The night off and a few diet tips

      I confess: I gave myself the night off from the book. I feel deliciously lazy. It's sitting there on the table, expecting me to pick it up, but I'm not going to. I walked by it twice, not even glancing at it.
      I'm tired and not feeling great. Bad day at work. Too much stress. As I was driving home, I thought, Hey, I'm just not gonna do it tonight. And I haven't. I'll pick back up tomorrow. I'm off in the afternoon to do a few things so I'll will have a couple of extra hours to devote to it.
      But it doesn't know that. It's sitting there, yearning for me. I think it's good for it to miss me a bit. Maybe it will be a little more helpful tomorrow.
      Now, to prove my resolve, we will talk of other things. First, let me recommend some music.
      Big&Rich. They're progressive country with the flavor of pop and rock. Go to their WEBSITE and enjoy three of their songs. "Wild West Show" is a powerful song. And I love the sheer fun of "Save A Horse (Ride A Cowboy)." I purchased most of their songs from a music service. "Live This Life" is a great song.
      The Indigo Girls. Folksy and alternative with a political slant (lethal liberal, my conservative friends, just to warn you), but a lot of beauty in their music when they're not pounding the soapbox.
      What else?
      I mentioned in a comment in Frenzied's blog that I've lost 54 pounds with Weight Watchers. I still have a way to go to reach my target weight. But I was asked what helped me lose this weight by a couple of people. (Note: You should see your doctor before beginning any weight loss program. I did, and he checked me out and made sure what I was planning wouldn't hurt me.) I don't claim to any particular dieting expertise, but these tips -- drawn from Weight Watchers, other diets and my own experience -- helped me.
      Substitute. Exchange the fat version of your foods for the low-fat version or no-fat version. Some examples: Change your whole milk for 1 or 2 percent milk or even skim. You can find low-fat, no sugar ice cream. Eat fruit instead of drinking fruit juices. (Juice is loaded with sugar without a fruit’s fiber. If you must drink juice, find no sugar juice with pulp added. Limit yourself to eight ounces a day.) Use low-fat sandwich cheese.
      But don’t think that you can eat twice as much since you’re eating low fat foods. Many low fat foods are only low fat when compared to their full fat versions. Be sensible. Don’t increase your portion size.
      Drink your water. Drink at least 64 ounces of water a day, but there’s a trick with this. Drink at least one glass of water 15 minutes before you eat a meal. In a restaurant, drain your water before you receive your meal. Water works as an excellent appetite suppressant.
      Increase your fiber intake. Choose whole wheat bread and pasta. You might consider adding Metamucil or another fiber drink to your diet. Why is this good? Fiber slows down food absorption in your digestive tract as well as functions as an appetite suppressant. Be sure to follow the directions on any fiber drink you get to avoid an upset stomach.
      Eat at least one salad a day. But skip the dressing and replace it with a spray of lemon or lime juice and a dash of pepper and salt. But chef salads are a no-no. That meat and cheese adds so much fat that your salad ends up as bad as a bowl of ice cream. Acceptable veggies for your salad are: lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, broccoli, cauliflower, celery bits, raw spinach and carrot shavings or any other non-starchy veggie. If you have to have meat on your salad, use low-fat turkey or ham.
      Give up soft drinks. Soft drinks are nothing but melted candy with a bit of carbonation. You’re probably thinking that it’s okay if you drink a diet cola, but study after study have shown that caffeine and most sugar substitutes trigger your sweet tooth. Try to drink ice water with a dash of lemon or lime instead.
      Don’t eat just because you’re bored. Only eat when you’re actually hungry. Learn to tell the difference. Mindless snacking adds pounds quickly.
      Exercise. You don’t have to get crazy on this. Park further away from the stores when you go shopping. Walk around the park. Do one extra chore. Volunteer to clean your church on a Saturday afternoon. The point of this is to increase your activity beyond your normal level and burn a few extra calories.
      Don’t get discouraged. You didn’t gain weight overnight so you won’t lose it overnight, but you will lose it.
      Well, I think my book has learned its place. I don't want it to suffer all night so I think I will do a bit of editing. It needs to know that I still love it best.
© 2004. All rights reserved.