Don't step on it..It makes you cry!

I wish I had this warning when I was younger!  Oh that scale!

I never had a weight problem when I was younger but after going through menopause I packed on about 20 pounds and then again packed on more after I stopped smoking.  Well, the good part to that is I’m rid of the nasty addiction even though I still need that fake cigarette in my hand to do that hand to mouth thing!  Hey, it works for me!

Now, to deal with getting these pounds off!  At first, the extra pounds were a cosmetic concern for me but now as I'm getting much older, I’m terrified of the increase risks and a host of health problems, including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer.

From my own experience, the hardest obstacle to overcome when incorporating any diet is to give up eating bread!  Since grain bread is very high in carbs (about 20 g per slice), it is impossible for me to try and lose weight if I continue to eat bread.

 

A friend of mine just lost a lot of weight and I asked her what her secret was and she said “Cutting Calories” is usually a lot easier than you might think.  Her advice was to cut 500 of calories per day from your diet. For example, that daily tall latte in the morning may pack 500 calories. Since a pound of flab (lost or gained) is roughly equivalent to 3,500 calories, replacing that rich beverage with black coffee can help you lose a pound a week.

 

Other easy cuts include salad dressing (salad dressing is the number one source of fat in the average American woman's diet)  soda pop,  ice cream,  candy, and  butter.  You don't need to cut these things out entirely, but if you reduce your intake of high-fat, high-calorie foods you'll  lose weight faster. She said to also stop using olive oil when sautéing….use Pam instead.  Reducing 500 calories per day from the calories you eat to maintain your weight can help you lose a pound of fat per week.  I did notice a cut in calories by purchasing the squirt dressing instead of pouring dressing over your salad.

My friend obtained all this useful information from a Diet Program that she joined and paid a lot of money for this information and diet program.  Thank goodness my shorthand came in handy jotting down all these notes.  My friend lost 40 pounds in a short length of time.  She told me if I handle this calorie problem with the same vigor I did with “stop smoking”…..she said it will be a “piece of cake”…..no pun intended!  LOL

I do have to learn “Portion Control”.  She told me to never to supersize your food portions -- unless you want to supersize your clothes.  Damn, I have already jumped two dress sizes and I’m totally depressed over it.

My biggest problem is eating breakfast.  Normally, just coffee is enough for me unless I’m joining a group of people, then I will have something to eat.  I guess all those years of hitting the snooze button to my alarm clock too many times never allowed me to have time to eat breakfast.  They say if you eat a big breakfast it helps you eat fewer total calories throughout the day.

She told me of a few tricks that I have noticed her doing while we gals are out having dinner together. 

Eating out? Halve it, and bag the rest. A typical restaurant entree has 1,000 to 2,000 calories, not even counting the bread, appetizer, beverage and dessert.  She will request a take home container before the food even arrives to the table.  She cuts the meal in half and saves it for the following day for lunch. 

 

 

Well, with my nocturnal eating while sleepwalking…that may not work for me.  Cutting the meal in half would not be a problem, it is putting it in my refrigerator for the next day would be a challenge!  LOL

She also said they were taught to plate their food instead of eating out of a jar or a bag.  This must be a visual thing I guess.

We all know to switch from whole milk to 1 percent. If you drink one 8-oz glass a day, you'll lose 5 lbs in a year.  Juice has as many calories, ounce for ounce, as soda. Set a limit of one 8-oz glass of fruit juice a day.  She said she dilutes her juice with water.

She also said they all had to keep a food journal. It really works wonders.  That I knew already, I use a great online site that my daughter introduced to me called Sparkpeople.  I keep track of everything I eat and also what exercise I have done during the day.  It truly helps me.  You must jot down every morsel of food you intake…………the total amount of calories will shock you.

 

http://sparkpeople.com/myspark/loginpage.asp?whereFrom=nutrition.asp

 

Click on the above site and join….it is free.  Yes, you need a username and password………..people panic when they have to take a few more extra steps online to join a free program!

I have been using Mustard instead of Mayo and believe it or not….I like it.  I have been eating more soup….being Italian, mine is homemade of course, just stay way from the creamy ones.

One girlfriend of mine lost 30 pounds by just stop drinking sodas… and she was drinking diet drinks!  Amazing.

Limit alcohol to weekends.  Now, this one I may have a struggle with.  I love my wine with my dinners and that is every night!!!!!!!

 

I just got on my scale!  The doctor told me that if I just lost 20 pounds alone, my cholesterol will go down drastically and will also help my blood pressure.

 

Since my friend shared these great tips with me, I decided to pass it along to you......my dear Internet Friends.  If you have some other great tips...please let me know.  I wish I had all this knowledge 20-30 years ago!

 

Well, I’m going to try harder, how about you?

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