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January 12, 2008

January 2008!

I am back to report that I truly enjoyed the 2007 holiday season with no worries about my weight and for the second time in recent hisory of not making a resolution to lose weight, exercise more or anything relating to deprivation living. The control I have gained has in fact freed me to enjoy life a little more rather than pursuing another fad diet.

Did we inbibe over the holidays? Yes! Did we eat a little more and enjoy a few special dishes? Of course. Did I worry that I would pay in January? No. Why? Because I was adjusting my meals and snacks around the festive occassions to keep a balance in my overall caloric consumption. While I was tracking calories relatively intuitively I did track weight daily through the six week period to make sure things stayed within reasonable tolerances.

I now find myself a happier person in January. Raher than berating myself for the extra poundage accummulated and seeking the latest and greatest fad diet I am enjoying being fleet of foot on the tennis court and able to continue to live and eat normally. No deprivation January for me!

In retrospect I am glad that I was able to find a way to control this aspect of my life. It has opened other doors for me and given me the expectation of a rich and vigorous life when those around me are slowing down. I may not have extended my life much but I have certainly improved the quality of much of my remaining time!

Posted by Ben at 9:29 AM | Comments (1)

November 14, 2007

The Impact of Snacking

A month ago I thought I would try a little experiment. I know I have learned what the impact of one's diet is on weight; especially total calorie intake. I know that a careful balancing of calorie sources is important nutritionally. This blog has chronicled my weight loss campaign from the inception. I used daily weight monitoring and caloric restriction to attain my ideal weight. The last several entries have reflected that not only did I drop to my targeted weight level, I also was able to easily maintain it.

Over the last 30 days I intentionally eased up on my “by-meal” tabulation of calories and simply estimated my intake based on past experience. I figured I had developed a keen awareness of what I could and could not do. Over the last two weeks my weight crept up and I found myself saying it was only temporary but not really changing what I was doing. I was trying to control the situation "on the fly". Once my weight had risen three pounds (a minor change but a bad trend), I knew I was on the path to returning to my old self.

I went back to using a measurement tool, in my case FitDay, to track nutritional and caloric intake throughout the day. Amazingly four days later my weight was back to where I want it to be. In my case I dropped my total calories to around 1,250 per day. I am now back up to my maintenance level of 1,500. At my age, that seems to be the ideal level to maintain my weight given the exercise and activity I get weekly.

In retrospect I had simply grown a little lax in the area of snacks. My meals were all the same and well under control. But the in between snacking had added a few calories, mostly empty calories. Enough so that over the period of a few weeks the tendency toward weight gain had returned. It is amazing how just a few extra snacks can impact the total daily balance of calories and activity.

Posted by Ben at 8:44 AM | Comments (0)

September 8, 2007

It Really Did Work!

I am at a loss as to what needs to be said now. It is like I have said it all. It has been 18 months and I have enjoyed a stable, effortless maintenance routine. My weight is dead on with minimal need to do more than eat the way I have taught myself these last 30 months.

I cannot say enough for the discipline of simply managing calories and limiting bad carbs. It simply works!

I found that 1,800 to 2,000 calories a day seemed to be the balance for me. Given my lifestyle (too much sitting at a desk), age (a spry 62) and exercise routine (tennis 3-4 times a week; kayaking two additional days, a little light weight work out and sit ups nightly), this is where I need to be to hold my weight down but not lose more. If I need to trim a little, 1,500 does it over a three day period.

My diet? Basically it is a balance of calories between protein (35%), fat (35%), and carbs (30%). But the carbs are good carbs (grains, fruit and green veggies) as is the fat (nuts, olive oil). Based on volume it is 70% grains, fruit and veggies, 25% protein and 5% fat.

I have replaced white bread, potatoes, and other "bad" carbs with large, interesting salads, a little more fruit, very lean, grass-fed meat or fish. In all, I still enjoy a varied and interesting diet including a moderate (medicinal mind you) dose of gin or scotch. I can deviate from the routine when out with a group and pizza is the only option knowing that one meal won't matter and, if it does, a slight adjustment over the next 24-48 hours gets me back to my norm.

