It’s A Marathon Not A Sprint

The temptation at the beginning of every year is to try and change all of your habits at once. That’s a recipe for failure. Take it easy, make just a few healthy changes, like drinking more water and getting up and moving at least 10 minutes a day. Even 10 minutes can seem like a long time when you haven’t been doing anything. That’s the first step, and every step adds up.

TODAY: CUT BACK ON HOW MUCH YOU EAT AND GET MOVING.

Wii Says Lose Just Three Pounds

Be realistic and think beyond your diet today. Did you get a Wii Fit for Christmas? Maybe it was a Christmas gift from the past, or the kids have left it alone to play other more active (violent) games. Last evening my Wii told me that setting a goal to lose three pounds over two weeks would be longer lasting than a fast loss. I know the shapely avatar on my TV isn’t an expert, but some quick research backed this up.

Diets fail over time because they feel like deprivation. It takes an unrealistic level of motivation to keep cutting calories. This does not last.

To avoid Rebound Weight Gain, medical experts recommend:

— Cut calories while maintaining protein intake

— Exercise five times a week during the diet and beyond to maintain muscle mass

— Take multivitamins and drink plenty of water

— Plan your transition back to real foods

Besides, you already know you can’t “diet” forever. In the long term it’s not about goals. We’ve got to change the way we eat and maintain a more active lifestyle if we want to have any lifestyle at all.

TODAY: WALK A LITTLE FARTHER THAN YESTERDAY.

16 Ounces And What Do You Get?

A little parody of the old Ernie Ford song “16 Tons” works well to remind you to drink eight glasses of water a day. Don’t feel intimidated by how much “8 glasses of water” is. Those are 8 ounce glasses, a cup.  A 16 ounce glass is two cups. (Gee, now I’m a math wizzard.) Get a pint glass, it holds sixteen ounces (that’s a pint). Just drink two of those glasses of water in the morning and two in the afternoon. But don’t ignore this! You DEFINITELY need this water to help curb your appetite and flush the proteins out of your system to keep your kidneys healthy.

Sure Ernie Ford was known as the “Ole’ Pea Picker”. Until your body adjusts to it you may be just an “Ole’ Pee er”.

TODAY: FIND A 16 OUNCE GLASS TO USE WHEN DRINKING YOUR NO CALORIE WATER.

Eat More, Eat Less

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition recently talked about a team of nutrition researchers that concluded that whether you are eating the “three” or “six” meals daily, weight loss ultimately comes down to “how much energy (or calories) is consumed as opposed to how often or how regularly one eats.”

Okay I’ve talked about this before, It’s the same equation for weight loss and maintenance: Calories “in” = Calories “out”. So this means that eating five or six small meals a day helps us to:

• Burn more total calories by the end of the day
• Eat fewer total calories at the end of the day

So keep the “meals” small and frequent.

TODAY: CONTINUE GRAZING THROUGH YOUR DAY.

Before And After

I keep telling you that water is key to your diet and overall health. An easy way to train yourself to get what you need is to drink a glass of water before and after each meal. You’ll find that doing it that way will help you eat less and feel more full while giving you the hydration you need to flush proteins safely out of your system. When eating out you’ll also eliminate an expensive drink. Make sure you tell your waitress that you’re drinking the water for your diet so she doesn’t think you’re just being cheap.

TODAY: DRINK A GLASS OF WATER BEFORE AND AFTER EACH MEAL.

80 – 20 Rule

I’ll start the week with a short bit of advice. If you watch what you eat 80% of the time the other 20% is not  problem.

TODAY: PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT YOU EAT!

Deal Your Meal A Deck At A Time

Remember that “deal a meal” diet plan? Well I’m going to make it even more simple. You don’t need a deck of cards, you just need to remember how big a deck of cards is. For the most part you can use that as a gauge for how large a portion you serve yourself. You don’t have to deny yourself the food you like, just eat a reasonable amount. Keep the portions of protein and starches the size of a deck of cards and savor what you eat. Of course salads and veggies can be larger. Half the plate of salad paired with your protein will give you a full house … er… stomach and keep your weight in check without a raise.

Of course after you eat make sure you shuffle… out the door for a walk. (I know, I’m a joker.)

TODAY: CUT YOUR HIGH CALORIE PORTIONS DOWN TO A DECK OF CARDS.