Skating Uphill Part II

Hopefully you were not discouraged by all of the "Am I Ready" conditions we discussed last month. Hopefully you have also made a start and are now ready to gain some tools and learn some tricks to help you make the term diet obsolete, replacing it with the term lifestyle change. You may be surprised to find that you feel so much better each day, that it becomes not only simple, but also second nature.
 
   First of all, set a goal. Many diets say this, and this is one part of the process of weight loss that I agree with. You and your doctor should determine within a range of five to ten pounds where you should be for your height, body type, age, and family history. Notice I did not say anything about any kind of charts or BMI or insurance company suggestions. Just as your new lifestyle and self are personal, so is your weight goal. Also, as you set a goal, do not set a timetable. Let this be determined by how you feel and what your doctor says is reasonable.
 
   All right, so it is day one and breakfast time. Always eat something for breakfast. This is an old truth and is re-proved in study after study. In fact, the best thing to do is have a glass of water and a stretch the minute you get up. Coffee is fine after, but you should start with that glass of water and some form of movement. It gets your body going after the "shut down" of sleep. Speaking of which, all studies relating to a more healthy life style now say that seven or eight hours of nightly sleep are essential not only to a maintained weight, but also a variety of other health issues, including pre-diabetes.

    I like cereal and fruit for breakfast. I measure a serving from the information on the side of the box, add tons of fruit and no more that a cup of non-fat milk. I also like oatmeal with apples and walnuts, boiled eggs and a piece of toast, pancakes with jam, and a cheese omelet. I have a list of 20 breakfasts that I pick and choose, but some days, I just can't help having leftover pizza. I do not beat myself up over that.

They are now saying that the "eat five times a day" idea is not as good as was once thought. Overweight people who did that ended up eating too much five times a day, instead of eating too much three times a day.

 According to the latest research, you should eat three measured meals a day and snack lightly when you are hungry to avoid overeating when you sit down to a meal. This makes sense to me, so it is what I do. I also try to sit down at the table when I eat-even a snack.
 
   Lunch is ready! What are we having? Well, I think we should have something easy. In fact, I think we should always have something easy at hand so that is our "go to" source. I like a salad anytime but I also like soups, sandwiches, and leftovers. Lunch is also my favorite time to go out with a friend, so that can be a challenge, too. Easy lunch proteins include eggs in any form, dairy in any form, including yogurt, cottage cheese, cheese, or a baked potato with cheese or low fat sour cream and broccoli. As you can see, specific foods are not what matters. What is important is portion and nutrition. A good tip for lunch is to have something ready and measured out in the fridge so you can just grab without prep time. I keep chicken salad, a can of tuna, any restaurant leftover, cold cuts, cherry tomatoes and things like that ready, so when I open the fridge, that is what I see. Remember also to make your food decisions at the grocery store. If you don't have it, you can't eat it!

    Time for dinner! Conventional wisdom has said for years that you should not eat after six and that dinner should be light. In most countries, besides America, people frequently do not sit down to dinner before eight, and then they eat a prolonged and heavy meal. So, why is overweight so much more of a problem here? Well, it is a combination of things. First, it really does not matter what time you eat. Yes, that is true. What does matter is what you eat and how much you exercise. Again, the real truth of the matter is simply this: You must use up more calories than you eat. Europeans consume more calories than Americans, but they also walk up to five times farther and consume much fewer of their calories in processed foods.
    Don't go on the Mediterranean Diet, because we are not going on any actual diet. But do remember to avoid at all costs the following:
    .   Packaged baked goods-pies, muffins, donuts, cupcakes, etc.
    .   Sugared drinks or drinks to which you have added sugar
    .   Added salt or foods with a high sodium content
    .   Alcohol or tobacco
    .   Hidden added sugar-Look for names like dextrose, corn syrup,
        high fructose corn syrup, fructose, glucose etc.
    .   Deli pre-made items-potato salad has full fat mayo as does
        prepared macaroni salad or tuna salad. Even cold slaw has full fat
        mayo. Beware also of sliced deli meats. Many have tons of
        sodium. Bakery items are frequently made with lard-that is why
        they taste so good.

Finally, I call this always list:
    .   Always sit down somewhere to eat.
    .   Have a glass of water with you any time you eat.
    .   Put down your fork between bites.
    .   Eat slowly.
    .   Measure to be sure of portion sizes-this soon becomes a no-
        brainer as you get used to what different amounts look like.
    .   Make your decisions at the grocery store and always shop with a list.
    .   And finally-eat mindfully. By this I mean simply think about what
        you are putting in your mouth. Comedian Erma Bombeck used to
        say, "A minute on the lips, a lifetime on the hips."

In conclusion, I must share the "never" commandments:
    .   Never eat out of a bag or box.
    .   Never eat or snack while doing something else like reading or
        watching TV or use the computer at the same time.
    .   Never eat too fast.
    .   Never peel fruits or vegetables-more nutrients.
    .   Never eat emotionally when you are sad, bored, lonely or tired.         .  Last but not least-Eat only when you are really hungry-think about it!

If you are interested in 20 good breakfasts, 20 good lunches, and 20 good dinners, please send me an email and I will be happy to share these along with other recipes and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Next month, the dreaded word-maintenance!!