The key, other than knowing the calories I am eating, is to weigh daily with a scale that shows tenths of a pound and observe weight trends. Managing the trends and knowing the calorie intake will soon give you the information (AKA power) to be in control of your weight.

At this point I am feeling like my life long struggle (mini-struggle in the grand scheme of things) is over. I feel great. My tennis is better than ever. And I am looking forward to a very active and youthful decade or two barring large trucks, errant bullets and other unavoidable obstacles.

Posted by Ben at 12:42 PM | Comments (0)

July 20, 2007

Goodbye Weight Monkey

It has been one year since I achieved my targeted weight. The toughest part of any diet is to make all the hard work stay off! After a year I can say that not only has the weight stayed off, it has remained within a 2 opound variance for the entire year. Whether up or down, I have been able to tweak the caloric intake to maintain longterm stability.

Most important is that for the last three months I have hardly thought about what I was doing. I now intuitively make food selections (items and portions) that keep the total daily intake at my desired level. This approach to calories rather than foods has made my maintenance routine very flexible. Whether it is alcohol or cake, fish or fowl, whatever I decide to eat, I can easily counter balance it at the next meal or two to keep the total calories in check; or, as sometimes has been the case, up to necessary maintenance levels.

After a year I am celebrating my new found freedom. Freedom from the guilt of over eating, from falling off the proverbial wagon, from letting myself down. I am looking forward to the next year enthused that I no longer have the 'weight monkey' on my back!

Posted by Ben at 2:26 PM | Comments (0)

June 17, 2007

Be bold. Have it your way!

It is hard to come up with comments for this blog. Another month and another sense of victory; AKA control. I have held my targeted weight without any significant sense of personal deprivation. It is not because I am indulging in cakes, cookies, ice cream, pizza and the like. It is because I have altered my diet and learned to eat foods that promote weight maintenance rather than weight gain. I no longer want those other foods in abundance. I am content with moderate splurging from time to time.

To attain this mental has required a concerted effort as today we have to ignore the commercials for super-sized bargains and carb or sugar rich promotions. The media is bombarding us with enticements to gain weight. Everywhere we go we are exposed, sometimes subliminally, to marketing that is designed to attract us to some of the worse foods we can ingest.

Our will power needs to be focused on these ads and the false claims of healthy foods. Usually they are not all that good for you. Read the labels and see what they have added to make them addictive to your palate. Either it is chemicals to preserve it, sugars to sweeten it, or salt to make you want more of it.

Once you learn the impact of your food choices, eating wisely is easier to do, at home. But when you are on the run, finding a place where you can make good choices is difficult. That is why I am really glad I am living in the 21st Century when a man can be a man and still have a salad!

We are also living in an era when we get it our way. Most restaurants will let you mix and match so you can build you own meal. Be bold. Have it your way!

Posted by Ben at 9:53 AM | Comments (0)

May 22, 2007

Missing the Vacation Bulge

Here I am again. It has been another 90 days and I am pleased to report that my weight has remained stuck at my targeted weight. That includes a nine day trip to deliver a friend's boat up the Sea of Cortez. That trip had a mandatory menu of beer, gin and great food to help pass the time. That said, managing the total calorie input resulted in my stepping off the boat without the normal post-vacation bulge!

The interesting thing is that neither of my friends had a clue that I was watching my weight. It was transparent to them; a good thing as it spared me the obligatory ridicule of men at play.

I just chose not to eat certain things and consumed less of others. It did help that the crew, that was us by the way, prepared really great salads to go with the steak, fish, crab and shrimp entrees.

The one thing I noticed is that I drank a lot less alcohol than they did. I found I would stretch my drinks out by adding ice or shifting to water (it was pleasantly warm in Baja and water was a real treat). Now that I know the calorie count of each ounce of gin or bottle of beer, I am more apt to be moderate in my drinking habits. That is a small price to pay for a waist size that is literally seven inches smaller than my friend's and a body that is much healthier!

