LIFESTYLE - NOT DIET

For more than half my adult life I struggled with my weight.  I was on many different diets over the years.  I would lose the pounds and eventually my bad habits would return and we all know what happens then.  I was a typical yo-yo dieter.  Twenty years ago I found a way to eat that actually worked once and for all.  I’ve been successful in maintaining my weight with no more yo-yo weight gains and losses.

DISCLAIMER - Let me make it clear that I am not a dietitian and I’m not promoting another fad diet.  What I’m talking about in this blog is what anyone who has the motivation can accomplish. 

What I do is not that difficult and I never feel deprived.  Moderation, measuring, portion control, plus discipline and will power, are the keys to my success.  I don’t believe in cutting out specific foods I love either.  That would only make me crave them more, and that feeling could lead to over-indulging, something I no longer feel the need to do.

To start with, I measure almost everything I consume, most of the time using measuring cups.  For instance, my morning cereal isn’t just dumped into a large bowl.  I read the label on the cereal box, calculate how much I can allow myself, and then measure out what I’m going to eat.  I can’t use milk (lactose intolerant), so instead I use natural Greek yogurt and measure 1/2 c. to mix with my 1/2 c. cereal.  One half of a banana and a sprinkle of blueberries and that’s my breakfast.  Filling and very satisfying.

My husband and I love pasta and eat it as a main course or as a side dish alongside meat, chicken, or fish.  Gone are the days of filling a plate with a big mound of pasta, though.  I carefully watch my carb intake, so for a box or package of dry pasta I try to get 9-10 cooked servings instead of the 8 that is listed on most packages.  After the pasta is cooked I measure 2/3 c. cooked pasta for each serving, which I put on a large piece of parchment paper until I have 9-10 servings.  I may have to take some pasta from each pile to even out the servings.  However, when I cook a pound of Barilla whole grain thin spaghetti I get to make the 8 servings that are on the package due to the fact it is lower in carbs and higher in fiber.  Besides that it tastes really good too.

It might look like a very small amount of pasta for a meal, but when I add the sauce, some small cubes of Asiago cheese or meatballs or sausage, a vegetable, and a hearty salad, there is enough to eat.  I never serve bread with pasta either.  Yes, we sometimes miss having bread, but it’s a small sacrifice to make.  If we go out to dinner at an Italian restaurant we might indulge a little, but at home we don’t.

I also eat a wide variety of fruit and vegetables, which are also portion controlled by serving size.

When I’m hungry for a mid-morning snack I have several choices I can make.  Here is a picture of what my mid-morning snack was this morning.  Other days it might be a teaspoon of peanut butter, or some goat cheese, on a Triscuit cracker. 

I do enjoy having a small sweet treat a couple hours after dinner.  Once again, whatever the treat might be, it is calculated and measured.  If it’s ice cream I don't just guess at the amount of ice cream I put in a bowl.  And yes, I really do eat ice cream, just not the fully loaded kind.  I buy Dreyer’s Slow Churned and measure out the 1/2 c. serving size.  A friend recently told me she listened to what I said and she had a 1/2 c. of ice cream.  And then she went and had another 1/2 c.  Hah!  I don’t think she was paying attention.  My guideline for a sweet treat is something low in calories, fat, and carbs.  A square of Dove dark chocolate is a great treat.  When it’s Girl Scout cookie time I read the label on the box and can usually have 1 or 2.  I remember the days though when I opened the box and indulged in a lot more than that.  I also remember the extra pounds I carried around from doing that and a lot more.  

Before I buy something at the store in a box, bag, package, etc. I read the nutritional label.  I see how many servings are in the package, and what size is the serving, then the calories, fat, carbs, fiber, and protein in each serving.  I then decide if the serving size is worth buying the product.

I mentioned discipline and will power earlier.  Those two things didn't just happen overnight.  It took a lot of practice along with finally starting to see the results of my new way of eating to reinforce my dedication.  Not only did my clothes fit better, but my annual lab results improved too.  Both good reasons to continue my new lifestyle.

After eating this way for twenty years I'm able to eat 1 or 2 potato chips and close the bag.  I eat everything slowly, savor and enjoy the taste of whatever I'm eating.  Nowadays they call it “Mindful Eating”.  Yes, I eat out and bring home half my meal if the portion size is too much.  You may be wondering if I ever splurge.  Of course I do!  But one splurge doesn't derail me into a downward spiral.  The next day I get right back to my usual regimen.  

The main and most important reason I live this disciplined way is because I want, and hope, to have a better quality of life as I age.  Coupled with regular exercise (see my former fitness blogs) my lab results are good, I feel great, and I'm pleased with how my clothes fit.  To me that makes what I'm doing well worth the extra effort.