A New Diet Plan: Be Consistent

I remember, 5 months ago, when I started dropping the pounds it was such a thrill. Of course it took an unexpected week long trip to the hospital to get my attention and get the process started. And get my attention it did. For the entire week I was hooked to machines intravenously and was monitored on a 24/7 schedule that allowed a mere 4 hours a sleep each night. I was a not a happy camper. However, the 13 lbs of weight loss I experienced put a smile on my face. I would learn carb counting and lowering my sodium were two key elements. My new weight loss plan would help me shed pounds and live a healthier lifestyle.

I discovered it's all about eating healthier, being consistent and a dash of daily exercising. So eating healthier and exercising daily became my new regimen. And you may be surprised to learn that I didn't have to sacrifice when it came to eating. What I stayed clear of was packaged and canned food. What I became a frequent visitor of was the fresh meat and produce section. I also included a walk to the snack bar and breakfast bar section. What I eliminated were the heavy sugar loaded candy bars I used to snack on. It wasn't a difficult decision considering I was a diabetic.

While in the hospital I was on a low calorie diabetic friendly diet that worked wonders for me. The new diet got my blood sugar to a normal level. I also discovered that I could eat most anything just in smaller portions. And believe it or not the hospital food was good. They had just hired a new Chef. The food was surprisingly good and the portions were more than enough. In fact I saved some food (i.e., fruit) to eat as a snack. During my hospital stay my friend visited and helped me create a new diet plan. The new plan falls into the following categories: fruits, vegetables, meats, breads, and grain. I also add peanut butter (low carb/sugar free), No-Salt, I Can't Believe It's Butter and caffeine free/sugar free soda. The key to the success of my new diet plan was home cooking and eating smaller portions.

When it came to snacking I found Kashi snack bars. Kashi has a variety of choices: Fruit & Gran Bars, Cranberry Walnut and Raspberry Chocolate. I chose Kashi because it is low in carbs, low in sugar and I liked the taste. Taste is real important because some health bars taste like cardboard. For me snacking happens throughout the day in small portions. I snack to satisfy but I'm careful not to over eat. When you eat it's important not too over indulge. Remember you're eating to satisfy.

Here's a sample of my Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner menu:

BREAKFAST

Kashi Heart to Heat Honey Toasted Oat Cereal

(3/4 cup = 25g carbs/I typically have ? cup)

Milk 2% or Soy Milk

Two eggs scrambled cooked in extra virgin olive oil w/slice of cheese

Fresh Fruit = whatever you like/I like to slice up an orange and apple

Peanut Butter and jelly sandwich = on whole wheat bread

(I like a PB&J sandwich)

Yogurt (choose one that is low in carbs)

16.9 oz of bottled water

LUNCH

A sandwich (Tuna, PB&J, Subways 6 inch)

A salad can be eaten in place of a sandwich

Fruit

Fresh vegetables

16.9 oz of bottled water

DINNER

Beef, chicken, or fish (6-8 oz.)

Salad (or add cottage cheese w/some fruit)

Brown rice or red potato or slice of bread w/cream cheese

Fruit

Fresh vegetables

16.9 oz of bottled water

SNACKING

(I snack between meals and again it's done using the PORTION CONTROL method)

Fruits and fresh veggies

Snack bars and Smoothies

As you can see my diet plan has plenty of choices with the emphasis on PORTION CONTROL. And you'll notice that breakfast is loaded with 'get you ready for the day healthy food'. Typically I have the cereal with milk before I leave in the morning. That gives my body a kick start of healthy energy. I also carve out some time to do stretching and sit ups. Fruit, veggies, yogurt, a sandwich and snack bars can be taken with you. I'll address eating cafeteria food in a later articles.

You new diet should be low fat, low sugar and low sodium. I suggest you check your local hospital for workshops on happinesslifetime.com weight loss programs. I attended a workshop and was amazed at what I learned. My sample diet plan comes from what I learned in the workshop. And let's not forget having a strong support system my friend was very helpful and got me started.

I don't recommend a week stay in the hospital as the motivator to start losing weight and keeping the weight off. You can use your mirror and a weight scale to help you decide. If anything eating healthier and exercising will give you more energy and make you feel better. You'll discover that eating healthier and daily exercise will have a positive result as you shed pounds and feel good about what you've done. And don't forget you must be consistent.

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