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It isn't elimination, it's moderation Posted by Ari [Email]  (#2847) [Profile/Gallery]
(more from Ari) on Thu, 11 Sep 2008 10:07:07
In Reply to: OT ...but I love bacon, Steinway, Wed, 10 Sep 2008 05:20:55 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
If you think of it as never eating bacon ever again, any lifestyle changes will fail, and you'll spend all your time miserable. That's no quality of life.
Cut back, and make changes you can live with. A unrealistic plan won't work. If you ate red meat 4 times a week, try 2 times a week. Try reducing the portion of meat by a quarter, and add veggies. Find ones you like.
I recommend avoiding No Fat dressings and foods. In general, they taste horrible. So you're eating stuff you don't want to eat. Try reduced fat dressings, and just use a little less. Try different brands - they all taste different.
Go for whole wheat products. They tend to be denser, and you'll find you are less hungry for the same amount as processed white flour products. Try whole wheat pastas. The extra fiber helps with cholesterol, digestion, and fills you up better.
Eat less, more often. It takes time for the stomach to tell the brain it is full, so we tend to eat more than necessary to not feel hungry. But if you don't wait until you are ravenous, it's easier to stop before feeling full. And it's easier to stop before feeling full if you know another snack/meal is coming up in three hours.
DON'T EAT ANYTHING YOU DON'T LIKE. That's just wasting calories. Eat what you want, just less of it.
Plan on going off plan once a week. No, not a 50 oz steak and a blooming Onion. But at least one meal where you can break the rules - have a bacon cheesburger. It isn't the once a week - it's the five times a week.
Exercise. Even a little helps a lot. Go for a walk after dinner - it doesn't have to be 30 minutes sweating on a treadmill. Any exercise is better than none. Not only will you process food better, it'll drop your blood pressure.
I recommend Weight Watchers. No, I have no affiliation. But they seem to have the best combination of weight loss and a plan you can live with. It's not about a 3 month diet to lose weight, and then go back to the old ways. It's about finding a new way to live that you enjoy.
A big part of Weight Watchers is journaling. "Write what you Bite." Write down what you eat. And don't cheat yourself - if you go off plan, write it down; own it. You'd be surprised. That "I only eat that rarely" turns out to be three times a week.
Keep healthy snacks around. Yes, even baked chips can be healthy. Buy a big bag of chips, and portion them into reasonable size portions in baggies. An open bag of chips cries out to be eaten entirely. But a portion, when gone, requires you to reach for another portion. It's not denial, it's making a conscious decision. And packaging it yourself saves big bucks.
Yes, monitor your blood pressure. Buy an automatic one if you're a gadget freak, or an old fashioned stethescope one if you want accuracy and simplicity. Ask your doctor's nurse to show you how to do it. No biggie.
I won't over-rule the doctor, but I'll bet that if you make some simple changes, reduce and not eliminate, you'll see some spectacular improvements. And the key to planning on going off plan is that if you 'mess up,' you don't have an excuse to chuck the whole thing.
Life is a compromise. Eating only rice cakes and tofu may not make you happy. A stroke or heart attack is no picnic, either. But it isn't either-or. You can make some changes and reduce risks. Yes, it's not what anyone wants to hear, and changes are hard.
posted by 192.249....
, Thu, 11 Sep 2008 10:07:07 <-- Viewing This Message
, Wed, 10 Sep 2008 10:10:42
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