If you've tried to diet in the past, did you feel overwhelmed with trying to track calories, carbs, fats, and so on? It can be very tedious and frustrating. Seems like the best approach is for each person to find out what system works best for them. A few years ago the South Beach Diet worked really well for me. I'm sure it would again, but I'm not up to doing the restrictive Phase 1 right now.
So how does one take the fear and tediousness out of this dieting thing? "Keep it simple, stupid," is what works best for me. I suspect it works best for most of us! Because I'm pre-diabetic, I have to count garbs as well as watch my fat and calorie intake. Tracking what I eat each day using the "My Health Tracker" feature at prevention.com makes me aware of what I'm eating and what the nutritional content of each food is. Many of us are probably overeating in ways we don't realize until we start to track what we eat. Another spiffy feature of the "My Health Tracker" is that you can track your physical activity and how many calories you burned and you can log your weight and measurements. It's very motivating to see those numbers changing over time.
I read a great little article recently over at eatingwell.com that makes calculating the calories you need to maintain or lose weight very simple. (Eating Well is a magazine that I like very much--it emphasizes cooking with fresh, seasonal ingredients.) The article contains link to sample menus to give you some ideas to make a lower-calorie diet tasty and interesting.
As of today I've lost 16 pounds over three months. This week, co-workers commented that I looked thinner and asked what I've been doing. There is no magic pill here--the tea regimen I'm on is helping, but I've tried to be more active and to be mindful of what I eat.
I've taken a slow start--first I implemented the tea regimen. Then I started tracking what I ate. Slowly I began to add more and more physical activity. I cannot emphasize how important it has been for me to stretch every morning and evening. Am I consistent? Usually--I'll miss a day here and there and when I do I know it. A talented chiropractor I went to for my back problems taught me some simple stretches that keep me free of back pain. I can do yard work and barn chores and not wake up in pain the next day.
Because I am older, out of shape, and now have a back problem that will never go away, I have to pace myself. Just two years ago I could work all day in the yard--I could mow, then prune bushes, weed flowerbeds. Now I have to decide what I'll be doing that day--do I need to mow? Or do I need to weed? I can't do both anymore. I have to pace myself. Maybe next year when I'm in better shape I can run a marathon, mow, and weed in one day. (I can dream, can't I?)
If anyone wants more information on the tea regimen I'm following, please leave a comment below with your request and I'll devote a post to it.
Remember, you are worth taking care of! If you don't take care of yourself, you'll have nothing left to give to your family, friends, co-workers, or anyone else in your life.
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