Posted by Ben at 7:38 AM | Comments (0)

February 18, 2007

Calories Matter

I just thought I would provide an update. The biggest issue I have had with diets and weight management programs is that they may work short term, but the weight comes back as soon as you achieve your goal and relax, AKA fall off the wagon. I do not want to feel like I am "on a wagon".

I hit my ideal weight goal in January of 2006. That was one year ago. Since then I have been able to easily maintain that weight using a sane approach. That means I have been able to eat, drink and be merry without serious repercussions. The key is balancing total caloric intake and not making a habit of over indulging.

At 61 I am reasonably active but have had to adjust my caloric intake to about 1,500 calories a day to maintain my weight. Face it, our metabolisms simply change as we age. Playing tennis and exercising moderately help but no longer help as much as they did when I was in my twenties. I also admit that there is too much to do each day to spend hours a day exercising. Life is to be lived. It should not be a chore.

Having a computer program to help me track my weight, nutrition and calorie intake has been an excellent way for me to stay on track. Others will find tools they can use. The key is daily monitoring and intake adjustment. As weight starts to climb, drop a few calories, as it declines (yes, I have to watch both sides of the ledger for a change) add a few. Working within a pound of your ideal weight makes it easy to get results within a day or two.

I have developed a new way of eating. It does not exclude any food or drink. It only moderates the amount of total calories I consume. So I can go out and enjoy any restaurant, celebrate with any group, or dine in with take out. One word of caution, I don't do fast food any more. Way too many calories in each entree. For example, a Big Mac or Whopper with cheese represents half of one day's calories (about 750). Why expend them on that when I could have had an omelet for breakfast and a large turkey sandwich for lunch or had a large interesting salad and 8 oz of lamb steak for dinner. There is not much of a choice to me any more. But, if I did want one, all I need to do is adjust my breakfast slightly and pass on the fries!

It is all in the choices we make. I am enjoying being in control for a change. It is great positive reinforcement to continue to simply watch what I am doing and make smart choices.

Posted by Ben at 8:12 AM | Comments (7)

January 11, 2007

One Year and Counting

Looking back it does not seem to be possible that I started this fitness campaign 18 months ago, achieved my target weight in six months, and have been able to maintain that target for the last 12 months.

The key, to me, was not just being able to lose the weight. It was if it would remain at bay without seriously hampering my lifestyle.

I admit I like to have a drink or two. I also enjoy the periodic morning muffin with a cup of coffee or snack of chips and dip. I also like a large portion of red meat from time to time. The key to FitDay or any other calorie-awareness program is that these divergencies need to be just that; divergencies. When they become the norm is when the pounds creep back.

I also found my ideal caloric intake level. It was not what the 'standard' guides recommend but about 25% less. My metabolism is such that I tend to add on pounds even when eating 'normally'. So I had to work a bit to find what level of calories kept me in balance. Also FitDay enabled me to go back and check to see how nutritious my daily diet was. At 1,500 calories I was balancing my weight well but short on some nutrition. I corrected that by adding a green drink daily,--either a powder drink or by juicing vegetables. The drink along with my daily vitamins filled in the nutritional gaps.

This approach has worked dramatically for me. I hope everyone else finds one that works for them. If I am forced to live an extended life, I intend to do so actively! Controlling my weight was necessary to enable me to stay active, and hopefully healthy for decades to come.

Posted by Ben at 7:01 AM | Comments (1)

October 10, 2006

Another Good Month to Report

Another month and the results are in. It has now been eight months and my weight remains unchanged and quite easy to maintain. In fact, I seem to have to work as much on keeping it up as I do at keeping it down. It is really just a matter of minor ajustments to intake.

The key remains simple. Track weight changes daily and adjust daily the caloric intake. This keeps weight change from creeping up (or down) over a period of time. No fad diet, no hard to apply rules or point system.

I have learned to intuitively calculate meals when eating out or on the road and make adjustments on the fly. For the first time I really do feel like I am in control of my weight and am not, in the process, depriving myself of the joy of eating. Eating and drinking is a social activity and we should not be burdened with feeling guilty about having a good time with friends and family.

