There. It’s unofficial. I’m on a diet. RIGHT before Thanksgiving. Great timing huh? I’m not overweight, but I really really want to fit into my pants before we go on holiday later this year. I want to get back to my regular weight. I’m already down 3 or 4 lbs.
There will be none of this crazy Atkins or South Beach stuff for me. I’m not entering the Zone either. I refuse to stop eating cheese. Or bacon on weekend mornings. And whole grain bread. But I am drawing a line. Last night Mark offered me a slice of baguette with a slab of butter. The butter was almost cheese-like in its thickness. It was a piece of butter, opposed to a smear of butter. That’s where the line is.
The way I see it is this: we only get one life to live in this world of ours. Some of you may believe in a heaven, perhaps one that is filled with butter and ice cream and salami sandwiches that can be eaten without consequence. Some of you might believe in a kind of hell where the bread is stale and the popcorn is air-popped without butter or salt. And forget about there being ice cream in hell. Or chocolate.
I believe we only live once, and that we have to enjoy this gift of life that has been given to us. And my life is going to include a few things that I enjoy eating thankyouverymuch. Otherwise, what’s the point?
That all being said, I am following a really wacky diet. It’s a revolution in weight loss!
I am trying to eat right. I started by downloading a daily eating log at the Chatelaine website. I used to keep this kind of chart on the fridge when I was pregnant. It was great. Throughout the day I checked off what I ate: dairy, protein, veggies etc. If, by the end of the day I saw that I didn’t get enough dairy I’d gulp down a glass of milk. If I was short on fruit and veg I’d grab an apple. It was ideal, because it made it so easy to eat well.
I think deep down we all know what needs to be done to lose weight. It’s no secret. We have to eat healthy foods, exercise, and make sure that by the end of the day our intake of calories didn’t exceed our output.
But I don’t exercise, and therein lies a problem I know I should be addressing. I know I should be doing something a little more organized. I used to take yoga classes, and group fitness classes, but that has fallen by the way side for the moment.
What I do is try to add some kind of activity in my every day life. And I think this has gone a long way to keep the jiggles at bay.
** Please note I am not a health care worker nor a weight loss specialist. Undertake the following activities at your own risk, or better yet, consult your doctor. **
1) If you’re going to buy snacks for the family (I think it would be cruel for my children to grow up in a completely snackless household, because they’re skinny), buy ones you don’t care for yourself. In my case, there could be a carton of chocolate ice cream in the freezer and strawberry cream cookies in the cupboard and they’re guaranteed to stay there. I won’t be tempted in the least. Now, if those were Nanaimo bars and oatmeal raisin cookies there’d be a problem. And chips, ohhhhh chips. *wipes drool away from chin*
Daytime snacking can be a problem for me, especially since I work from home and am 10 steps away from the kitchen at all times. My snacks have to be good ones. The eating chart is good for that.
2) If you’re not getting any exercise, at least go for walks. And walk like you mean it. Imagine you’re really late for an important appointment. Or that you really have to pee and you’re in the middle of a field and there’s the sound of a distant waterfall and the bathroom is miles away. That’s how fast you should be walking. And use your legs! Walk so you feel muscles working! Clench! And swing your arms too. No one will think less of you for this extra physical display. You can walk like this no matter where you are.
This is how I lost my baby weight with Sarah … ok, that and breastfeeding. A vigorous 20-minute walk a few times a week will do wonders for your physical and mental health.
3) Related: park your car at the far end of the parking lot. Why fight for a spot near the entrance? Added benefits: you’ll always find a parking spot, and odds are better your car won’t get scratched or dented. Me, I like to race back across the parking lot with a full grocery cart, and then jump up onto it and let it take me the rest of the way to the car. This works better when there’s a bit of a hill. The kids hang on for the ride. They love it.
4) Exercise whenever you can. Run on the spot while for a minute while you’re heating something up in the microwave. Do yoga poses while you brush your teeth. (This is the one thing I do consistently.) Get off your duff and do jumping jacks during a commercial break. The way I see it, it’s easy, it doesn’t require special equipment or a change of clothes… and every little bit helps, right?
The other day I was heating milk in the microwave. I had the timer on for one minute and 45 seconds and tried doing jumping jacks for the entire time. Short as that seems I was totally out of breath at the end. It’s harder than you think!
5) Drink water. They say eight cups – which seems like an awful lot to me and keeps me running to the bathroom – but I’ve read that our bodies can mistake mild dehydration for hunger. I’m trying to do better in this area.
6) Play with your kids. This seems like a no-brainer, but it is exercise. Our family regularly goes for walks after dinner. The other day I bought a few outdoor toys I knew we would all enjoy at the park: a small boomerang, a Frisbee and a styrofoam airplane that’s launched with a big rubber band. We chased these around the park for about an hour after dinner.
7) This is from Weight Watchers: “HALT – Don’t let yourself get too Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired.” That works for me.
What works for you?
