All these diet plans out here.  Eat soup three times a day.  Drink this twice a day and eat one sensible meal.  Eat  a bowl of cereal twice a day and have one sensible meal.  Take this magic pill.

They are all so full of it!!!  We all want that quick fix.  I guess if I was getting married in a month and needed to lose 25 pounds because the dress is small, then I'd probably do whatever I  needed to.  That's the only time I'd probably starve myself. 

Those other diets work for the moment, but are you willing to eat that way for the REST OF YOUR LIFE in order to be skinny?  The truth is anything worth having is worth working for.  And, popping a pill so you can poop the fat away can't be healthy!  Make no mistake about it.  Being healthy, losing weight, keeping the weight off, is a LIFETIME job.  It is a lifestyle change, and if you want it to work, you'd best learn quickly that you're going to have to work on it for the rest of your life. 

DON'T DO ANYTHING TO LOSE WEIGHT THAT YOU ARE
NOT WILLING TO DO FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.

Its best to educate yourself on nutrition.  Believe me, we all KNOW what we're supposed to do.  Its not rocket science.  You may not know how much you need, but you know a pill isn't going to make you lose weight.  You know eating cereal twice a day isn't healthy, even if it is quick & fast.

Fruits, vegetables, lean meats, lots and lots of water.  Those are the basics of a healthy diet.  And, YES, I still fit my pizza and Chinese food in.  I even drink alcohol on the weekends!

I collected lots of cookbooks and recipes from online.  I wasn't a great cook, and I had gotten out of the habit.  We'd been eating a lot of takeout.  I wanted recipes that were fast and easy!  I found that finding new healthy recipes had become FUN!  I loved looking for new things to make! 

It was important that I start weighing my food.  I thought I knew the correct portions, but I didn't know how far off I was.  Four ounces of chicken was NOT what I was used to eating.  I couldn't just "eye" 1/2 cup of rice of peas.  I needed to measure that, as well.

Was it annoying?  Yes, at first.  But, once I made it a habit, I didn't think twice.  My Weight Watcher leader would take her measuring spoons with her to the restaurant when she first started!

When I went grocery shopping, I would take my Weight Watchers Points Calculator with me.  I loved this doodad!  Just input the calories, fat & fiber from the package, and it would tell me how many points a serving is.

Keeping an eye on serving sizes is very important.  Packages are misleading.  What I would eat for one serving was actually two, if I read the nutritional info.  Reading the nutritional info became an absolute necessity. 

I love Weight Watchers, as it is a great program.  Its not about eating their food.  You eat REAL FOOD.  Its healthier to eat brown rice instead of white.  Whole grain breads.  Weight Watcher has two different programs.  You choose which works best for you.  There is the Points system, where you are allotted X amount of points per week, based on your age, height, level of daily activity and current weight.  All foods are included and assigned a point value based on the food and the weight; or the Core system, where you eat from a list of wholesome foods, and you only count points for the foods not listed.  You will find pros & cons to each.  Lovers and haters of each plan.  Only YOU know what will work for you.

If you do what I did a few years ago, and still try to eat your junk food on a daily basis, just cutting down, it won't work.  And, you will only have yourself to blame.  If you are serious about GETTING HEALTHY, and are willing to eat MOSTLY healthy foods, and allow yourself the "not-so-good-for-you" food on an occasional basis, it will work.

I have to admit, I am a junk-food junkie!  But, instead of full fat ice cream, I chose low cal frozen yogurts, sorbets.  Instead of full fat potato chips, I chose baked.  I absolutely LOVE finding new 100 calorie treasures.  One of my absolute favorites are Vitalicious muffins.  They have many flavors, and we're not talking mini-muffins.  Full-sized muffins, that I'd microwave for a few seconds and top with some fat-free whipped cream!  YUMMMMILICIOUS!

 Rachael Ray Loves glenny's Soy Crisps

After a few months on plan, I didn't crave the junk food as much.  I can't begin to tell you how proud of myself I was when I stopped at a fruit stand and bought two pounds of grapes, some plums, apples, and baby carrots to take to work for a snack!  Not because I had to, but because I wanted to!  No, I didn't eat all of those in one day!  LOL  Though, I could eat two pounds of grapes without blinking.  And, while it wasn't the best choice, it was better than cookies!

I allowed weekends to be what I called my "cheat days."  That doesn't mean I pigged out all weekend.  I allowed myself to have one meal per day on Friday-Sunday.  Friday was pizza or Chinese food for dinner.  Saturday maybe we'd go out for dinner, so I'd eat a little heavier.  But, I'd stick to the healthy foods for breakfast & lunch.  I'd even get some extra exercise in because I knew I would be a little "naughty" that night.  As I adjusted more to my lifestyle change (ok, diet if you're going to be stubborn), I surprised myself by not being able to eat that whole plate of food and requesting a doggy bag.

That's not to say I didn't have my pigout moments.  But, if I gained that week, I didn't let it deter me.  I knew exactly why I gained.  I enjoyed it that one time, and I didn't pigout like that again (for maybe another month!).

written April 7, 2008

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