I have had two friends message me asking for my diet plan. Two things first : 1. There are tons of diet plans out there. They all work for someone. 2. Weight loss is different for those who are chronically and morbidly obese than for those who have 30 pounds to lose. There are physical, emotional, and cognitive issues that are qualitatively and quantitatively different. I started this journey 12 years ago at somewhere over 320 pounds. I was wearing size 28 clothes. I am 5'8". I now weigh 239 and size 20 clothes are very loose. My goal is to be in healthy BMI , which would be under 164. I want to get there by my 60th birthday - Jan. 2016. I put all that info because I want my plan to be in context. It is a journey. I am in the second leg of the journey.
My weight loss plan Part I: Mindful Eating 2002-2008 (320-264). In this phase I swore off dieting forever. When you read this plan, you will probably want to skip it. I think that for me this was the key that unlocked weight loss. I don't think I could be doing what I am doing now if I had not done this first. Here were my rules (I still follow these as my basic plan).
1. I can eat anything I want but it has to be exactly what I want. If you can learn this, everything else is easy. But this is very hard. I found I ate everything in sight and had no idea what I wanted. Also I misinterpreted my cravings. I would think I was craving pizza- but actually anything with tomatoes would work. I thought I was craving cupcakes, but fruit would work. This rule took years.
2. I had to stop eating before I was full. Takes the brain a bit to register satiety. So I started with just eating half of what was on my plate. This is tied to rule 1. The better I chose what my body wanted, the less food it took to satisfy.
3. Had to eat when I was hungry - even if it was bedtime. But still had to follow rule 1 and 2.
4. Had to eat regularly - three meals a day, minimum. I had such a strange relationship with food. I was always hungry, but feared food.
1. I can eat anything I want but it has to be exactly what I want. If you can learn this, everything else is easy. But this is very hard. I found I ate everything in sight and had no idea what I wanted. Also I misinterpreted my cravings. I would think I was craving pizza- but actually anything with tomatoes would work. I thought I was craving cupcakes, but fruit would work. This rule took years.
2. I had to stop eating before I was full. Takes the brain a bit to register satiety. So I started with just eating half of what was on my plate. This is tied to rule 1. The better I chose what my body wanted, the less food it took to satisfy.
3. Had to eat when I was hungry - even if it was bedtime. But still had to follow rule 1 and 2.
4. Had to eat regularly - three meals a day, minimum. I had such a strange relationship with food. I was always hungry, but feared food.
That was the basic plan. Over 4 years I lost 70 pounds. Then for 4 years, I drifted, became less mindful and gained and lost the same 15 pounds over and over.
Part I Structured Mindfulness August of this year I decided I needed to regroup. At 264, I joined Weight Watchers online for a 3 month jump-start. Kept my rules, but followed WW rules for calorie count and portion control. When that subscription expired, I began using My Fitness Pal for tracking.
Part I Structured Mindfulness August of this year I decided I needed to regroup. At 264, I joined Weight Watchers online for a 3 month jump-start. Kept my rules, but followed WW rules for calorie count and portion control. When that subscription expired, I began using My Fitness Pal for tracking.
What is different?
1. Many people do low carb and it works for them. It does not work for me, I am always hungry when I have tried it . For me, low calorie, low fat works best.
2. My body craves complex flavors and textures. Eating plans with plain chicken breasts and steamed broccoli do not meet rule 1 for me. So I have learned to cook soups, stir fries, casseroles, stews, etc. which are chock full of veggies. I cook two big recipes every weekend and freeze portions so I can grab things on the go. I love veggies and fruit. I eat lots of high fiber grains. I know lots of folks eliminate rice, potatoes, bread. I eat those in moderation. I divide plate in thirds- one for protein, one grain, one veggies or fruit. Recipes are usually half or more veggies.
3. I try not to eat out much. When I do I go for simple dishes that are low fat, where it seems less likely that there are hidden calories. And portion control. Rules 1 and 2
4. I avoid sweets. Rule 1 and 2 strictly enforced!
5. I record everything on My Fitness Pal most days. Try not to skip more than one day a week. If I find if hard to record things, this means I am not being mindful.
1. Many people do low carb and it works for them. It does not work for me, I am always hungry when I have tried it . For me, low calorie, low fat works best.
2. My body craves complex flavors and textures. Eating plans with plain chicken breasts and steamed broccoli do not meet rule 1 for me. So I have learned to cook soups, stir fries, casseroles, stews, etc. which are chock full of veggies. I cook two big recipes every weekend and freeze portions so I can grab things on the go. I love veggies and fruit. I eat lots of high fiber grains. I know lots of folks eliminate rice, potatoes, bread. I eat those in moderation. I divide plate in thirds- one for protein, one grain, one veggies or fruit. Recipes are usually half or more veggies.
3. I try not to eat out much. When I do I go for simple dishes that are low fat, where it seems less likely that there are hidden calories. And portion control. Rules 1 and 2
4. I avoid sweets. Rule 1 and 2 strictly enforced!
5. I record everything on My Fitness Pal most days. Try not to skip more than one day a week. If I find if hard to record things, this means I am not being mindful.
If this is all too complicated, I recommend either Weight Watchers or Mayo Clinic online. Or for free WebMD