Posted by Ben at 9:54 AM | Comments (0)

September 3, 2006

Smart Eating in Restaurants

Once you're aware of the impact of your choices, it's interestng to observe how others apply their dietary regimens to dining out.

Recently a group of us met for lunch. The menu was the standard fare of burgers, salads and entrees found in any popular casual dining restaurant.

One friend, an Atkins advocate, opted for the tri-tip salad complete with extra blue cheese dressing. The meal conformed nicely to his regimen. Not exactly my choice for healthy eating, but he enjoyed the meal and has been maintaining his weight for years. There are more and more salads being offered that make nice and convenient entree alternatives.

Another in the group, who is on the Sears Zone diet, indulged in a Montecristo sandwich with fries. Pretty funny...his wife would have killed him! He obviously looks at meals out as a chance to cheat and enjoy himself. Needless to say, he has been on his diet for years will little real progress.

The third of our group ordered broiled chicken tenders with sliced tomatoes and onions. I am not sure what his regimen is, but obviously it is linked to low carbs and proper preparation. He was specific in what he ordered and has found that he can easily get something prepared in most restaurants, as long as the basic ingredients are offered for other entrees.

I ordered three broiled fish tacos without cheese on non-fried corn tortillas with avocado slices and salsa. As the tacos came wrapped in two shells, I simply discarded the extra shells. This fit my needs nicely, was enjoyable and very satisfying.

We all enjoyed lunch. We have found that restaurants have become very accommodating for individual tastes or diets. All you have to do is ask. Interestingly enough, we were all men and no one snickered at the special requests. It is a sign of the times.

Posted by Ben at 10:18 AM | Comments (0)

July 31, 2006

Knowledge can set you free!

It is interesting how information can change one's habits. The program I have been following is more an awareness of the nutritional and caloric value of what I eat than a specific diet plan. It balances how much I eat with how much my body needs based on my level of activity. The results have been tremendous. Maintaining my targeted weight for the last six months has been virtually painless. I have learned how much to eat, what to eat, and how to compensate when I am more active or when I want to eat something special.

I am not alone in this realization.

There is an Excite News article by Malcom Ritter that demonstrates how our society has lost perspective on portion sizes. Retail and restaurant companies have deployed marketing campaigns to sell "more for less", and as a result, we are eating more.

The article purports that people who used to be satisfied by a 12-ounce can of soda may now feel that a 20-ounce bottle is just right because of the packaging. "It's "unit bias," the tendency to think that a single unit of food - a bottle, a can, a plateful, or some more subtle measure - is the right amount to eat or drink, researchers propose."

Learning how much I can or should eat was the key to my getting control over my weight. I don't have to worry about carbs, fat, sugar or the like. I don't have to be an advocate of a specifc plan. I can choose what to eat. Only now I have the knowledge base to choose wisely. Knowledge can set you free!

Posted by Ben at 6:11 PM | Comments (1)

July 18, 2006

Vacation With No Weight Gain

Using a calorie awareness approach I find that I can estimate meals easily and enjoy dining out without feeling restricted to a certain diet. I have learned about portion size and what foods are simply laden with calories. I can choose to either avoid the morning muffin at the breakfast bar or compensate for it. But I now know what impact my food choices have on my daily calorie intake. I have become aware of the relationship between what I weigh, what I do in the way of exercise and what I eat. Amazingly simple, it is a direct relationship!

I can say that it really has worked for me. I have maintained my targeted weight for the last six months almost effortlessly. I do control the calories I eat but do so by selecting what to eat and when. Making these choices has become habit and I do not find it restrictive. As an example, I just came back from a short sailing vacation where we ate well, very well! But I also increased my physical activity to include daily swims, hikes and other exercise activities. The two changes in my routine offset each other as planned and I actually maintained my weight without having to forego the drink and food that comes with vacationing. And I felt no guilt! That said, I did not over indulge in sweets or breads. I now know that their impact is simply too great to try to offset.

