The "D" word

Oh, the dreaded "D" word! How I hate to say it. No it's probably not the word you're thinking of. My "D" word is DIET! See, as soon as you say it, you roll your eyes. Dieting is not fun and honestly I don't know why people torture themselves trying to do it. Most diets that people go on are fad diets. Ones that aren't realistic or healthy, they might bring you good results for the first few days but as soon as you quit your diet, you gain your weight right back.



We all know losing weight is hard. It's a lot easier to put a few pounds on than it is to lose those few pounds. I believe the trick is knowing how we handle our relationship with food and changing the bad ways into good ways. Now, I'm no professional when it comes to weight loss but I would like to lose a few pounds. I'm going to tell you about my changes with food and let you know the results.



EAT BREAKFAST. If I plan on working out in the morning, I need to have some fuel in my body. Not eating anything for 12 hours and then attempting a workout is not going to happen for me. I'll pass out. If the thought of eating before a workout sickens you...eat afterwards. My breakfast of choice is quick-cooking oats with a little cinnamon (150 calories).



DRINK WATER. In a previous post, I talked about drinking 64 ounces of water. I find that if I measure it in a pitcher and keep it in the fridge, I drink more because it's colder. I also think that sometimes I go raid the fridge and cabinets because I think I'm hungry, but in actuality I'm just thirsty. I hope the water will make me feel full.



WORKOUT. You can't expect to lose weight by doing no kind of physical activity. I don't believe you have to go to the gym to get a great workout. I do a couple of different aerobic walking DVDs, I use Ab Ripper off my husband's P90X DVDs a couple times a week, and I also go on 2 mile walks in the evening (not every night), and when I'm cooking meals I have the radio on and dance to it. Do whatever works for you.



SMALLER PLATE. My mother has done this trick for over a year. Put your food on a smaller plate. Load that small plate up and it will look like you're eating a lot of food, but you're actually eating a smaller portion than if you put it on your normal sized plate. Also, don't go for seconds and thirds. I have trouble with this! I like to eat til I'm full so I'm going to try eating slower so my body will have time to know it's full. I'll let you know how this works for me.



EAT SNACKS. Besides eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner, eat a snack. I usually start getting hungry around 3:30pm. I have a big sweet tooth, so I usually crave something bad for me. I started making my own popsicles (recipe in an earlier post) and they seem to hit that sweet spot. They're healthier and take a while to eat since their frozen. If you're not into popsicles, try to make your favorite snack into a healthier version.



STOP EATING AFTER DINNER. Another huge problem for me is wanting to eat a couple hours after finishing dinner. Half the time, I'm not even hungry. I'll be watching TV and think "hey a bowl of cereal sounds good." I need to learn after dinner the kitchen is closed! I think this will help me tremendously. I even told Nathan that we need to help each other out with this, and it's okay for him to yell at me if he hears me in the kitchen.



I'll keep everyone posted about my progress and if I find a new trick that works, I'll let you know. Wish me luck! Let me know what's worked for you in helping you lose those unwanted pounds! Or come clean and let me know what your weaknesses are and together we can help each other succeed!