Stop Dieting and Eat! If You Want to Lose Weight

While I'm not a fitness trainer, I am a person who has lost 45-50 pounds. I have also helped friends in my life lose 20-30 pounds as well. My mother finally has seen enough and has now asked for help. I underlined lost because it never found its way back. Have I gained back 5-10 pounds because of holidays or stressful periods in my time-yes. But, I now also have a very long road of eating poorly to gain back those 5-10 pounds. I no longer balloon back to my "old" weight for the smallest of reasons. (Same goes for the others.)

I want to introduce my body as being Italian, (love to cook and eat) 5 feet, 3/4 inches (I stress the 3/4 inch because they won't round up for my license) and both sides of my family carry the "fat" gene. I am now 1 of 2 lean people from both sides combined. I don't want to be the "health nut" running around bothering my family and friends. Further more, I eat what I want and I am far from a health nut. I just feel if people want help, they'll ask.

I hate dieting. The work itself makes you now feel cut off, restricted and awful. Every feeling associated with it (for me at least) is negative. I hate hearing people deny themselves because "oh-no I'm on a diet". I was one of these people, in the beginning of my weight loss journey. I just gained what I lost though because my body wasn't used to anything non-diet. It was as if my body went into shock. After a 6 year trial and error, I finally made my own system and lost all the weight and more in a summer. I have heard positive feedback from people in Jenny Craig, but I didn't want to buy premade food. I like to cook in general, plus I like my own taste and flavor. I knew there had to be a way to be in control of what I eat and still be healthy, all while losing weight eating the food I always did.

"So get to it already" your probably saying to yourself. Before I begin there is just one point I want to repeat. I said it before in reference to my family and it applies to everyone. If someone want help they will ask, meaning that I can't make someone do what they don't want to. Only that individual knows whether they want it or if they are ready to be strong and start. If your ready, or if your not sure but have suffered the consequences of trying "quick fad tricks" then please read on.

Your first objective is to look at your actions logically. Break yourself down by asking four questions:

1. Whats your "trouble" food and dessert?

2. Whats your eating schedule for the weekdays and Saturdays. (I exclude Sunday as the day of rest. This to me is one of the first traditions made and should not be lost.)

3. Whats your craving time of the day? Are you a picker during work? At night with the TV? Are you a night creeper? (As everyone sleeps, the night creeper eats!)

4. How many hours are you awake vs. sleeping?

My answer fro question #1 was French fries and cheesecake. This next step I is the only hard step. I promise. It is necessary to do for your physical and mental being. For two weeks, cut these two out of your life. There I said it. I realize that sounds awful, but its better then dieting on and off for the rest of your life. I did it and just trust me, it is worth it. This serves as a "cold boot" for your body. Forgive the computer lingo, but it best describes the action. Physically your letting your body process with out these items, don't worry they will be replaced. Mentally your breaking your eating habits. I "had" to have fries with whatever I ate!? I alone was eating 1-1.5 cheesecakes by myself per week. Habits, not even true cravings. Once the two weeks are up, you incorporate them back in your life. Don't forget about Sunday off either, but be strong enough to not "make up" for the week on Sunday. For example, don't eat the whole cake, have the normal serving size. You will notice though that after eating the "fries" your stomach may feel upset. This may make you even skip the cake. By the second Sunday, you may eat the cake first or instead of fries. If your fine to eat both, that is cool too, but then just stick to the serving size.

You must look now at your eating schedule, question #2. This lets you look at you metabolism. Breakfast is said to be the most important meal of the day. This is true because the earlier you eat the sooner you "kick start" your metabolism. The longer its running for your day the better. Don't wait till your hungry for breakfast, just get up and throw something in your stomach. Even if it is only a cracker or two, do it. On Saturday if you wake up to use the bathroom and intend to go back to sleep, swing by the kitchen and just pop something in your mouth. It will start to run even through the few hours you are sleeping. The point of this is really to just give your self a kick start to your motor, it can't run if you don't turn it on. A read a study that said if you eat a complex carb in the morning (like a danish or cinnamon roll) it makes for a huge kick start. Your body IS a motor that needs to run, you want it to work not stand still. Food is fuel and you control the tempo.

A glass of skim or regular milk (which has also been proven to give a leaner waistline) in addition adds a nice serving of vitamin D and calcium. Two hours from this point you should have a snack. Hungry or not, eat a fruit or yogurt; something light. Then 2-3 hours later you should be around lunch. A nice salad with chicken, or tuna salad (don't worry about the mayo as long as it is not drenched). Lunch should consist of lean protein and vegetables. The breakfast of complex carbs lays a nice foundation for the protein, since carbs are needed to break the protein down. Between lunch and dinner have another light snack.
You've now eaten throughout the day, this may be more or less then your usual amount, but the timing is probably different. Rather then large lumps of food at a time, (which is harder for your body to process) your sending smaller amounts more often for a continuous momentum. By dinner your not starving, but eating a healthy meal is mandatory.