I seem to have found a comfortable, long-term approach to choosing what I eat. This allows me to eat anything I want in a given circumstance provided I compensate for it in other ways. I am free to enjoy myself on vacations and not have to come back and worry about taking off any weight gained.

Posted by Ben at 7:33 AM | Comments (0)

June 29, 2006

180 Days and Still Maintaining!

After 180 days ( six months!) I am still easily holding at 155 with a half pound average variance day-to-day. Maintaining my weight is a matter of awareness and gentle tweaking (UP as well as down).

More and more people are noticing the weight I have lost. This is good reinforcement for my continuing the changes I have made to how and what I am eating. It is secondary to how I feel. I am more energetic, more active and have a more positive attitude. Rather than dreading the next two decades (sixties and seventies) I am actually looking forward to enjoying them. I am finding that tennis need not be a young man's sport!

Everyone has to find their own way.

For me, it was grasping the knowledge of what my dietary choices were doing to me. The 20 ounce steaks and large baked potatoes were great but today an 8 ounce portion with veggies and a salad is just as satisfying. I just chew slower!

After 20 minutes your stomach registers that it has had its fill. I have learned to finish my meal then wait for twenty minutes. Any lingering hunger drops off then almost regardless how much I have eaten. We do tend to eat until we feel full without realizing that we have overeaten. Our fast-paced dining habits may well be one of the causes of our obesity problems.

Posted by Ben at 7:39 AM | Comments (0)

June 8, 2006

Weight Control After 120 Days

After 120 days I am still tracking at 155 with a half pound average variance day-to-day. Maintaining my target weight has become an after thought. What is interesting is that I have to watch losing weight as much as gaining it. I seem to have "balanced the scales" and keeping it there has become part of my daily routine.

This month an old friend has been placed on Phase I of the South Beach Diet by his wife (again). We had lunch the day before he started and he celebrated the pending deprivation period by ordering a cheeseburger with onion rings accompanied by two martinis. That is the attitude I aim to leave behind by an aggressive maintenance mode. Why have to go through the ups and downs of dieting when a few simple changes to eating habits and exercise can actually give you control.

There has been another benefit. Besides running (treadmill) and kayaking (pedal or paddle driven) I have added tennis back into my exercise program. I was very surprised after the first match. After 20+ years I found by lightening my "load" I have more "bounce" in my step and the wind to play three consecutive sets with the energy for more. The typical post-play general muscle aches and joint pains are gone. Yes, my arm and shoulders are a bit tender but that is from lack of use of specific muscles rather than from carrying too much weight around the court. I am excited to have a new, less boring way to get my morning's exercise. This, of course, makes maintenance that much easier!

The first 90 days of what I did to gain control over my weight were the toughest. I had to learn the impact of food selections and portion sizes. Once I had a basic grasp of the foods I was partial to, I found I could intuitively make good choices with ease. Now I can mentally calculate a days menu impact and on the fly adjust for a heavier than usual meal. No charts, lists or scales needed. No points or other contrived gadgets. Just the facts and the awareness that you are choosing your weight each time you have a meal. Looking back it seems so logical that I wonder why I never realized it before. For me it was the ability to log and track food choices on a laptop for that first 90 days. The information led to self-assumed control and then personal responsibility.

I lost the weight for me, not because I was told to do so or because others expected it of me. I still enjoy martinis, carbs and hamburgers. But I enjoy them in balance with other meals so that I can enjoy them without guilt or remorse. Life is for living not dieting!

Posted by hdiaries at 4:34 PM | Comments (0)

May 23, 2006

Gaining Control and Taking Responsibility

The difference for me was control. By becoming informed of the impact my food choices were having on my life, I became personally responsible for the outcome of those decisions. Suddenly I was doing this for me and not for what others thought of me.

Knowing the calories eaten, calories burned, activities that impact calories burned, and the nutritional value of my food selection decisions suddenly opened my eyes. For years I had been trying ineffectively to balance my dietary wants by periodic deprivation. That is, I would notice my weight creeping up, most often by having to buy a size larger pant. Confronted with the evidence I would avoid the good things in life until either I had lost the weight or grown accustomed to the new pant size.

