Eat Smarter....

...not less. Because I'm all about not being hungry.

Ya know. Kinda like the saying, "Work smarter, not harder."

I get emails from Weight Watchers & sometimes they include healthy eating tips & articles. The most recent one was titled "28 Small Changes That Will Make a Big Difference". Since I do believe that weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint, I'm all about making small changes that add up over time. I was actually amazed at how many of the small changes I have incorporated into my diet. Seriously. Some of them being:

• Ordering half-portions at restaurants or sharing a full-portion. Hubs & I nearly always share an entree & sometimes add in an extra house salad. Great for the pocketbook too!

• Use less or no sugar in your coffee or tea. I'm nearly a 100% Splenda girl now, although once in awhile I'll add a little sugar because I do think it tastes better.

• Measure your portions so you'll know what a cup, half-cup, or tablespoon of something looks like. I'd probably also add: know what a standard portion of a food item is. Do you know how much a serving of pasta is? How about salad dressing? Protein?

• Find healthy alternatives to your favorite foods. I think this one is really crucial. It doesn't seem important, but I think you'll feel less deprived if you still get to eat all the things {or variations of them} you really love.

• Always eat something for breakfast. We all know it's the most important meal of the day. For you non-breakfast eaters, think of it this way: the sooner you get some fuel in your body, the sooner your metabolism shifts into a higher gear. Sorry. Coffee doesn't count.

• Add vegetables to everything. I add piles {and I mean piles} of sauteed mushrooms, onions & green peppers to my pizzas, even frozen or take-out. The mark-up on toppings for take-out is CA-RAZY! I even saute extra veg & add it to my Lean Cuisines. Extra veg on my kiddie size fast food burgers makes 'em extra filling too {plus those veggies are usually free}.
  

Any small changes you're working on this week?

Why Being Tired is Dangerous

Because I just want to eat, eat, EAT to raise my blood-sugar! In an effort to revamp my daily routine, this self-proclaimed night owl is attempting to wake up at 6:30 am, before the children, to get a jump start on my day. Side-effects? Serious sleepiness. I have been going to bed earlier, like 9:30 pm, but maybe I just need more time to adjust. You know the day is gonna be rough when you wake-up tired. A bit later in the day, I found myself telling my husband that I am just going to HAVE to drive to the doughnut shop & eat about 12 doughnuts. Scary thing? I was willing to do it. My body felt desperate. The good news is that after I passed out took a short nap on the couch, I am feeling much better. A nice cup of tea will stand in for that sugary snack. I just saved myself a trip into town......

A New Lifestyle

In thinking about losing weight & making healthy changes, I knew I did not want to partake in a "diet". I did not want some kind of script to follow that forbids bread or cake or fruit or meat. That is just not something I am willing to sustain for a lifetime. I wanted a lifestyle plan, where no foods were off-limits, everything being allowed in moderation. I came across the book Why French Women Don't Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano. So many things about her story & French principles inspired me. It is totally intriguing how differently the French approach food as compared to Americans. She talks about savoring your food, each and every bite. Loving food more, not less. {Confirmed to me in an article I read here.} Treating each meal like a ritual, using real dishes and cloth napkins. {I'm sure eating a yummy greasy McDonald's quarter-pounder while driving is an abomination.} Focusing on all the good things there are to eat, instead of all the bad ones that you should mostly avoid.

The practical application of these lessons that fits my philosophy best is Weight Watcher's Flex plan. I have learned everything regarding this plan by reading the WW Flex forum and collecting information from various spots on the web. Basically you get a set number of minimum daily POINTS based on your gender, age, weight, and physical activity level, along with 35 weekly POINTS to use as you need them. You can earn activity points by exercising. Every food has a POINT value {the healthier foods are lower in POINTS, while the unhealthier ones are higher}. There is an emphasis on portion control {something I didn't realize how badly I needed}. There are also 8 Healthy Guidelines which you should try to meet every day, such as water consumption, taking a multi-vitamin, etc.

Best part? No food is forbidden. You can save your weekly POINTS for a special occasion or weekend meal at a restaurant. You can eat chocolate. Ice cream is on the menu. With no severe restrictions, I don't feel deprived or like I need to binge on something because it is being withheld from me. I see this plan as something I can sustain for the long-haul. I hope once I get to the Maintenance Phase of my weight journey, I can move away from the continual POINT-counting and will have already learned what foods are best for me, in what portions, and how to keep those special yummy treats in balance. {The POINT-counting seems like the most monotonous part of the whole deal.}

I guess you could say that this is my French-American version of how to adopt a healthier lifestyle, the combination of the French Women's lessons along with the guidelines of WW. It just all makes sense to me. I. am. ready.