Safe, Simple & Satisfying - Session Three

Welcome Back to the Safe, Simple & Satisfying Weight Loss Blog! 

Last session, I told you than none of us need an Extra Value Meal from McDonald’s. As I began to further concentrate on weight loss, I began looking at not just the foods but also the amount of foods I consumed. I discovered the Small Plate Movement. It is a combined effort by academia, government, media and industry to help American families loose weight and feel healthier by simply reducing the size of their dinnerware. The movement was announced in San Diego October 27, 2008 at the American Public Health Association Conference. Recent studies in medical, nutrition, and marketing journals have illustrated how people serve themselves in proportion to the size plate that they have been given. i.e. 3 ounces of pasta on a 10-inch plate looks like a sizable portion, the same amount on a 12-inch plate looks comparatively much smaller. A person tends to over serve on a larger plate. Because people tend to consume an average of 92% of what they serve themselves, larger plates lead to larger food intake. A two inch difference in plate diameter - from 12 to 10 inch plates - would result in servings 22% lower in calories. It is estimated that a smaller plate would lead to a weight loss for an average adult of around 18 lbs. per year. You can read more about The Small Plate Movement on their web site: http://www.smallplatemovement.org 

Practical Tip of the Session Combining Eating With Another Activity Do not watch TV, movies or even read while you eat. This is my worst habit! I love to read or watch movies while eating! Many people are prompted to eat more if engaged in another activity while eating. So, do not combine your eating with another activity, other than enjoying the company of your family and friends. I am aware that this makes for a difficult Super Bowl Party! A Big Obstacle to Weight Loss: Hunger! The snack industry is based on curbing your hunger with items that are high in salt, fat & calories. Discover for yourself snack foods that are Safe, Simple & Satisfying and are not high in salt, fat & calories. A piece of fruit, apple slices, celery with peanut butter are very good snacks. Take a few minutes and brainstorm snack foods that will fit the mantra. 

Book Suggestion: I’m With Fatty, Edward Ugel I find it helpful and encouraging to read other people’s stories of their weight loss journeys. This book is a short, funny, easy-to-read journal. Ugel set a goal to lose 50 pounds in 50 weeks and write a book about it. Because he was working from a book advance, he was able to afford a personal trainer and personal nutritionist. He called it, “The Fatty Project.” He is very honest in the book about his successes and failures. He relates the times when he relapsed and ate several pints of ice cream with other enormous amounts of food as well as the days when he skipped his workouts. He also shares his surprise at discovering a renewed love of playing racket ball and eventually began to enjoy other forms of exercise. His Results: 46 lbs lost Best Achievement: Actually losing weight over the Christmas holidays. Lowest Moment: A week-long binge when his wife and daughters were out of town. Biggest Surprise: “I like exercising!” Biggest Disappointment: “Realizing and admitting that I’m a compulsive eater.” Fringe Benefits: Before the project, his cholesterol was 260, after he completed the project it was 185; The waist size on his pants dropped from 42 down to 36; After the project was over and he could no longer afford the personal nutritionist, he decided to try Weight Watchers and was surprised to find that he liked it. 

Weight Loss Obstacle Cravings! 

Save your cravings for your Day Off. Perhaps you have never heard the idea of taking a day off from weight loss. Some people have found it very helpful to take a weekly break. Some call it “Cheater Days.” I used to take Sundays off. Anything I craved during the week, I knew I could have it on Sunday. Many times on Sunday, I no longer craved the item and did not eat it. I also gave myself the freedom to not exercise on Sundays. Sometimes I did anyway, but it helped me to have the freedom of a day off.

Practical Tip of the Session After lunch and/or dinner take a brisk 10 minute walk. This is especially a good idea for people with a desk job. A Stumbling Block to Weight Loss: Healthy eating is more expensive that unhealthy eating. Check out the dollar menus at fast food restaurants. Most have dropped their dollar side salads. Compare the cost of a hamburger with a salad. In order to eat the foods you have chosen, it is important to have them on hand. If you do not have a regular time for grocery shopping, institute it so the food you need is always on hand. Also, follow the old adage: “Never grocery shop while hungry.” Another Important “S” Word: Support! Some have suggested assembling a small group of people or at least one other friend who will help support you during your journey. I have heard that this is one benefit to joining Weight Watchers and attending their meetings. Find someone who will encourage, not someone who turns it into a law or someone who has a defeatist attitude. When I lost a noticeable amount of weight, I found people approaching me relating their own weight loss stories. Hearing those stores was really fun. Beware of Weight-Loss Fatigue. Sometimes you just plain get tired. If you see this in yourself, give yourself a week off. Then get back to it. 

A Final Word 

Please remember, my initial weight-loss journey was spread over several years. During that time, I was in a mind-set that I called “active weight-loss mode.” Since then, I have been in “maintenance mode.” Occasionally, I will notice that I have gained 5 pounds. This occurred a few years ago when we moved back to California and I ate too many In ’N Out burgers! I focused myself back into “active weight-loss mode” till I shed those pounds. Please do not expect to lose weight overnight. Give yourself time and enjoy the journey! Feel free to email me at fisherterrya@gmail.com I will love hearing your story. 

I Corinthians 10:31 - Know your freedom and when to deny yourself.