Well, it is that time again. I need to work on losing weight….again! I have been working on it off and on this year, but now is the time to get serious! Wanna know my diet plan? It is very much linked to routine.
When I lost 30 pounds a few years ago, I lost it by having a routine. We had 3 small meals and 2 large snacks each day. It was basically 5 meals per day. Sound easy and too good to be true? Well, that isn’t all there is to it.
Here’s the catch. In order for it to work, you should cut your normal 3 meals in half. Only serve yourself half of what you normally would. This is usually pretty easy when you realize that you can eat again in about 2 hours. Your 2 snacks should be fruit and veggies only (no exceptions). After you have cut your meal in half, you may find as your stomach shrinks back to its normal size, that you can cut your portions even smaller!
On this diet, I usually lose more than 2 pounds the first week, but after the first week or two, it dwindles back to 1-2 pounds a week, which is healthy.
Here are a few other tips that might help:
- chew your food thoroughly
- drink (4-6 oz.) juice twice a day (especially if you have a sweet tooth)
- drink plenty of water
- don’t berate yourself if you feel overweight or mess up
- keep an overall positive attitude about life in general
Good luck on your diet. I’ve read that we really need much less food than standard nutritionists recommend and that eating a lot less increases one’s life span. But I hope you give yourself enough leeway that it doesn’t diminish any of life’s pleasures.
It seems very possible that a 2000 calorie diet is a bit high, but that is coming form a short person with a small frame. When I took a fitness class in college, I was required to consume just 1500 calories per day, and it was extremely difficult to consume that much food!
If you think about it, it is true that I am cutting my portions in half with this diet, but I am also eating larger snacks than normal. It is basically taking the advice of many nutritionists by eating 5-6 small meals per day. I am probably eating as much food as I always did, but it is healthier food that contains less calories.
One very big part that I left off the diet is exercise. I exercised daily for at least 20 minutes per day. We used cans of food and other things around the house as weights and also stretched as much as possible.
I have actually discovered that life’s pleasures are more likely to increase than decrease when you are eating healthy. When you are eating healthier food, you tend to feel better and find it easier to keep a positive attitude. I enjoyed life more than ever during my dieting time. It kind of makes you wonder why I let myself gain again in the first place, huh? 🙂