Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Tuesday Tally: Weight Loss Tricks

I've managed to pack on about 20 lbs. that need to go.  I didn't go through gastric-bypass surgery nine-and-a-half years ago to start adding weight.  Time to nip this one in the bud before 20 turns into 30.

I know one major problem is that I like to eat.  Another is that I order a "daily special" at one of the local restaurants at lunch time and eat every morsel.  That will change!

I will also:

1. Weigh myself daily.  I have a weight-balance scale like a doctor uses.  I slide the weight down as I lose weight.  If I gained weight, I don't slide the weight back up.  It doesn't matter -- I gained weight!

2. Plan my meals. This is a trick. However, I have a good supply of lower calorie, frozen meals in the freezer.  One of those, along with a salad or cottage cheese and I should be good to go.  But I do need to be careful to not under-eat as well.  That leads to nibbling.

3. Keep some healthy snacks on hand.  I love bananas, yogurt and popcorn! I keep them on hand for filler meals.

4. Eat slower, drink more.  One of the things I can't do is drink anything while I'm eating. Of sure, I can have a sip of liquid, but drinking large quantities of liquids is nearly impossible with the way my digestive tract is now routed.  But I can drink more water, during the day. Few people know that when you think you're hungry, you're probably really thirsty!

5. Look down the road.  That cookie today will lead to not losing weight tomorrow. If I aim for just one pound a week, I can be easily be 20 (or more) pounds lighter by Spring.

6. Don't drink calories. I'm glad that I don't really drink much soda, but when I do, it's diet. However,  I do drink coffee with cream and sugar.  Added calories which I need to watch!

7. Exercise for just 5 minutes a day.  I gotta get moving again.  If I try to start out at 30 or 60 minutes, I'll fail.  I have at least 5 minutes a day to walk somewhere.  Then, week by week I can add 5 minutes until I get to that hour a day.

8. Do it a day, or a hour, at a time.  If I can just manage to make all the stuff I've listed part of my day, for several days, they can become habits again.  And that will lead to some weight loss.

Here's to being lighter by Spring!

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