I was trying. I was on a diet plan more often than not and feeling guilty. I viewed the diets as an intermission from living. This is not a good way to change one’s life. Frankly, that was not my plan. I simply wanted to shed the weight then get back to living!

One year ago this all changed. With the aid of one of many computer nutritional planning programs I became aware of the nutritional impact of my food decisions. This simple information made it easier for me to make meal decisions that got me on a path of losing weight. Granted, during the weight loss period I had to set aggressive goals concerning food selection and daily calorie intake. But, when I had a reason to slip, such as a party or night out, I found it easy to get back on track. I lost 20 pounds in 9 months.

Now I am at my optimal weight of 155. I have enjoyed being there for ninety days. I say enjoyed because it has not been a struggle to remain within the 154 to 156 range I allow myself. I enjoy alcohol, fun foods and the occasional sinful food. I also plan for those occasions and when my weight slides up a pound, I know that it will come back off again in a few days as long as I maintain my plan. And, for the first time in my life, I actually have to watch losing too much. I work to keep my weight on as much as I do keeping it off. This even has my wife laughing at me!

Why is this working for me? Because I have no excuse for it not to work.

There is no one but myself to blame because I decide what to eat and when. There is no sneaking around hiding the bag of chips from my wife. No stolen ice cream cone on the road. If I want one, I am man enough to say so and have it. And then I am also man enough to compensate for it and balance out my weekly plan.

Am I advocating calorie restriction? No. I am advocating selecting foods based on their nutritional values, including calories, and making choices that will achieve my goal. Without really focusing on it, I have maintained a balance of 33% protein, 33% fat and 33% good carbohydrates. That balance and watching caloric intake (we each need a differing amount of calories to maintain, gain or lose weight) has proven far easier than I thought.

I can walk into any restaurant and order a meal that conforms to my needs. I could, after two months, estimate the impact of any meal on the menu. It is a function of the foods selected and portion size. A twenty ounce piece of prime rib is nice, but it does not take a rocket scientist to know that is too much food for one meal. So why eat it? In the past I would eat it all. Today I enjoy a much smaller portion, and because I made the decision not to eat more, I don’t miss it. It was when that little voice in my head said I shouldn’t eat it that I really, really wanted it. That little voice, when it speaks up now, is drowned out by me. I can choose to eat it or not. Now I choose not to do so. I am responsible.

PS I also exercise and lift weights. But this is not for the calories burned. It is to stay limber and fit so I can enjoy the best years of my life which are yet to come. The past is history. The future is to be lived fully.

Posted by Ben at 7:48 AM | Comments (0)

April 30, 2006

FitDay - Real Weight Control Results

OK, now you know a little about me and my history. I was never really heavy, just experiencing what we all do. The slow, progressive expansion of my mid-section and the addition of weight in general. I was aging. I was slowing down. I was growing!

I did all the obvious things. I dieted. I tried exercise routines. I tried different diets. I gave up. I started over again. Over a period of 20 years I basically worried about my weight gain and did little to change its steady progress. I knew I was losing the battle but the increments were slight enough that I was the only one really aware of that progress except my wife who was disinclined to comment about my slow but increasingly noticeable growth about my equator.

As I mentioned in my earlier posts, I was able to get pretty good results with the Atkins Diet, and Dr. Sear’s Zone diet, and Suzanne Somers Somersizing. But they all left me with the problem of getting the last 15 pounds off and maintaining a regimen that required constant focus and deprivation. It was not how I intended to spend the rest of my life. Life is to be enjoyed!

It was my daughter who suggested I look at an on line program called FitDay.

FitDay is a fairly simple, straight-forward program that enables one to track calories consumed, calories burned, nutritional balance, and exercise. It also has program aspects that allow you to chart goals and track performance. It can be totally customized for each person.

FitDay does not champion a specific diet or healthy eating program. It provides the programming to enable you to understand what you are doing, target what you want to accomplish, and then monitor your progress and project short term results by analyzing trends. This latter aspect of the program really helped me adjust what I was doing to stay on track.

