Simple Weight Loss

After my daughter was born, I became serious about getting in shape. This was over seven years ago. To motivate me and to learn best practices, I turned to books. I have never really struggled with my weight, but I did carry more weight than I felt comfortable with, and at that point, I needed to lose 15 pounds. 

I should go back a bit and say that I was a runner in high school at my optimum weight. In college, I decided to become a vegetarian and was so for over ten years. During those ten years, my weight went up by 10 pounds.

I exercised a lot but could not drop that extra weight. Once I became pregnant with my son, I added chicken and fish back to my diet. Nourishing Traditions changed the way I view animal protein. We need some. Not massive amounts, but we do need some. We also need good fat, whole grains and dairy products. I love this book for the philosophy but haven't used the recipes very much. Excellent process for making sourdough bread, however. After my daughter was born, everything I thought I knew about vegetarianism and eating meat changed. I realized that I need animal protein, though not a huge amount, to stay lean. The South Beach Diet Cookbook was very helpful in changing the way I ate. I'm afraid I have to disagree with the author's recommendation of low-fat cheeses and artificial sweeteners, but the rest of the philosophy is sound, and the recipes are delicious. French Women Don't Get Fat is excellent reading on so many levels. Slow down, make meals an occasion, not something to rush through. Eat yogurt; better yet, make your own. Celebrate food, but choose wisely. Eat seasonally. Eat local.

I started following a new plan that I came up with after synthesizing a lot of information, and it worked! I dropped all my baby weight and today am leaner than ever. Now, I am in maintenance mode - as soon as it creeps by a few pounds, I go back to a more strict routine. I feel incredible, fit, lean and strong. It is a beautiful feeling. 

So, here is how I eat and live. It works!

1. Ditch the gym and get outside! Every morning, before my husband leaves for work, I go "wogging" with my dogs for 20 minutes. We jog but stop a lot. If there is a good steep hill in your neighborhood, then include it on your "wogging" route. The hill can work magic. You can take off one day a week, but never more than two days in a row because it is too hard to get started again. Please don't overdo it. Most people think that since they exercise, they can eat whatever they want, which is not valid. It would take a 3-mile run to burn off a 300 calorie candy bar. It is easier not to eat the candy bar. Also, feel free to drink a cup of coffee before exercising, but don't eat. Studies show this burns fat to accelerate weight loss. If drinking coffee on an empty stomach makes you feel nauseated, I would skip this step.

2. Weight train for 10-15 minutes three times a week. I use 5 and 10-pound weights to do simple exercises that can be found in any health fitness magazine or library book. I also do a few crunches. You do not need to join a gym to weight train. 

3. Eat whole foods. Losing weight involves cutting out the carbohydrates and eating a diet of mostly vegetables and protein—more about this below. Once you have hit your ideal weight, add back more whole grains, but portion control is crucial.

4. Drink coffee! Coffee and tea are good for you as they are rich in antioxidants, and they speed up your metabolism but only use natural sugar and whole milk in your coffee. Throw out any artificial creamers or sugars. Diet soda is terrible and may add weight.

5. Drink water.

6. "Clean" eating is essential. Read labels. The fewer ingredients, the better. Aim for zero artificial ingredients.

7. Make it a habit. Try this plan for forty days. Pick one day of the week to weigh in. Keep a log of your weight loss.

8. Pick a treat for yourself and eat it every day in moderation. I love Dove Dark chocolate and keep a bag of miniatures in the kitchen. I eat a piece every afternoon. Chocolate is excellent because it is an antioxidant and is low in carbs.

9. Fat is fine—Cook with butter, olive oil etc. Whole cheeses and nuts are great too. Moderation is the key. Don't eat a wheel of Brie by yourself. You get the idea.

10. Breakfast: Do not skip this meal. I usually eat around 7:30 am.

Old Fashioned Oats: 1/3 cup oats, 2/3 cup water. Dash of salt. Cook in the microwave for 3 minutes at 80% power. Add brown sugar, butter and a bit of milk. Delicious. Yes, oatmeal is full of carbs, but it is a whole grain, and this amount will help avoid a feeling of deprivation, add needed fiber to your diet, and taste great. Please do not use the packets of instant oats as they have artificial ingredients. Again, think "clean."

Two eggs. Cook in butter or olive oil any way you like. Add salt and pepper to taste. Feel free to add any vegetables if you want. Cheese is fine too.

Yogurt & fruit (should be "clean" no artificial sugar etc. Try Mountain High. Real sugar is okay.) Greek yogurt is yummy. Better yet, make your own.

Cottage Cheese & Fruit

11. Lunch: Aim for protein and vegetables. I usually eat around noon.

• Salads with hard-boiled egg, a slice of meat & favorite dressing.
• Chicken breast and veggie.
• If pushed for time, then try the Lean Cuisine Spa line. No preservatives.

12. Snacks: One in the morning and one in the afternoon. I am usually hungry at 10 am and 2 pm.

• String cheese
• Small yogurt
• Apple, sliced, with peanut butter or cheese
• A handful of almonds or pistachios
• Hard-boiled egg.
• Cottage cheese

13. Dinner: Protein and vegetables. Beans are fine too. Check out a good cookbook from the library. I like South Beach Diet cookbooks (ignore their advice to use low-fat cheese and artificial sweeteners etc., I'm afraid I have to disagree with them on that but like their recipes in general) to think about options. If you want to speed up weight loss, then stay away from carbs. If you need a bit of carb, then they should be whole grain: brown rice, quinoa etc., but measure the amount. About ½ a cup is all you should have. If you like Mexican food, then choose corn tortillas over flour, but in the first phase, avoid both. For dessert, try "clean" puddings. Also, fruit with real whipping cream is delicious. If you like wine or beer with dinner, skip the dessert…you have to pick one or the other. 

Hunger: You may feel hungry before bed. Hunger is okay. Really. If you can't stand it, then eat a snack from the snack list, but it is better not to eat after 7 pm. I'm not sure why this is, but I read it, and it seems to be true for me. Weight loss is easy if you stay away from white flour and white sugar and eat whole grains in moderation. Carbs add the weight; that is all there is to it. Once you hit your goal weight, you can add good carbs back bit by bit, but continue to weigh in once a week. If your weight goes back up by a pound or two, go back to cutting out carbs until you are back where you need to be. It is so much easier to drop a few pounds than 20 or 30.

This should become a way of life. Our bodies feel better when we fuel them with vegetables and protein, good fruit in season and a few treats now and then. At first, you may carve carbs, but after about two weeks, you won't even think about them. If you start to feel deprived, then pick one dinner a week that you get to eat whatever you want. Friday as Pizza night etc.

You will feel incredible once you follow this plan!!! Good luck.