Tipses
None of these are especially scientific advice. But they seem to have worked for me.
1. Exercise even when you think you're too tired. You'll feel better and sleep better.
2. If there are certain dishes that you get territorial over, learn to avoid them. They're probably not good for you anyway.
3. Avoid substitutes: anything that reminds you of that thing you ought not to be eating anyway. They don't taste as good and all they do is make you want that which you shouldn't really have. Substitute something that is completely different from that which you crave.
4. Explore new flavors. For example, I learned to appreciate the large variety of fruits. Also, once, when browsing the many salad dressings and simmer sauces at Trader Joe's, trying to decide which one's had the least amount of salt, a friend remarked, "You may as well just use some olive oil and balsamic vinegar." That, plus some crushed garlic and lemon juice was pretty tastey and virtually salt free.
5. Instead of salad dressing, add some kind of fruit to your salads. What's the point of salad dressing anyway?
6. Don't eat so much.
1. Exercise even when you think you're too tired. You'll feel better and sleep better.
2. If there are certain dishes that you get territorial over, learn to avoid them. They're probably not good for you anyway.
3. Avoid substitutes: anything that reminds you of that thing you ought not to be eating anyway. They don't taste as good and all they do is make you want that which you shouldn't really have. Substitute something that is completely different from that which you crave.
4. Explore new flavors. For example, I learned to appreciate the large variety of fruits. Also, once, when browsing the many salad dressings and simmer sauces at Trader Joe's, trying to decide which one's had the least amount of salt, a friend remarked, "You may as well just use some olive oil and balsamic vinegar." That, plus some crushed garlic and lemon juice was pretty tastey and virtually salt free.
5. Instead of salad dressing, add some kind of fruit to your salads. What's the point of salad dressing anyway?
6. Don't eat so much.
posted by Brother Atom Bomb of Reflection at 12:55 PM
10 Comments:
I'm with you. Lettuce is a delivery vehicle for salad dressing. With Atkins you don't worry about fat. In fact, he warns against trying to cut down on fat. It's the sugar in the dressing that'll get you. I loooove oriental salads and those dressings are loaded with sugar.
I think in general (for me, anyway) substitutes don't work. I'd rather have the real thing or nuthin'. But I do need a sugar substitute and Splenda is great for that. I've learned to like diet orange soda and diet rootbeer.
Olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic and lemon are the food of the gods.
Welcome, Jeff!
legs: Then why don't you skip the salad and drink the salad dressing?
Yeah, Jake is a big name in the ukulele stratosphere.
I thought I'd chime in and tell ya'll how cool it is that you're all doing this blog. Yay!
I have a couple of observations & tips that might bear some discussion.
1. Reframe and get rid of the word *diet*. I think most people associate the word diet with depriving onesself, loss of control, disappointment and guilt. I think we unconciously live up to how we define something...like the word diet.
2. Think about changing the age old, breakfast, lunch, dinner habit. We're very conditioned to eat 3 square meals a day (plus snacks) but really, we don't NEED 3 full meals a day. I think this is particularly hard to reframe. We're so used to everything in print saying we need to have specific meals at specific times. We're trained to eat a full plate at certain times whether our bodies tell us we need that much food or not...and we set up a cycle that is a habit.
3. One of the things I do is eat pumpkin seeds all day long. I mean it, all day. Ok, so thats high in salt but there are other things like popcorn without butter and maybe some Mrs. Dash on it that is good to snack on. Put it in a baggie and carry it around with you. Eat 3 or 4 kernals at a time rather than a whole handful at a time. I often have Trader Joe pumpkin seeds (a lot less salt than the Davids brand) in my pockets and cracking the shells and eating each seed keeps me busy and takes the edge off any hunger. Dried fruit is good for sweet tooth snacking.
4. Get one of those step counters and wear it daily. Get a baseline by doing a moderate day of walking and planned exercise. Not a hard day but a moderate day, even an easy day! Use that baseline to beat over a month or two. example: Start off with 500 steps a day. The next week try to add 50 steps to that 1,000. If you reach that goal at the end of the next week add another 50 steps to that. Whatever your baseline, keep adding to it and staminia will follow really quickly.
5. Find something physical to do. Something fun or something that isn't labeled exercise. Tossing a frisbee, playing catch, even parking in the first available parking spot rather than searching for a closer spot!
6. Learn to breathe. I know that sounds stupid but you'd be surprised how many of us breathe only from the upper chest. Not taking full breaths during any activity will deplete the oxygen levels in your bloodstream and you'll quit moving far sooner than if you take full breaths.
I hope in some way this helps a little.
xo
Virginia! Nice to see you!
(Virginia is Jeff's sister-in-law. She and I worked together years ago at Licorice Pizza. She's a yoga instructor and she doesn't have an ounce of extra fat on her perky little body.)
I agree with you about the word "diet". A lot of bad history around that word. But for me, I've made my peace with it. Now it just means a way of eating.
I usually have breakfast, lunch and dinner and a couple snacks but I don't stick to any hard and fast rules. My meals are much smaller now and I don't feel deprived.
I got a pedometer a few months ago. When Jim and I took that pre-diabetes class at Kaiser they told us we need to take 10,000 steps per day. I had no idea what that meant so I got the pedometer. I'm not too sure of its accuracy, tho. I wore it on my Mt. Rubidoux walks a few times. A walk up Rubidoux is about 8.000 steps.
I no longer try to find the closest parking space. It actually makes me feel a little superior parking farther away. Silly, I know.
Breathing! Good idea!
A pedometer (I knew there was a real name for it) is good because it can show us over weeks how much we really are moving. I got one for the hub and am thinking I need to get myself one as well.
10k steps is a lot and I doubt any of us do that in a regular day. hahaha, I know I don't. And while I don't have big weight issues, I do need to get a few pounds off (I do have some fat ya know) and I NEED to keep moving for mobility.
Personally I think movement is THE key to maintaining weight at a level that works for each of us. We can change the number of calories all we want but if we don't expend calories by moving we'll hit a plateau.
So, you might find me being the movement queen trying to motivate myself and everyone else to move!
Now, I've got to move my ass and pick up kidlets from school.
Oh no, I try to look very humble.
Sometimes when I need to grab something quick I'll have a meal replacement shake. The Atkins shakes are awful. I like the EAS Advant-Edge Carb Control shakes. They're a little expensive but you can find them on sale sometimes. Strawberry is best.
I'm glad you all have changed the definition of the word. I have many friends who have not and all stuggle with looking at it differently.
Hey, Redhen, we have something in common. While I don't take hula lessons anymore I did when I was a teen. Danced in a troupe and did entertainment shows with the troupe too. Did Tahitian too.
Yoga is really good for flexibility, and depending on the style good for cardio...although most beginners do not have the flexibility to do the more cardio type classes. I would suggest that you take a few classes with a few different teachers to find something that works for you. It's particlarly good if you can find someone who teaches pranayama (breath work) along with the poses.
I'm turning 48 in a couple of wks and yes, mobility for me has declined as I've aged but yoga has kept me very much mobile. Makes a huge difference in my life.
And hooooooray for parking with or without our noses in the air!
You guys are keeping me going. This is great!
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