“There is no shortcut to anyplace worth going.”
                                                   Anonymous

“Hubs” is not only a physician but he’s a mathematical genius as well. He looks at weight loss as a simple mathematical equation:

Calories consumed
- Calories burned
= Pounds lost

In other words, eat less and exercise more to lose weight. Well, that sounds easy enough, but if you’ve ever had a weight problem you know it’s just not that simple!

I’ve struggled with weight all my life. I know how difficult it is to lose weight and how much more difficult it is to keep it off. When I was a child, I was “chubby-cute”. As a teenager, though, I was “not-so-chubby-cute”! I did a lot of yo-yo dieting, a result of trying out each and every fad diet that came along. They simply did not work for me.

During my 20’s and 30’s I finally learned how to lose weight and how to keep it off. It took some work and required a change in lifestyle, but the results and rewards were well worth the effort.

I must tell you I am not a “formally” trained weight loss expert. My expertise comes from my experience and my passion for healthy eating and calorie burning exercise. Now I am passionate about sharing my knowledge and experiences with you.

First things first! Are you ready?

• Are you ready to “acknowledge” that you have a weight problem?
• Are you ready to be “accountable” for your choices?
• Are you ready to set “realistic” weight loss goals?
• Are you ready, willing and motivated to be challenged?

Yes?!! Well, then, let’s begin!

Attitude has everything to do with losing weight. You have to be absolutely positive you can achieve your weight loss goals. A “can-do” attitude will bring about weight loss success. If you think you can, you will!

You must want to lose weight for yourself and only yourself. You cannot lose weight for your significant other or for your doctor or for your friends. You will be successful at losing weight because YOU want to lose it. So be selfish and begin your quest to be your best.

Focus on change, not food. Losing weight is about balance. According to “Webster” balance is “the scale by which deeds and principles are weighed and destinies are determined.” In other words, when you incorporate balance into your lifestyle, you have the power to make your own choices, and those choices will determine your ‘destiny’ or outcome. In this case, your choices will determine your weight loss success.

The quantity of food you choose to eat must be balanced with an abundance of activity. Being a sedentary couch potato is no
longer an option. I know it’s difficult to banish “hefty habits” but you need to trade them in for more “healthy habits.” If you have time to laze-out on the couch, you have time to exercise. But don’t worry, you can gravitate back to the couch after the exercising is over,,,,,Okay?

Your weight loss goal must be realistic. To determine a realistic weight for your height and frame, go to www.healthchecksystems.com/heightweightchart.htm.

After you’ve set a realistic weight loss goal, focus ONLY on losing the weight “pound-by-pound.” This is of key importance. When you focus on losing one pound at a time you will not be overwhelmed by the huge task ahead of you. Instead you will find yourself optimistic and cheerful in a circumstance that could otherwise be one of desperation. It is my opinion that “when you lose weight slowly but surely, you will be more apt to keep those pounds off for a lifetime.”

To quote Antoine de Saint-Exupery,
“A goal without a plan is just a wish.”

Now that you have a goal, you need to develop a weight loss plan. There are many weight loss plans available: Jenny Craig, Nutrisystem, The South Beach Diet, Weight Watchers, and so on. You may choose one of these plans for reducing your caloric intake. But you may want to consider my sensible and simple diet plan. It’s my way of losing weight and hey! It’s free! I’ll begin with my 15 rules for losing weight. Or, 15 rules for changing your lifestyle:

1. Sit down at the table and eat three meals each day.
   
2. Banish all processed foods from your diet.
3. Say “so long” to sugar; and white flour is no longer welcome.
   
4. Eat 2-4 servings of fresh fruits each day.
   
5. Eat 4-5 servings of fresh vegetables each day.
6. Eat 5-6 servings of whole grains, protein and dairy products daily.
7. Do not fry any food. Meats, poultry and fish may be grilled, roasted, broiled, baked, poached, steamed, or lightly sauted.
8. Avoid gravies, sauces, butter, margarine, and oils.
9. Olive oil and “smart balance” are the only extra added fats allowed.
10. Select lean cuts of meat and poultry. Remove the skin and any fat before preparing.
11. Eat fish 1 or 2 times each week.
12. Select 100% whole grain/whole wheat breads, cereals, pasta, and rice, and eat sparingly.
13. Reduce portion size. 3-6 oz. of protein each day. Serve meals on luncheon plates rather than dinner plates.
14. Do not add salt during meal preparation.
15. Remember, “every calorie counts."

The following are fruits you may eat freely:
Apricots, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, plums, grapefruit, cantaloupe, and rhubarb.

The following are vegetables you may eat freely:
Asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, lettuce.
If you eat these veggies raw (and I do) and find that you need to “dip” them into something flavorful, go for hummus or salsa over the more fat-laden dips.

Below are some examples of what I eat while losing weight.

