Start (Dec. 31): 447 lbs.
Last week: 437 lbs.
This week: 437 lbs.
Total lost in 2020: 10 lbs.
A friend of mine who is a seasonal resident of Keene Valley recently emailed me a list of helpful eating tips from losing weight and getting healthy and said it was OK to share these with my readers. I love these!
EATING HABITS
-Eat on a schedule and not in between; I try for 7, 1, 7.
- Plan your day of meals ahead.
- Try not to have food in the house that isnt good for you.
- Savor every bite. Eat slowly. Taste.
- If you think you are hungry and its not meal time yet, tackle a task that will distract you and before you know it, you are eating late and can tick something off the to do list.
- Long stretches without eating are good (mini-fasts).
- If there is something that might encourage a gorge, keep it out of sight.
- Divide your meal in half in a restaurant when it comes and take it home
- Share entrees with someone you eat with and get your own salad.
- Pack breakfasts, lunches, or dinners ahead if you are working or going to out of the house for a meal. Reheat oatmeal (old-fashioned, no sugar) and some berries for breakfast. Try fruit and nuts with unsweetened Greek yogurt or cottage cheese as a healthy fill me up.
- Dont shop when hungry. Order groceries, i.e. Peapod, to stay out of the supermarket.
- Its OK to eat something unhealthy once in a while. Then walk.
- Try Lose It! Or an app that you can count calories on, not forever, but just to be more self-aware.
- Get a physical once a year to check your weight and blood numbers.
- You dont need to weigh yourself often if you measure by the fit of your clothes. The goal is health, not a specific weight number.
FOODS
- Drink first when you think you are hungry. You might just be thirsty.
- Drink lots of water and herbal tea.
- Stay away from processed foods. Think of food as fuel and plan accordingly.
- Dont waste calories on fruit juice. Eat the fruit and get the fiber, too.
- Be sure to get enough protein, avoiding red meat. Chicken (no skin) and fish are good. Try beans, quinoa, other grains for protein.
- Eat little or no bread, starches, sweets and just a bit of fat, preferably olive oil.
- If you must eat after dinner, try diet chocolate pudding cups or a controlled number of nuts. Or both.
- High glycemic sugars arent healthy, but for a treat, freeze grapes in a cup or plastic bag. Takes a long time to eat.
- Add chia seeds and flax to low fat Greek unsweetened yogurt, then add fruit and some nuts. Its a healthy meal, or in a small portion, good before working out or as a dessert or snack.
- Salad dressing should be on the side with just a drop drizzled on and mixed in. Or use lemon juice as dressing. A salad isnt healthy if its loaded with dressing.
- Go for bulk, with fruits and vegetables.
- You really can be happy with smaller portions!
- Use pepper and other spices; avoid salt.
- Avoid caffeine. Carry herbal tea bags.
- Eat carrot sticks (so sweet and crunchy) at cocktail parties.
- Plan meals that work for you, then repeat them to make it easier. But, too much repetition can lead to deficiencies in vitamins and minerals, so think about taking a multivitamin.