Fast-forward to today and I can say that by using the program I dropped to my final targeted weight of 155 pounds, a weight I had not seen since my days in the Army. For the last five months I have effortlessly maintained that weight.

FitDay may not be for everyone but for me it was the tool I needed to reprogram the way I approached eating. It helped me to settle in on a comfortable, long-term approach to balancing what I eat that allows me to eat anything I want in a given circumstance provided I compensate for it in other ways. That is, if I know I am going to attend a calorie rich dinner event, I can choose the counter balances before or afterwards so I am free to enjoy the event fully without guilt or remorse. This can be a special dinner or a week long vacation. I am free to live, enjoy and then return to a program that will return me to my targeted weight.

FitDay is not a diet but it did what other diets could not do. It is a weight, activity, nutrition and results-forecasting management tool. You can use all or part of it. I am sure there are other, similar programs available. The key, to me, was that it was a tool I could easily and effectively use to inform me of what I was doing. Then it was up to me to make choices of what to do to attain my goal. Using it gave me control by providing information.

My next post will go back to explain how I got started with FitDay, what I did and why it worked for me.

Posted by Ben at 11:39 AM | Comments (0)

April 12, 2006

Experience with the Zone Diet

A Little More History - The Zone Diet

The next phase of my campaign to regain control of my weight was with Dr. Sears’ Zone diet. The Zone diet stresses portion size, balanced with good carbs (veggies and fruit), fat and protein. It is definitely healthier than the low-carb craze. Fruit was suddenly welcomed back. The basics of the Zone diet focused on plate make-up. You “measured” the quantity and balance of your meals by filling one-third of your plate with a serving of lean protein (he suggests it be no bigger than the size and thickness of your palm) then fill the other two-thirds with favorable carbohydrates, such as fruits and vegetables and add a little "good" fat, such as nuts, olive oil, or avocado. Certain cheeses are permitted as snacks or meal compliments.

On the Zone Diet plan you are encouraged to eat three meals a day, plus two snacks.

For six months I was weighing portions and adjusting ratios and snacking on cheese. On the road it was just too difficult to maintain the portioning. And, like it or not, I think the cheese got to me.

The net result of the six month stint was the loss of one pound and a growing frustration at working so hard and seeing no results. The problem likely was the number of meals eaten away from home. Statistically, Americans now eat 47% of their meals away from home. I certainly fit into that profile with my heavy travel schedule or the need to dine out for business. Add to that times my wife and I went out to dinner or ate out for convenience and we certainly were close to the 47% statistic.

Dr. Sears’ Zone diet was a good start but not the ultimate solution for me. That came next!

Posted by Ben at 8:51 AM | Comments (0)

April 3, 2006

A Healthy Eating Plan for Weight Loss

I am a man approaching the Golden Years with an aspiration to stay active and healthy. I am a "Boomer" if you will.

Weight has been a problem since early youth. While never "out of control", I was always a little overweight growing up. In the Army with the required fitness training, I dropped to a trim 155 pounds on my 5'10" frame and felt 100%.

Then life began as an adult which included steady wonderful meals compliments of my wife, limited exercise, and lots of entertaining. Over a period of 35 years I ballooned from 155 pounds to 190 in spite of periodic diets, tennis, and repeated resolves to lose 10 pounds.

This is a diary about how I learned to control my weight, achieved my 155 pound optimum weight, and most important, how I am able to maintain that weight without deprivation diets, fad diets, unhealthy diets, surgery or pills. I tried Atkins, the Zone Diet, Somersizing and all the rest. Some worked and some didn't.

I was always waiting to reach my targeted weight so I could get off the regimen. Now I use FitDay to manage my food intake and being able to manage my daily menu did the trick for me. Not only has it proven effective, it has proven to be an enjoyable diet management tool that makes maintaining my optimum weight an enjoyable process rather than drudgery. At last I'm in control.

Posted by Ben at 5:56 AM | Comments (0)