Remember, your working with your metabolism as well as appetite. A nice dinner could be a grilled piece of chicken or turkey breast or a fillet of fish. I like to have either a baked potato (baked in the oven, sliced with melted poured on before baking) or 1/4 serving of instant brown rice. The brown rice breaks down easier then white. In all starches the white flours are harder to break down, inevitably turning into sugar then to fat. Finish the dinner with another salad or steamed vegetables. (I like to broil them with olive oil and cut up garlic-burning them a little.) Use whatever salad dressing you like just don't use the "lite" dressings. These products have more carbs in replace of the fat. Understanding the label is important. "Lite" sounds good, but when you compare it's not so light all the time. It's the same science as the white flour; the carbs turn to sugar which then turn to fat. I think it is just easier to just process the fat in the regular dressing.

Question #3, your craving times. If it's during the day, it has then just gone through its transformation with your new daily eating schedule. If however your a night owl, after dinner you can fill your sweet tooth with Sugar Free jello with regular whipped cream. Sugar Free is not like "lite" because with no sugar there is no carbs. Plantain chips are great for crunchers. Similar to potato chips, but have much lower stats and a higher serving size-so crunch away! Moderation is key-we're on a time delay from mouth to stomach, so lets say if you had a jello and are still hungry control for at least an hour before having the plantain chips. In the beginning of the two weeks, in the first days, again-it will only get easier from here.

Last question #4, this is asked because everyone has heard to stop eating after 6p.m. or 9p.m.-whatever. for several reasons try not to eat at least two hours before bed. If you are having a jello, an hour should do. I worked as a bartender, the night shift and ended some night at 2a.m. I was up for the majority of the day. So as long as I was up, I was eating every two hour. Even when you sleep your metabolism is there it is just greatly reduced. If you can keep up with this schedule, you should not be hungry. If you are hungry, thats a good thing. Now since your in control of your intake, your body is letting you know it burned through what you put in and wants more to churn.

Through the two weeks, after dinner you don't have to have dessert. Less is more of course but don't deny yourself. Take note to still be wary of your trouble foods. All food times before and including dinner are very important to follow. Eating throughout the day will leave you feeling (at the end of the two weeks) healthier, more energetic and ready to move onto the next objective.

Objective two is regarding now the physical you. Since objective one was only related to the mental aspect, you'll find that your body is now ready to join in. I started this all with not being what you might call an "in shape person". The first step is to end all lazy habits. Move around and get your blood circulating. Take the stairs when you can, if you are saying "Oh, I'll just get that later" get it now. Believe it or not, doing these small, annoying tasks like these will help to strengthen your endurance. Even by being helpful to others by saying "Oh, I'll get that". No this is not exercise, but your moving more. Everything burns calories and if your out of shape this is a good way to prepare. If your somewhat in shape, then this is going to give you additional calorie burning. Everything burns calories; the more you notice that, the more you'll actually feel the difference.

The second step is to try and find 20 minutes 3+ days per week to speed walk. Jog if you want, but make sure you breathe properly. (Jogging come people say is not great for women) Speed-walking though for 20 minutes gives you about a mile covered. If you can do more, I suggest it. Fresh air, the circulation and exercise is great for stress, all over health and weight loss. In the beginning, if walking is all you do-thats fine. Eventually incorporate crunches. You can do this after, before or at a different time then the walking-whatever fits your schedule. With crunches, breath in when going back and exhale when crunching forward. Make sure your body is all aligned with knees bent from your ankles to knees, to hips, to ribs then shoulders. Also, your back should lay flat on floor. No arch, act as if your pressing your belly button into the floor. Do reps of 10, keeping it slow and simple with 30 second breaks between reps. The slower you crunch the more you work out the muscles, the breaks to breathe in between are to make for longevity. Keep your fingers behind your head, but don't hold on. That could pull your neck and hurt your back. Twist to the side on your way up to work out your obliques. Same 10 reps, one side at a time. Stretching before and after walking and the sit-ups is very important for your muscles.

So objective one is over with and objective two is now a part of your new healthier life so now incorporating the two into your life style is objective three. Continue to exercise and follow the eating schedule. Eat what you want, eat basically when you want. You just know and feel like eating in moderation. No bulky meals, smooth factory line if you will. As you continue, objective three really finds itself. At this point your body is reacting differently when you eat from habit. That is your body working with you, because it likes running well it will keep you on the right track. Your metabolism along with eating and exercise will strengthen as well as your endurance to exercise more. This is a healthy way to lose weight and keep it off. Objective three is you at this point. Stay on this track and you no longer have to diet. Eat out with your friends, enjoy holidays, whatever you want. With going about it this way, you no longer are the type of person that gains a pound with one cookie. Rather than putting your body in shock, you have just grabbed the reigns and have taken control. It is used to food, it can handle it all.

We're all starting out at different points. I lost 8 pounds at my two week mark. My friend lost 2 pounds while my mother has lost 4 pounds. With a summer I lost the full amount. In 6 weeks my friend has lost 20 pounds. Just to show the difference in age and metabolism, but the fact that this can work for you. Really, life is short and is meant to be enjoyed. This is a wonderful way to enjoy at the fullest. Food is a huge part of life from the dawn of time carried out through traditions and generations. So please, enjoy life, enjoy health and food and all they have to offer!