Tommickins's Weight Loss Blog

Keep a food journal

tommickins — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:17:47 +0000

Sugary drinks were always a favorite of mine, and although it wasn’t the first thing I thought of to cut out, I do watch the sugary beverages. I traded regular soda for diet soda, and you really do usually get used to the difference in taste and aftertaste, unless you go back and forth. Juices are healthy foods, but they can be very high in sugars. I also watch how much sugar and creamer I use in tea and coffee, because all these add up. I drink at least 5, and up to 8, glasses of water daily, which helps me to feel more full all day long.

A food journal has been helpful for me, as well. I spotted good things and bad about my daily eating habits, and was able to make corrections where needed, to modify my diet. I have a dietitian that checks my food journal for me, to make sure I’m always on track.

Watch the calories

tommickins — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 10:14:30 +0000

When I first began dieting (I’ve “started” dieting many times), I tended to over-restrict what I let myself eat. I had favorite treats that I cut out, first thing. Instead of doing that now, I have found that letting myself indulge in these guilty pleasures once in a while has helped me maintain my dieting sanity. I only let myself eat a treat like this occasionally, and I limit the size of the portion.

I also try not to let myself be drawn in by “sneaky” labels on foods. “Fat-free” doesn’t mean low calorie. Neither does low-carb or low-sugar mean fewer calories. I always read the full nutrition label on packages. I’m not strictly a calorie-counter, but I do watch my caloric intake. By assuring myself that I’m eating the calories I think I am, I don’t fall into the pit of eating “fat-free” but high-calorie foods.

Cooking healthy food

tommickins — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 10:31:53 +0000

If you want to learn a bit more about healthy eating and how to cook healthier food, check out this video. I think there are some good tips here.

Eating the right food

tommickins — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 10:13:07 +0000

There are foods that I avoid, in my constant efforts to maintain the weight that I have lost, and to try to lose more. I avoid a lot of the processed food that is sold for breakfast, like biscuits and gravy, and “Breakfast Bowls” and the like, which can contain over 500 calories of eggs, bacon, cheese and potatoes.

I buy most of my food fresh now, and I try to stay away from pre-packaged, processed foods. These are convenient, but they’re not healthy for you. This includes fast food, too. Convenience foods and packaged foods are usually higher in fat content and sodium. I am always amazed by how much weight I have been able to lose eating home-made lunches at work rather than eating lunch out.

Serving Sizes

tommickins — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 10:10:33 +0000

I have found that watching how much I eat of any given food helps me keep a handle on how many calories I’m taking in every day. If you want to eat a serving of pasta, that means one half cup when it’s cooked. It does not mean a giant plate of pasta that you’re served at an Italian restaurant. You can ask for a box to take leftovers home when you eat out, and that can work as four or five additional, smaller meals.

I used to skip meals too, trying to lose weight by starving myself. All that did was increase my hunger for the next meal, and lower my metabolic rate. If you eat frequent smaller meals, it will help to balance your intake of calories through the whole day, and it will keep your blood sugar level in balance as well. Rather than eating three large meals, eat five or six small meals throughout the whole day.

Fad diets

tommickins — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 10:10:02 +0000

I’ve done the fad diets but I have found that the basic rules work better in the long run. Pills or shakes may help you lose weight up-front, but then, if you go back to your regular style of eating, you’ll gain the weight back, and possibly more.

I eat lots of fresh vegetables and fruit. They have healthy antioxidants, vitamins and fiber, all of which are beneficial for your body. They can also fill up your stomach more quickly so that you don’t stay hungry. Otherwise you have “grazing periods” as I used to call them, where you’re hungry more or less all day, so you eat all day. Veggies and fruits are also lower in calories than eating prepared foods, and they help keep that calorie count low.