Tomorrow marks the last day of the weight loss challenge Earl and I have been participating in for the past twelve weeks. We’ve worked hard to shed extra pounds; and both of us have been successful. The trick is to keep the weight off, so that we don’t have to lose the same pounds over again next year.
With that in mind, I hope to adhere to the following diet tips, all of which I’ve tested myself. None has to do with caloric intake or protein shakes or vitamin supplements. Rather, they are practical habits that help one toe the straight and narrow food path and avoid temptation.
Eat something when you wake up. This is hard for me, because I don’t wake up hungry and I want to save the calories for later in the day. But I’ve learned to do it, and I do feel better. Find fruits and veggies you like and keep them on hand. We’re fortunate in that we live in an area where farmers’ fruit stands run rampant this time of year. In winter, I guess I’ll have to learn to like apples more.
Carry a bottle of water with you. I find I drink more water if I take a bottle in the car. Eat the foods that are good for you first, especially if you go out to dinner. You’re less apt to eat more of the foods that are fattening. Brush your teeth after dinner.
Don’t weigh yourself every day. Once a week is good enough. Yeah, I know, if you’re on a binge then you’ve lost a week. But maybe you won’t binge, knowing the work involved to get those pounds off.
And, finally, we’ve all heard the phrase “lifestyle change,” which is another way of saying you have to do these things for life and not just for the duration of the diet if you want to keep your weight under control. But lifestyle change is a slow process. I know this firsthand too. I started almost three years ago, and it’s taken me this long to get where I am. The weight loss challenge is only the most recent addition to my new regimen.
The thing is, I feel wonderful at an age where many people feel less than that. I’m flexible, agile, and relatively strong for my age (I can lift my own kayak into the water.). For a girl who never went to gym class in her entire sixteen years of formal education, it’s quite a revelation.
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