Breakfast -
   2-4 scrambled egg whites*
   ½ cup blueberries
   1 piece of 100% whole grain/whole wheat toast
   Coffee and ice water

OR

A peanut butter/banana smoothie*
Coffee and ice water

OR

A small bowl of whole grain cereal with skim milk
1 banana
1 carton of fat free, low calorie yogurt
Coffee and ice water

Lunch -
2 lettuce leaves
1 tomato slice
1 piece of chicken
Place the chicken and tomato between lettuce
leaves, add a dash of mustard. Eat as a sandwich.
Tab and ice water

OR

A plate full of spinach leaves topped with a scoop
of chicken salad
1 apple, sliced
Tab and ice water

OR

1 flour tortilla
2 teaspoons of red pepper hummus
A handful of greens
Some diced cucumber and green onion
Spread the hummus on the tortilla. Add the
greens, cucumber and onion, fold, eat and enjoy!
Grapes
Tab and ice water

Dinner -
Spinach and Strawberry Salad*
Stinky Chicken*
Blueberry/Strawberry Combo
Yellow Squash and Tomato Casserole*

OR

Mixed Greens with Walnuts and Mushrooms*
Steak with Roasted Red Pepper and Banana Salsa*
Roasted Asparagus*

OR

Romaine and Mango Salad*
Sweet and Sour Swordfish*
Zucchini-Parmesan Bake*
Cantaloupe and Blueberry Combo

Some of my favorite snack foods include the following:
Weight Watchers Ice Cream Sandwich
Sugar free/Fat free pudding
Multi-grain Wasa with manchego cheese
Multi-grain Wasa with lettuce and turkey
Veggies and hummus
Fruit
Fat free yogurt

Don’t focus so much on the food but rather enjoy the entire meal time experience. Set a pretty table, light a candle, eat slowly and savor each and every bite, and relish family time. If you eat alone, make each meal an occasion.

Now we need to talk about exercise! I am a firm believer that exercise creates energy. Once you incorporate exercise into your daily schedule, you’ll feel refreshed and energized throughout the day.

Some people do not enjoy exercising. If this is you, you must choose a form of exercise that you enjoy, or could learn to enjoy. It must also be something that suits your lifestyle. It’s your life and you’ve got to love it! It is something worthwhile and something in which you need to invest.

I truly believe walking is good for the body and good for the soul. It’s free and easy to do and the benefits are wonderful. I also believe that the “early-bird” has a better chance of successfully incorporating exercise into his/her regular daily routine. The early riser gets about exercising before the distractions of the day begin. If you’re not a morning person, walk at some other suitable time of day. Just walk!

If you choose walking as a form of exercise, you need to begin slowly. If you haven’t exercised for awhile, begin with a 20 minute walk and add 10 minutes each week, until you are walking 45-60 minutes each day, at least five days a week. You may want to walk every day, Monday through Friday. Or, you may want to walk 2 days, take a day off, walk 2 days, take a day off, walk 2 days, take a day off and so on. Or, walk Monday and Tuesday, take Wednesday off, and walk Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Determine what solution works best for you, but you need to walk at least 5 days each week. If you need a push to get out the door, get a walking buddy! When you walk and talk, time slips by more quickly and it seems less a chore.

If you’re not into walking and enjoy the “gym” atmosphere, join a local gym and go at least 5 days each week. Most gyms offer group classes, free weights, personal trainers, weight machines, treadmills, elliptical machines, stair steppers, bicycles and more. Some gyms have pools, and swimming is a total body workout, as are water aerobic classes. Mix it up and burn those calories!

I’ve been a member of a gym and there are times when I workout alone. There are plusses and minuses to each. It’s harder for me to get to the gym, but once there, I enjoy the energy that’s in the air and I love all the options that are available.

On the other hand, I enjoy early morning walks. I love to be out in the fresh morning air just before the world wakes up. It is a time of solitude and reflection as I walk along observing nature open up to a brand new day. My favorite exercise tool is my “walkvest”. It really kicks my workout to the next level. Check it out.

If you do not have the luxury of a gym and are short on time, there are a few exercises that I believe, when incorporated with walking, will give you a total body workout. These include the following:

1. Stretching 10 minutes before you work out (and before you walk). Stretching must be done slowly and you must stretch from head to toe.
2. Walking, running, swimming, biking, etc, 45 minutes, 5 x week.
3. Squats. Begin with 2 sets of 10, working up to 3 sets of 20, three times a week.
4. Sit ups. Work abdominal and oblique muscles. Begin with 2 sets of 25, working your way up to 300 sit ups, three times a week.
5. Push-ups. Begin with 2 sets of 10, working your way up to 3 sets of 20, three times a week.
6. Reverse push-ups. Begin with 2 sets of 10, working your way up to 3 sets of 20, three times a week.
7. Stretching 10 minutes after your workout (and after walking). Stretching must be done slowly and you must stretch from head to toe.

The above workout is only a suggestion or guide for a total body workout without equipment. It is what I like to do when I am not able to go to the gym.

Let’s simplify!

1. A positive “can do” attitude is a must.
2. Be accountable for your choices.
3. Be “selfish” and lose weight for yourself, not others.
4. Balance food consumption with an abundance of activity.
5. Set a realistic weight loss goal.
6. Determine a plan of action.
7. Be motivated and willing to commit to the challenge.
8. Adopt a healthy, reduced calorie eating lifestyle.
9. Exercise at least 5 days a week for a minimum of 45 minutes each of those days.
10. Remove “can’t” from your vocabulary; replace it with “can”, because you CAN do it….you CAN lose weight and keep it off!
11. Focus on losing weight pound by pound; losing weight slowly will increase your chances of keeping it off for a lifetime.
12. Eat slowly and savor each and every bite.
13. Drink at least eight glasses of water each day.
14. Keep food preparation and recipes simple.