I've found that portion control, balanced (protein/carb/fat) meals and patience are the most important parts of my dieting. By patience I mean eat a small meal/snack and wait 10 minutes for your stomach to be full. I really don't need to eat that much to satisfy my hunger, it just takes my body a little longer to tell me I'm full and don't need anymore for a while. My weight yesterday, Sunday morning, was 184.8 lbs. I weighed myself this morning after pigging out throughout the Oscars on my homemade pasta sauce with ziti AND french bread with 4 glasses of wine and this morning I had gained 3 lb! I feel confident I'll lose it in the next couple of days. If you drink wine, that should be all your carbs for that meal. A little pasta is fine, a couple glasses of Red wine (not white) is fine, but choose one or the other.
Breakfasts: I still eat the smoothees 3-4 times a week. I make enough for 2 servings and have the 2nd as my day ending snack at about 10 pm. The other days I eat all bran, (1 cup w/ 3/4 cup almond milk or a yogurt or a piece of wheat bread and a tablespoon of peanut butter.
Snack #1 a couple hours later : I have 25 almonds - unsalted- and a piece of fruit / or a teaspoon of peanut butter with 3 or 4 pieces of celery and a few of those baby peeled carrots / or a yogurt with a cup of all bran/ or a yogurt and a small can of low salt V-8 juice.
Lunch: I've been having on wheat bread or rolls, the tunafish or tuna/guac sandwich or 2 slices of turkey with a piece of fruit.
Snack #2 2 hours after lunch: Same as snack # 1. Sometimes I just eat a teaspoon of peanut butter, that seems to do me just fine.
Dinner: I stopped doing the diet meals. I just really watch my portions and know that half the plate will fill me up. If anything, I eat half the plate, then wait a little while, then eat more of the vegetables. Box up your meals pretty quickly if you're taking it to go and you're less likely to pick and nibble. Restaurants really over serve on portions of brown rice and pasta.
Snack #3 a couple hours after dinner: I have only 2 nighttime snacks, the rest of that morning's smoothee or 1 cup of fat free ice cream. I really like the Bryer's fat free double churned flavors, I'll add about 15 almonds or a teaspoon of peanut butter to my bowl. Do not go back for seconds!!!
Some people tell you not to weigh yourself every day but I did and kept a chart, I still do. It helps remind me every day of what I was trying to do. The first thing I do every morning is weigh myself and write it down. When I lose a little weight it really makes me feel good about myself and starts the day out positive. If you follow the diet you WILL lose weight. On days when my weight went up, I got more determined to succeed at the diet. DO NOT SKIP MEALS IF YOUR WEIGHT GOES UP ON A GIVEN DAY!!! For instance today I put on 3 lbs so I'll watch my portions carefully today and I'll also do a little extra cardio. Measure everything, a teaspoon is NOT heaping, it's a level teaspoon, you don't need to sneak more food because what you are fed is more than plenty to fill you up!
One last thing. Walk. Walk. Walk. If you can, walk as soon as you get up before you eat anything. 30 minutes is good, 40-45 is better. I try to walk in the morning 2-3 times a week but I usually do it late at night. I eat a half a banana as soon as I finish my walks to give my body the carbs it is craving.
I feel great about the way I'm starting to look and I already have tons more energy. I sleep better and wake up less tired even if I've been deprived some sleep. Since I haven't been consuming as much wine at night my mind feels pretty sharp too, also I don't procrastinate as much.
I don't consider this as much a diet as I do a lifestyle change. I like the new me.
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