A Journey, Not a Destination
I have been in store signing my new book Tipping the Scales in Your Favor for about 6 months now. It is so interesting to have people come in for help. I so admire their courage. I am so happy to help them, as it was Jackie Keller founder of Nutrifit who reached out to me some 8 years ago and said, “you can lose weight.” I, like everyone, had been on several diets. The only problem with a diet is that sooner or later you put it down and go back to eating like you used to.
I am so convinced that it is a journey and not a destination. I cannot tell you how many people have said to me, “Well, I lost 85 pound and I have put it all back on.” All this tells me is that they did go on a diet, and sooner or later it all came back as they went back to their old eating habits.
I know that it is a change of lifestyle and it is not wrapped up in a diet or a magic pill.
Key Principles for a Healthy Lifestyle
1. I eat 1,600 to 1,800 calories a day, broken down into three meals and three snacks. Check with your health specialist first for your optimal calorie intake for weight loss. For a regular fuel injection, eat a meal or a snack every two to three hours.
2. Eat eight servings of fruits and vegetables daily. A serving of fruits or vegetables varies from a half cup to one cup.
3. Limit bread to two servings per day, and choose complex carbohydrates from whole grains, as opposed to refined foods such as sugar and white flour.
4. Consume two tablespoons of healthy oil, such as olive oil or oils found in nuts or vegetables each day. Most oils I use come from meats, fish, salad dressings, and nuts.
5. Exercise thirty minutes to one hour a day, six days a week. I always take off one day to rest. Start gradually and work up. Be sure to consult your doctor before starting any exercise program. My program includes three strength-training workouts per week and water aerobics or swimming twice a week. I wear a pedometer and strive to take 10,000 steps a day. I bike ride for fun when the weather is good. If I bike, I decrease my walking. Remember, I have worked up to this regimen over several years.
6. Control stress through planning and the ability to say, “No, I will not be able to do that right now.” Say no to requests you do not have time for so you can say yes toyour health, weight, and happiness.
7. Get a full night’s rest, about seven to eight hours of sleep. I usually go to bed early enough that I can wake up without an alarm.
8. Drink eight cups of water (8 ounces each) daily.
9. Plan and prep your meals. When meats and vegetables are pre-prepped, it’s faster and easier to cook a healthy meal. Have every family member share duties during meal preparations.
10. Control portions. Premeasure food items into proper portions so you will be less tempted to overeat. By weighing and packaging foods ahead of time, you can better control your serving size. When I fail to do this step, I usuallyget tripped up and end up eating too much.
11. Make yourself accountable. Identify your goals in weekly time periods, and write down the steps it will take to accomplish them. Three-month goals let you set your sights a little bit further out. Find someone you trust to check in withonce a week to hold you accountable. Keep a daily food and exercise diary. This will help you know whether you are following your program. Without writing these things down, it is easy to lose track, often resulting in weight gain.
12. Enjoy the journey and never, ever give up. You can do it.
Remember it did not come on over night and it is a journey of leaning new skills.
Success on the journey!!!
