Time to Get Real – Week of September 2

I haven’t spent a much time talking about the mechanisms for this weight loss process.  This may not interest anyone but hey, it’s my blog, right?  🙂

This is a combination of exercise and diet change.  I learned years ago that “diets” were largely a prescription for failure.  They are artificial environments that aren’t sustainable.  They work only as long as you remain “inside the bubble”.  Because they’re not designed for long term living eventually you have to come off them.  At which point most of us go back to eating they way we did in the past.  The results are predictable.

So my eating program is about changing what I eat and most importantly, how much I eat.  Americans just eat too damn much.  I eliminate things like “seconds” and “thirds” (Oh yes, I’ve done thirds at times).  I limit certain kinds of foods and work on eating lean protein, fruits and vegetables.

Note I said I “limit” certain foods.  Let me be clear here – the number of foods I have given up for this process is precisely ZERO.  I eat chocolate and cake and cookies.  I drink wine and beer.  I severely limit the amount of pop I drink (that’s for a completely different reason but it works for this process too) including diet.

If I can only eat boring food, food that I’ll “get used to” then I’m not interested.  I eat good food that is well made.  I find ways that to cut back on fat and calories with only minimum impacts on flavor and texture.  Otherwise I balance out slightly more extravagant meals with slightly more disciplined ones.

Could I lose weight faster if I were stricter?  Almost certainly.  But I’m not on a “diet”.  I’m learning a new way of eating.  One that I’ll be able to live with and enjoy for the rest of my life.

Next week I’ll talk about exercise.

The news on the scale was probably the best I could have hoped for this week.  A holiday weekend and a food festival (Buffalo Wing Fest!) are tough segments.  A one pound fluctuation is workable.

Official Weigh In Weight

194.6 pounds