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When you are watching someone such as my father, who is very sick with at least 4 different types of heart problems, it’s easier to motivate yourself to diet.

I know that most, if not all, of what he is dealing with concerning his health, he brought on himself.  He ate wrong, drank lots, and has been overweight for I don’t know how long.  All of which has contributed to what he is suffering with now.  And I do mean suffering.

Watching someone deal with the consequences of their lives, right in front of you, will really bring your life and what you are doing to yourself into focus.  And it’s not pleasant.

But it has motivated me.  I simply do not want to have to deal with the things he is having to deal with now.  And I know that to avoid those things, I have to make changes now.  NOW.

So I have now started my diet.  This morning, I just something just before I got hungry.  And I ate a lot less than I would have if I had waited until I was hungry.   And I put a fiber supplement in my coffee.  Can’t even taste it, but it will help me control the hunger pains.  Then I will eat just a bit at lunch.  Part of the whole plan is to eat BEFORE I get hungry.  And eat deliberately smaller portions. Also adding fiber will help.

After about a week of paying that kind of attention and getting back on some type of schedule of eating, I will start counting calories.  I will do my best not to eat more than about 300 calories per meal, but also not less than 200 calories.  We’ll see how that works.

But until then, the goal is to get back on an eating schedule and eat smaller portions than I would otherwise eat.  The goal is not to eat till I’m full - the goal is to not get hungry. In other words, eat till I’m not hungry, NOT eat till I’m full.  Big difference.

I’m set to go!  What’s your plan?

Tags: Add something good, Fiber, Measure it!, Mind Control, Motivation, Plan Ahead, Schedule it!, The Diet Plan, Tips and Tricks for Dieting // Add Comment »

Yes, foods can have a negative effect on us and affect our minds and bodies in a negative way. But foods mostly affect us in positive ways and heal our minds and bodies.

Cranberry juice is used to help cleanse the digestive system and to help heal the urinary system. Blueberries help your mental concentration and strength. Honey is the only glucose that crosses the brain barrier and actually helps your mind work. And it blocks bacteria when placed on a wound or burn.

If you are interested in more foods that heal, here is a website that may be of interest to you. And here is a blog that looks interesting.

Of course, none of these can replace your doctor, so be sure to check with him or her when making changes in your diet or lifestyle.

But you can actually turn your life and your health around by eating good, healing foods. Foods that help your body build itself back. I’ve heard that every cell in your body is replaced every seven years. Can you imagine how different you would be in seven years if you concentrated on eating healing, healthy foods during that time?! It’s something I want to focus on and a goal to obtain.

Healthy eating!

Tags: Add something good, Fiber, Mind Control, Motivation, Plan Ahead, The Diet Plan, Tips and Tricks for Dieting, snacks // Add Comment »

I know that people think of food as the “drug” that calms them and “drugs” their feelings, but that is not what I’m writing about today.

Food can actually be a drug. And you can have drug interactions and reactions. For example, I am on a medication prescribed by my doctor to help control my hormones. Recently it hasn’t been working properly and I have been wondering why.

Just last night I realized that drinking soy milk on a regular basis is the reason why my prescribed drug was not working effectively. Amazing! Don’t you think?! Soy milk contains a natural estrogen which was countering the prescription I am taking, making it less effective.

Now just think about what could be going on that you don’t know about. What foods are you eating that are affecting your moods and even your physical body in ways you don’t even understand.

If you are having some type of problem that you can’t find the reason for, it would be wise to eliminate as many foods as possible for a couple of days and then gradually start adding them back, one at a time. Pay close attention to how your body reacts to each one. You may just find the answer to your problem simply by changing how you eat!

Tags: Add something good, Off Days, Plan Ahead, The Diet Plan // Add Comment »

I’ve got a bunch of salad stuff that I know I’ll enjoy. Now what I believe I will focus on is eating veggies and protein and stay away from carbs as much as possible. Perhaps every so often have a carb day if I’m craving them, but mostly eat veggies and protein.

I know that if I just “lay down the law” of diet rules, I will immediately break them and then feel bad. So I’ve decided to “work at” eating in such a way as to help me lose weight. That way, if I fail, I haven’t broken any rules, so it’s no big deal. It’s all a mind game and whatever it takes to “win” is what I will do. If playing with my own head is what works, then that’s what I will do. What can I say.

I’m already imagining myself thinner, wearing smaller clothes. Being able to move around more easily. This is going to work.

How are your diet plans going?

Tags: Add something good, Low-Carb, Mind Control, Motivation, Plan Ahead, The Diet Plan, Tips and Tricks for Dieting // Add Comment »

I’ve decided that I don’t want to just - boom! - start my diet. I’ve decided that I want to ease into it. The stress levels in my life, what with my dad’s heart problems, are really high and just thinking about a diet makes me want to start crunching on something.

