Did you see an ad that says, "Look Like a Supermodel & eat all you want?"
If that pipe dream is what you're after you might as well consult with the tooth fairy. Remember this. Since every one's genetic makeup is different we are predisposed to certain body types. But whatever our predisposition is we can make the most out of it. Like the U.S. Army says in its commercials, (you can) Be all you can be.
So let's get on with the process to get the most out of what we've got.
In the last post I noted that my doctor said I needed to lose weight but being very snide he said, "You probably won't". My reaction was, "Oh yeah".
I needed to have a plan of action. I didn't want to start inventing the wheel again. I'm a pharmacist and I've seen both success and failure amongst the patients I've served who have tried to lose weight on a variety of plans. I thought about which plans might be good for me and I chose one that I felt was reasonable for me to follow.
Many
diets work well. A doctor or dietitian can help you design a diet. My diet consisted of well- balanced meals with items from every food group. The key to this diet was keeping portions reasonable sized. I've reviewed many of the major diet plans in this book. Some of them concentrate on certain food groups to the exclusion of all others. These can be medically sound as long as a physician closely monitors them. The reason for the need to be monitored on one of these diets is that there may be a potential for irreversible damage to vital organs with some of them.One
of the reasons I chose to go with the portion control plan was to give myself variety even if I needed to restrict quantities of some of the elements of the diet. Of course choosing doesn't guarantee losing, but everyone has to start somewhere. Making a conscious choice was a wise way for me to begin.Compliance
with the plan I chose was another key to reaching my goal. I found the trick was to be compliant with my diet plan over the long haul. That's where the Brown Bag Diet comes in. My tips and clues found in this book offer the dieter many ways to think about achieving the task of losing weight and sticking to the plan they have selected. I tried all the tips. You can choose those that suit you best.Making
a point of eating while in a state of heightened awareness made portion control possible. I needed to elevate my state of awareness to be able to judge the size of the portions I should be eating. I tried concentrating on my food and the process of eating. I didn't allow myself to be distracted by things that were peripheral to my task of eating.My diet
plan told me how much food I could eat and still lose weight. I just had to stick to the principles by deciding what to eat and when to eat it. I made those decisions in the morning when my resolve was strongest. You may prefer to plan each day the night before. That works too.I ate
a sensible breakfast that followed the rules. Then I set out the food I would eat for the rest of the day - lunch, as well as dinner. I packed everything in a brown paper bag, even if I was going to eat it at home.There
were times when Brown Bagging wasn't practical. I certainly wasn't going to pack hot soup in my bag. Nor was I going to pack other hot foods when I ate evening meals with my family. For these times I would have to sharpen my awareness and make sure that I was eating properly. I was able to make judgments eating from each food group and eating proper size portions. With experience making these judgments became easier.Before
I go on I'd like to give you another three of the Brown Bag Diet fundamental rules or precepts.The first three were
: 1. Take on the effort of reaching your weight loss goals, one day at a time. 2. Pre-plan each day's meals (either the night before or the morning of) 3. Pack your meals literally or figuratively in a brown bag.-----------------------------------------------------------------
4. If it's not in the Brown Bag (your plan) don't eat it.
5. Divide your budgeted food plan into meals and snacks.6. Meals more frequent than three, within the day's budget are allowed.
(Three meals daily is the minimum standard. Less than three meals daily constitutes skipping meals which is not allowed.)
When we continue in the next post I will finish telling the story of my personal program and give you the final thre findamental principles or precepts of "the Brown Bag Diet".
Keep recruiting
for our one million pound weight loss program. One of our readers told me he passed our blog site to the health and wellness director of his company. They are in a big fitness program and can use a stimulating blog like ours. Tell your health department of your company or school that no official membership is required to join our blog readers and there is no fee to readers at all.Our blog site is
Did anyone see our T shirts yet? If there is demand we can put our logo on mugs, kitchen magnets, baseball caps and many other things. Please let me know. Write me at brownbagdiet@gmail.com
Erwin Posner R.Ph.
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