I don't have to resign myself to only eating rabbit food for the rest of my life. I have lost those pesky 30 pounds again and I have kept it off for about a year now. I feel confident that this plan will work for a lifetime. I don't feel the urge to rebel, as I can still eat what I enjoy in moderation and stay thin.
Now I've set a number on the scale. If I go over that number, it's time to really crack down and increase my fasting days. Otherwise, I just maintain, enjoy the occasional feast and splurge on the weekends and get back on track during the week. I love it!
For more information and science on this eating style, visit Intermittent Fasting or Eat Stop Eat. I never bought a book, or spent any money. I just read enough to want to try it and I am here to tell you it absolutely works!
One word of caution for women, please be sure and get enough calcium, Vitamin D and green leafy vegetables in your diet to prevent bone loss. This along with some form of weight resistance exercise will keep your bones healthy.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Make Every Bite Count
I know I harp on just eating less, but I haven't stressed that when you do eat, really make it count. Pick out the best of what you are eating. For instance, if there is a pan of cookies in front of you and you know you are only going to have one or two of them, pick out your very favorite ones. I like the misshapen ones that slid on my warped cookie sheet and have a little crunchy end. Or the one that looks like a heart. I know, I'm weird. But get exactly what you want to eat, since you are only eating a limited amount.
Then, after you have chosen the very best of your choices, take your time and savor every bite. I can make a cookie last a long time. Tear off small chunk, savor it... tear off another small chunk.. savor.. you can have dessert for hours! Okay, that's an exaggeration, but you get the picture.
Drag it out.
Make it last.
Don't be in a hurry and eat mindlessly.
Taste the flavors. Get the most out of the experience. Take sips of water in between bites. Chew slowly. Engage in conversation with others. This way you get maximum enjoyment without just shoving food in without thought to volume control!
You can eat what you want, just not the whole pan of cookies! Less really is MORE (more health, more fun clothes, more confidence).
Limit the amount, pick the best, savor the moment and leave satisfied!
One word of caution for women, please ensure you get enough calcium, Vitamin D and green leafy vegetables in your diet to keep your bones healthy. This along with weight resistance exercises will keep your bones dense.
Then, after you have chosen the very best of your choices, take your time and savor every bite. I can make a cookie last a long time. Tear off small chunk, savor it... tear off another small chunk.. savor.. you can have dessert for hours! Okay, that's an exaggeration, but you get the picture.
Drag it out.
Make it last.
Don't be in a hurry and eat mindlessly.
Taste the flavors. Get the most out of the experience. Take sips of water in between bites. Chew slowly. Engage in conversation with others. This way you get maximum enjoyment without just shoving food in without thought to volume control!
You can eat what you want, just not the whole pan of cookies! Less really is MORE (more health, more fun clothes, more confidence).
Limit the amount, pick the best, savor the moment and leave satisfied!
One word of caution for women, please ensure you get enough calcium, Vitamin D and green leafy vegetables in your diet to keep your bones healthy. This along with weight resistance exercises will keep your bones dense.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Time for a Little Famine!
Wow!! We had a wonderful Thanksgiving and Christmas season! We ate wonderful food, visited with friends and family and had a lot of fun... When I stepped on the scale this morning, (YIKES!!), it registered that we had been feasting a little TOO well!! So... time for a little famine! Or a lot of famine.. no, I think a little famine will do.
I'm a big believer in portion control.. that is my main method of weight control. But when the scale is reading really high, (like it is right now), I resort to a little famine. I know they say don't skip meals, but honestly, that is the quickest way to lose pounds fast, and it's not going to kill you to be a little hungry. I actually LIKE the feeling you get when you skip a meal or two. You can actually FEEL your body getting thinner... and NO! I'm not some crazy lady living in the burbs! Okay, maybe just a LITTLE crazy. But try it! Once you ignore that first hunger cry your stomach goes quiet, and you won't feel very hungry at all. I usually only skip two meals in one day max, a couple times a week. Usually it's breakfast and lunch, because I have a family and we always eat dinner together. After fasting two meals, I eat a normal dinner. No seconds (that's the hard part). Drink lots of water. Eat slowly. Enjoy every bite. (oh, and cut out the sodas.. really, they are just extra calories you DON'T need EVER, and the diet ones will probably be found to cause death any day now!) USUALLY we reserve our dessert indulgences for the weekend or special occasions, but one thing we do most nights is to grab a small handful of chocolate chips, and eat them one at a time, letting them melt in your mouth slowly. This one handful is shared by my husband and I. So it's not too many. There is always a special occasion right around the corner, so really, on the "normal" days, surely we can curtail the sweets a bit.
