I've been overweight for years, dieted for years, lost and regained weight for years and now I've found the answer.......don't diet. Make life long changes.
After reading parts of the book "Volumetrics" I decided to give it a try.......it seemed to make sense. A huge bag of lettuce is 100 calories, low fat dressing doesn't add too much. And, it fills up my big but shrinking tummy.
Last week Bill Clinton was featured on a show talking about heart disease and becoming a vegeterian....doesn't eat meat fish or dairy.......I can't do all that The former President is back to what he weighed as a youth. What I've done is slowly increase excercise, up to 40 minutes a day, and eliminate "bad" foods from my diet......just like a certified drunk gives up all booze, I'm a certified overeater and I've given up quite a bit, all for the rest of my life. I've given up ice cream, donuts, cakes, regular potato chips.......the list goes on and on. I've added salads, veggies, lean chicken, wheat bread, lots of snacks like carrots, celery sticks etc.
Overall, I eat as much and as often as I used to but I've taken off about 40 pounds in five years. My knees don't ache, I feel better and I'm no longer a pre diabetic. And, I love what I eat......it's a win!
I'm older and if I didn't do all this I'd probably be dead. Now, everybody has to do their own thing.......and they have to want to do it and enjoy it.
I grew up with parents that showered me with cookies, fried food and chocolate cake; they didn't know better......I do. Yes, some people are naturally thin, so what, I can't change who I am by birth but I can change how I treat my body.
I really like the food I eat, the excercise I do each day and I still want to lose 20 more pounds.......I'll still be a little overweight. Can I do it? I don't know but I do know I've added processed baked potato chips to my "do not eat" list, replacing them with fat free chocolate pudding made with skim milk.....It may help. And, I've added 10 minutes on the treadmill after dinner......enjoying that 4 nights a week as well.
Good luck to all of you......changing my eating habits was the hardest thing I've even done, dieting made me unhappy, regaining weight made we ashamed, buying in the big and tall stores drove me nuts. Just think through what you want and can do and maybe you'll accomplish goals you never thought you could. Good Luck!!!!