So I decided that I’m going to keep salad around. I love crunchy things, so salad is the perfect substitute for chips. I’m going to keep really good, yummy salad stuff around. I’m going to have sweet dressings and not-sweet dressing. Creamy dressings and not-creamy dressings. Just about anything I can think of so that I reach for a salad instead of chips when I just have to eat something.

Once I get that under my belt, I’ll add something, like eating as much as possible on a schedule. Or something else. I’m not sure just yet. I’ll have to listen to my body and my stress to see what I can handle next.

What’s going on in your life? What can you do to handle your stress but also include something healthy in your life?

Tags: Add something good, Fiber, Mind Control, Motivation, Off Days, Plan Ahead, The Diet Plan, Tips and Tricks for Dieting // Add Comment »

“What?!  Prepare to fail?!  I just got started and I need to prepare to fail?!!!  What are you talking about?!”

Yep.  You need to prepare to fail.  Because fail you will.  Really now.  Is there anyone you know that has started a diet and not failed at some point or other?  So you might as well prepare yourself for failure.

So what can you do to prepare yourself for failure?  First, remember that you have to start a diet again every day.  Actually, you restart your diet after each time you eat.  That means that just because you mess up, you still have to start over, so you might as well try again!

Remember that failing is not the end.  Giving up is the end.  But you haven’t actually failed at losing weight until you give up.  Until then, keep at it.  Keep trying.  Keep starting over!  It’s worth it, for you and your health.

Tags: Mind Control, Motivation, Off Days, Plan Ahead, Tips and Tricks for Dieting // Add Comment »

When you were a child and finished your meal, did your parents ask you, “Are you full?”

Now, stop and think about that question.   Does this question really apply to someone that is trying to control their eating?  A lot of times, people that are overweight are also dealing with not being able to tell when they are “full.”

So what if we change the question.  Instead of asking yourself, “Am I full?”, what if we change the question to, “Am I still hungry?”

In other words, when you eat, DON’T eat until you are full.  Eat until you are no longer hungry.  Lots of time, if we eat until we are full, we have actually overeaten.  We have eaten much more than we actually need.  So the goal would be to eat until you no longer feel that you will be hungry, but stop eating before you are full.

Try it and let me know how it works for you.

Tags: Add something good, Mind Control, Plan Ahead, Tips and Tricks for Dieting // Add Comment »

A lot of times we think that if we wait until we are hungry to eat, then we will eat less.  But it actually works the opposite way.  If you eat BEFORE you are hungry, then you will eat less.

If you wait until you are hungry to eat, then you will find that you will eat faster and that you will eat more than you would normally eat to satisfy your hunger.

Here’s a schedule to think about and see if it fits your life.

• Eat within 3 hours of when you wake up.
• Eat at least 1200 calories per day, do not eat less than 1200 calories per day.
• Eat every 3 to 4 hours, eating at least 300 calories each time.

If you eat on a schedule, regardless of if you are hungry or not, then you will find that you actually are satisfied with less food during the day than if you wait until you are hungry to eat.

Try it and let me know how it works for you!

Tags: Add something good, Measure it!, Plan Ahead, Schedule it!, Tips and Tricks for Dieting // Add Comment »

Are you having trouble staying on a diet?  Or even just starting a diet?  Do you need help getting yourself on track to living a healthier life?  In other words, do you need some motivation?

Well, do I have the answer for you!  Here’s what you do.  Every day, take off all your clothes and go stand in front of a full-length mirror.  Then really look at your body and notice everything about it.  Notice your chins.  Just how many do you have?  Do your shoulder and arms meld into each other?  Is there so much flesh that you can’t tell where one ends and the other starts? What about your stomach?  Just how big is it?  Do you have to lift it up to clean the skin underneath?

Yes, I know that’s gross.  But it’s truth for a lot of people.

Sometimes looking at the truth is just too painful for people.  And because people are not willing to face the painful truth, they never can bring themselves to go through the pain of changing their lives.  Yes, it is painful, in some ways, to diet and change your body.  But it really is less painful than living with the pain of being overweight or obese.

Think about it and let me know what you think.

Tags: Mind Control, Motivation, The Diet Plan // Add Comment »

I’m not quite ready to actually start my diet, but I will be soon, so I’m starting to ease into it.  I’m starting to change my eating behaviors so that it won’t come as a shock to my system when I actually start my diet (again).

I’m making sure that I eat something, just a little something, within 3 hours of when I wake up.  I don’t want something when I first wake up.  I just can’t think about food that early.  But if I don’t eat within 3 hours of waking up, then I get too hungry and when I do eat, I eat too much.  So just a little something stops me from doing that.

And I’m making sure that I take my vitamins in a timely manner.  And with food so that I don’t get sick to my stomach and they digest well.  I’m adding a spoon of fiber to my morning drink.  That has also made a big difference.  Later, I will also add fiber to what I drink during the day.

You know, the little things that make a difference when you are starting an eating plan.

How is your eating plan working for you?

Tags: Add something good, Fiber, Mind Control, Motivation, Plan Ahead, The Diet Plan // Add Comment »