If you can eat your big meal mid-afternoon and have just a very small snack for dinner it's even better! If you can manage to feel hungry during the day for a bit and go to bed a little hungry at night, you will really drop the pounds fast. Mix up your fasting days with your eating days and your body will never go into starvation mode. It works! My husband lost close to 60 lbs this way and I lost 25. When we were seriously dieting we ate a lot of grilled chicken salad for dinner,(we might need to revisit that plan for a few weeks). But as long as you practice portion control you can eat most things in small amounts and still lose weight.
An alternative to fasting two meals a few days a week, is to just eat smaller portions for two meals. By small, I mean ONE SMALL bowl of cereal for breakfast (not THREE), 1/2 sandwich or a bit of soup for lunch, or skip that and have just 2 spoons of crunchy peanut butter. (Crunchy is better, makes you feel like your really eating, and it is oh soooo good. I do this a lot because it's fast, no hassle and yummy). Then eat a regular sized dinner meal. REMEMBER, NO SECONDS!
I do exercise. I'm not a professional athlete and I don't kill myself EVER, but I do enjoy walking a lot and a LITTLE running and have recently added weight training for bone health. I try to get at least 30 minutes of walking/running five days a week, and a lot of days I'll add an afternoon walk as well. It's just good for you to be active. It feels good, gets the blood pumping, elevates your mood. There is no downside to walking. Unless it's cold, and icy and ... well, just walk anyway... it will do you good.
One word of caution for women, please be sure and get enough calcium, vitamin D and green leafy vegetables in your diet to prevent osteoporosis. It's nice to be thin, but not at the expense of your bone health.
I'm a big believer in portion control.. that is my main method of weight control. But when the scale is reading really high, (like it is right now), I resort to a little famine. I know they say don't skip meals, but honestly, that is the quickest way to lose pounds fast, and it's not going to kill you to be a little hungry. I actually LIKE the feeling you get when you skip a meal or two. You can actually FEEL your body getting thinner... and NO! I'm not some crazy lady living in the burbs! Okay, maybe just a LITTLE crazy. But try it! Once you ignore that first hunger cry your stomach goes quiet, and you won't feel very hungry at all. I usually only skip two meals in one day max, a couple times a week. Usually it's breakfast and lunch, because I have a family and we always eat dinner together. After fasting two meals, I eat a normal dinner. No seconds (that's the hard part). Drink lots of water. Eat slowly. Enjoy every bite. (oh, and cut out the sodas.. really, they are just extra calories you DON'T need EVER, and the diet ones will probably be found to cause death any day now!) USUALLY we reserve our dessert indulgences for the weekend or special occasions, but one thing we do most nights is to grab a small handful of chocolate chips, and eat them one at a time, letting them melt in your mouth slowly. This one handful is shared by my husband and I. So it's not too many. There is always a special occasion right around the corner, so really, on the "normal" days, surely we can curtail the sweets a bit.
If you can eat your big meal mid-afternoon and have just a very small snack for dinner it's even better! If you can manage to feel hungry during the day for a bit and go to bed a little hungry at night, you will really drop the pounds fast. Mix up your fasting days with your eating days and your body will never go into starvation mode. It works! My husband lost close to 60 lbs this way and I lost 25. When we were seriously dieting we ate a lot of grilled chicken salad for dinner,(we might need to revisit that plan for a few weeks). But as long as you practice portion control you can eat most things in small amounts and still lose weight.
