For the Love of Dieting

Just hearing the word dieting makes some people cringe. After all, who really wants to change what they eat? Typically, it means you’ll need to give up some things you like. So, I prefer to call it a life modification. Ninety-five percent of the time, I modify what I eat. The other five percent, I still treat myself to the foods I love and crave. I can’t say I love to diet but I do love feeling healthier. Remember, there is always a benefit with change. Two years ago, I was forty-five pounds heavier and it was the most I’d ever weighed in my life.

I’m not an expert on dieting by any means but I can speak from my experience. I didn’t feel good about myself and my enthusiasm for life wasn’t the same. I had no idea where to start making changes and I looked for a fast way to get rid of the weight. With so many advertisements for pills and crash dieting promising a quick fix, it’s hard not to hope they will work. Logically, it took time for me to gain the weight and I shouldn’t believe it would fall off any faster. For me, I had a long-term goal of keeping the weight off and I committed to the dieting tips I’ve shared with you below.

Dieting Tips – Top Ten

Check with your doctor before changing your diet.
Give yourself short goals each week and each month to reach your long-term goal.
Read all you can about nutrition from reputable sites. The more you know the better informed you will be.
Read labels if you’re buying food already prepared. Sometimes the sugars, fats, cholesterol or salt in these foods will surprise you. Also, be sure you know the portion size and the overall calories.
Learn how to create new recipes with healthy foods. I love the book “It’s All Good” by Gwyneth Paltrow or you can check out her website. Be sure to pick recipes you will like or you probably won’t stick with it.
Try a calorie counter and food tracker. I use “lose it” and have a convenient app on my phone. It helps you with your goals by keeping track of everything you eat and what exercises you’ve done for the day.
If you crave a food, eat it but do so in moderation. Everyone needs a cheat day occasionally.
Create an exercise program. I took my dog for a walk or run. When the weather is poor, I have cardio and weight training. Be sure not to overdo it or you may not stick with it. My goal is three to five times per week.
You will plateau at times. Keep going, the weight will begin to come off again.
Believe in yourself. Weigh yourself once a week (preferably without clothes and in the morning before you eat). I believe this is your true weight.

Dieting and an Apple

In all my dieting (life modification), I learned a great deal about nutrition. Eating an apple a day to keep the doctor away is only the beginning. With the lose it app, it is easy to track your nutritional wheel. You’ll find out what values you’re not meeting and which ones you may need to cut back on. When you first set up your goals, it will ask the amount of calories you want to consume in a day. I used “Self Nutrition Data” to calculate out how much I should be eating. It also has a lot of other useful information.

In the beginning my dieting gradually changed by picking something each week. The first change was what I drank. You’d be surprised at how many calories you consume without knowing, so I switched to water. Next, I decided not to eat any processed foods. This was the major change to my diet and the reason for all the new recipes. I wanted what I ate to taste good and I learned to cook differently. I added a lot more fresh fruits and vegetables to my meals. Then I cut back on eating red meat to once a month and switched to mostly seafood and chicken. When I crave dessert I try to eat dark chocolate or fresh fruit. Lastly, I keep healthy quick snacks like granola or nuts to munch on between meals.