A Diet that Works

After giving birth to my second child, I found myself 75lbs overweight. Not really knowing what to do or how to lose it, I finally dragged myself to the doctor. I expected a magic pill prescription that would magically make me not hungry and burn all the extra weight off. What I got was instructions on how to lose my weight in a practical, healthy way. The diet he recommended was a low-calorie diet. It may not be new or exciting, and it's definitely not easy, but with some willpower, time, patience and work, the weight will come off.

Keep a journal your daily food intake. Every single thing that goes into your mouth - write it down. Include calorie counts for everything you eat. If it's a partial serving, calculate out the calorie content. Use a calculator if you have to - you don't have to be a math major for this to work. You just have to be thorough. Visit websites such as CalorieCounter or buy a calorie-counting book such as The Complete Book of Food Counts by Corinne T. Netzer.

Analyze exactly what you are eating, and how much. You have to lower that calorie count to between 1000-1300 calories a day for women or 1500-1800 for men. This is not a lot of calories! Personally, I was eating over 3000 calories a day before I started counting my calories. It was quite an adjustment to reduce the calories so drastically. Lower it a little at a time, striving to get to the target amount in about a month (or less, of course).

Start exercising. Yes, it is tough at first. It will not feel good for about a month. But, there is a reward for working out. For the calories you burn while you work out, you can eat that many calories over the target. The exercise gives you the reward of a treat with calories less than or equal to the number of calories you burn! That was a big motivator for me! Remember to add all the information from exercising into the journal.

Stay focused. Don't slip on the journaling. The key is a journal reminds you of exactly how many calories you've had and ensures you don't overdo calorie intake. Even small portions need to be in the journal. If I eat two Cheetos, I estimate the calorie intake and write it down. Seriously.

This diet works for several reasons. First of all, it is fool-proof. Unless your metabolism is underperforming, it works. Second, it gives you control and empowers you. You can choose anything you want to eat; it just has to stay under the target. Eat cake - just sacrifice something else. It creates accountability for weight loss. You write it down, and you know if you go over. You have to look at the numbers every time you eat, and if you add them up, you can see what you have left. There's no reason for going over. Lastly, it can be carried into the future. After all the excess weight is gone, raise the calorie count and play with the total calories until weight stabilizes. Then journal calories to make sure you don't gain any weight.

As with any diets, be reasonable. The average healthy weight loss per week on a diet is 2-3lbs. While some people go over that for short periods of time or if they're extremely overweight, it doesn't last forever. If this diet doesn't work, and you're journaling everything, you need to see a doctor. Take your journal with you - it will be immensely helpful to your doctor.

Losing weight is hard, but try to remember all the positives. Being overweight makes you feel bad every day. Dieting and exercise may be hard at first, but they will eventually make you feel good. Push through the tough times, and you can be happy with your body! Good luck, and remember you're not alone. You can do it!