Dieting 101: Week 1: Being Flexibile is Key

Losing Weight Requires Flexibility Why is it that when you
decide to get in better shape or lose a few pounds, life
suddenly throws you a curve?

I decided to “get back in shape” and had a planning session
about what I might change, how I might do it, and whether I
believed I could do it (would I follow through or was I kidding
myself?).

My plan is a regular workout schedule (four days a week at
home), drinking less wine (special occasions and weekends
instead of regularly), and tightening up “weekend eating” from
my current Thursday evening through Sunday to just Saturday and
Sunday.

Monday: All is well, worked out and ate as planned. Good day.

Tuesday: Worked out and ate as planned. Good day No. 2, this is
easy.

Tuesday evening sister No. 1 invites me over Thursday evening,
“I’ll have something there to eat,” she adds. I’m about to say,
“That’s okay, I won’t want anything anyway,” but thought better
of it. Telling someone you don’t want what they’re serving
because you’re trying to get healthy is a surefire way to be
attacked with a full-frontal assault on why that is ridiculous
and, “Just this once won’t hurt.” Who needs it?

Wednesday: Ate fine and worked out according to plan. Very good,
hump day and all.

Wednesday evening sister No. 2 calls saying we’re celebrating
family birthdays with a Friday night dinner out. Nobody
requested traditional birthday cake (I’m the family birthday
cake maker) so I’m bringing a blackberry cheesecake, while mom
is bringing blackberry pie.

Wednesday evening I’m taking stock of the rest of this week and
it’s not pretty: The Thursday evening workout won’t happen
because I need to be baking and said I’d go to sister’s thing
(evening workouts are often waylaid); Friday evening is also
shot due to birthday dinner at restaurant. To top it off Easter
is this Sunday so most of Saturday I’ll be shopping and baking.
I already decided I want to make the “Almost Better Than Sex
Cake” and scalloped potatoes. This is turning out to be a lousy
week for my new getting in shape plan.

But, all is not lost. This is a typical week in a typical life.
You must be flexible if you expect to lose weight and keep it
off. You’re always going to be confronted with the unexpected
occasions, birthdays, parties, special events where they have
that yummy goody you just can’t resist.

Thursday, ate well. Didn’t eat at my sister’s Thursday event
(nothing out of the ordinary was served). Too busy with baking
to do my exercise routine (I knew this would be the case so I’m
not upset about it). Since evening workouts are so often missed
I’m already trying to figure out how to get them done earlier in
the day.

Friday: Ate great, dinner was wonderful. Had a “splurge” glass
of wine with dinner at the restaurant (tasted pretty darn good
too, but didn’t leave me wanting another). Ate plenty but not
until over-stuffed; I knew we had birthday desserts coming after
all. Enjoyed a piece of blackberry pie and cheesecake and it was
great. I’m right on target.

Saturday: Ate well, did my exercise as planned. Shopped for
groceries for Easter dinner and suddenly decided to make
homemade peanut butter cup easter eggs; how’s that for a healthy
eating plan? Now I’m a candy maker! I enjoy candy, so sue me.

Easter Sunday: Big family dinner, potluck style. Nothing is
better than good homemade food, especially when you’re learning
to eat better and make better choices. I ate what I wanted and
felt great, satisfied, content. You can take a bit small amount,
eat it slowly, taste it, check out the texture, and really make
an effort to enjoy the buffet style dinner. There’s no need to
stuff yourself. It’s not the last time I’ll ever eat. Easter
eggs turned out great. I left plenty behind and took the rest to
my office on Monday.

I love to bake for special events as I get to eat the goodies
but I ditch the leftovers. A piece or two of cake every so often
is not a problem, but half a cake on the counter, or sweets and
desserts every day for a week is a recipe for the beginning of
poor eating habits. I use my 3-Day Rule (more on this next
month).

Sunday evening (remember I had the big Easter dinner earlier) I
started feeling somewhat hungry, but it was late, so I ate the
leftover desserts I’d brought home for my dinner. Cake for
Breakfast, that’s my motto; this time it was “eat dessert
first,” as grandpa used to say. You make a choice, sometimes
you’ll overeat, and sometimes you won’t and it’s okay. The trick
whether losing weight or maintaining weight loss is to change
the equation from overeating and indulging often to eating well
most of the time and indulging infrequently.

A look back at Week 1: Lots of sweets, plenty to eat. I stuck to
my overall plan for the week. I drank far less (from a couple
glasses of wine a night down to just a couple for the entire
week). I ate plenty of the good foods I wanted, but didn’t feel
the need to stuff myself, nor did I ever feel deprived. I didn’t
have the, “I better eat now because I’m starting a diet on
Monday” mentality. Every meal stands alone, so if you over ate
at lunch that doesn’t mean the rest of the day is blown (why
pre-blow it?).

Overall I exercised and ate according to plan Monday through
Thursday then lots of unexpected events started to occur that
could have been big roadblocks but weren’t. Was the week a
success? You bet. Having dinner out once a week, a glass of
wine, even enjoying homemade desserts is not what makes a person
gain weight, but having them every day, or never exercising
regularly does. You don’t have to be a fanatic, but with
consistent effort you can win this weight loss race.

1. Prev:Fighting Fatigue and the American Diner Breakfast
2. Next:Lipitrex Weight Loss