An alternative to fasting two meals a few days a week, is to just eat smaller portions for two meals. By small, I mean ONE SMALL bowl of cereal for breakfast (not THREE), 1/2 sandwich or a bit of soup for lunch, or skip that and have just 2 spoons of crunchy peanut butter. (Crunchy is better, makes you feel like your really eating, and it is oh soooo good. I do this a lot because it's fast, no hassle and yummy). Then eat a regular sized dinner meal. REMEMBER, NO SECONDS!
I do exercise. I'm not a professional athlete and I don't kill myself EVER, but I do enjoy walking a lot and a LITTLE running and have recently added weight training for bone health. I try to get at least 30 minutes of walking/running five days a week, and a lot of days I'll add an afternoon walk as well. It's just good for you to be active. It feels good, gets the blood pumping, elevates your mood. There is no downside to walking. Unless it's cold, and icy and ... well, just walk anyway... it will do you good.
One word of caution for women, please be sure and get enough calcium, vitamin D and green leafy vegetables in your diet to prevent osteoporosis. It's nice to be thin, but not at the expense of your bone health.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
The Rules of One and Two
During this indulgent holiday season, we often find ourselves faced with an abundance of food choices that can wreak havoc with our weight. Somewhere along the way I developed the Rule of Two if I am bent on maintaining my weight, which is most of the time, and the Rule of One if I am trying to lose weight.
I don't believe in dieting in the strict sense of cutting out food groups like carbs, or counting every calorie that enters your mouth. It's not realistic for me to maintain that, day in and day out for the rest of my life. Let's face it, I love to eat! And I have a slight problem being told I can't have something.. it just makes me want it more. So these rules keep me in check MOST of the time,(there are obviously going to be times when I fail miserably, but as long as I can get back on track by the next meal, the damage is minimal), while allowing me to indulge in whatever it is I want.
Simply put, the Rule of Two is that I may only have TWO of the indulgent item. TWO cookies, TWO breadsticks, TWO pieces of pizza. This is sometimes STILL way too many calories, but as it is only applied to indulgent days, hopefully on my non-indulgent days, I am eating much less. This usually works.. I can usually do this... unless it's pie... I LOVE pie.. and pineapple cake... and well, it's not a perfect system. More of a guideline.
Some things fall automatically into the Rule of ONE category, ie: PIE should!, cobbler, ice cream, lasanga, due to their size or greater number of calories. Really rich desserts I can usually easily just have one of. Just use your common sense. If it's dripping with fat, cheese, or butter, maybe you ought to have just a LITTLE.
If I am trying to seriously lose weight, then I decrease the rule to ONE on indulgent days too. This keeps me from feeling deprived and yet limits the damage.
Or leave the room, feel deprived and LOSE weight! That works really well too.
It's portion control that you don't have to think too hard about. Eat, but eat small.
I don't believe in dieting in the strict sense of cutting out food groups like carbs, or counting every calorie that enters your mouth. It's not realistic for me to maintain that, day in and day out for the rest of my life. Let's face it, I love to eat! And I have a slight problem being told I can't have something.. it just makes me want it more. So these rules keep me in check MOST of the time,(there are obviously going to be times when I fail miserably, but as long as I can get back on track by the next meal, the damage is minimal), while allowing me to indulge in whatever it is I want.
Simply put, the Rule of Two is that I may only have TWO of the indulgent item. TWO cookies, TWO breadsticks, TWO pieces of pizza. This is sometimes STILL way too many calories, but as it is only applied to indulgent days, hopefully on my non-indulgent days, I am eating much less. This usually works.. I can usually do this... unless it's pie... I LOVE pie.. and pineapple cake... and well, it's not a perfect system. More of a guideline.
Some things fall automatically into the Rule of ONE category, ie: PIE should!, cobbler, ice cream, lasanga, due to their size or greater number of calories. Really rich desserts I can usually easily just have one of. Just use your common sense. If it's dripping with fat, cheese, or butter, maybe you ought to have just a LITTLE.
If I am trying to seriously lose weight, then I decrease the rule to ONE on indulgent days too. This keeps me from feeling deprived and yet limits the damage.
Or leave the room, feel deprived and LOSE weight! That works really well too.
It's portion control that you don't have to think too hard about. Eat, but eat small.
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