Burn it off...
Most everyone has quit smoking by now. If not, you probably won’t and you enjoy being isolated from the world in your home slowly killing yourself because you can’t smoke in public or on your work property.
Weight Loss is the obvious choice. Your vanity has awakened today. This is the wake up call for those who have Mexican getaways planned or are thinking ahead to Spring Break.
Be realistic about weight loss. Take is slow. Don’t rely on a pill, a piece of machinery, a gimick program. It’s all on YOU. Only YOU can do it. Don’t be hindered by yourself. Like all the ad campaigns say, “Just do it”. ”Let’s Move”.
Losing weight requires motivation to exercise more and discipline (willpower) to consume less. Keeping the weight off requires the same thing over the long haul for lasting results. Eating right doesn’t mean you can’t ever eat a twinkie again. It only means you can’t have one for the next 12 weeks. However, in the long term you can indulge from time to time. The simple truth is to not indulge all the time. Understand your lifestyle and maintain a good balance of eating and exercise. Calories in, calories out. By the way, today is the last day to eat cornbread until about April.
TV Diets: quick thought on these… These can work but they can be expensive and all they do is restrict your calories. They are not realistic long term. When you are off the plan, you have not fully learned the skills to eat your own prepared foods. You need to learn to do things for yourself (teach a man to fish… blah blah blah). DVD programs can work too but many are far too intense for the beginner. Again… be realistic.
Exercise: Don’t have the time? Bull crap! You CAN make time for it. Just get up and walk. Get up and do some lunges. Watch TV and do planks on the floor. It’s that simple.
I have fallen into this trap where you think you have to “prepare” for working out. You can actually come home from work and do some things (assuming you are not wearing a 3 piece suit). As long as you have comfortable clothes, you can do squats or pushups, or situps. You get the point. Just do it. But don’t over do it at first. Ease into it and you WILL feel better.
Eating Right: There are some basic principles that you need to understand to cut the empty calories from your diet. This is not forever, but in the short term you should start following these things.
- no bread, sugar, or pasta. Eliminate them at first and ease into them later but not reverting back to bad habits.
- no fries, eat potatoes only baked and sparingly. Eating out is easier now. You don’t get dirty looks when you substitute the fries with a side salad or steamed vegetables (I don’t like the term “veggies” by the way.)
- Eat meals using utensils. This does not mean eating a Snickers Bar with knife and fork. I think you understand what this means. Avoid sandwiches, burgers etc.
- Hungry? Drink some water and eat a palm full of almonds or nuts. A palm full, not a bowl. A hunger tweak is often times a signal of thirst. Fill the stomach with no calorie water. Side note: you will burn more calories making extra trips walking to the bathroom to pee.
Focus on entrees of Chicken and lean meats. Eat more vegetables. I have some tasty ideas here on this website.
Harsh Reality: No more deserts. This is probably the biggest mental block that people have. If you have to trick yourself, go buy the sugar free pudding mixes that you add skim milk too and mix it up and have it handy in the fridge.
For great cooking ideas, get to the book store and hunt for cookbooks. There are a ton. You can even find good crock pot ideas for the families with sports and after school stuff going on. My wife and I have many good crock pot recipes that work well for busy families.
Today is the beginning. This time next year you will be 20 lbs lighter and feel great. Minus the vodka hangover (when you get into serious eating right you will understand the Vodka thing).
