Cheat day...
Being healthlier, feeling better, and losing that extra weight. It's a long journey to weight loss. Quick loss gimicks generally only work short term, if at all. My journey started last August. Since then I've lost 17 pounds. I started by logging and counting calories, carbs, and fat. My goal in the beginning was stay under 2,000 calories per day. Generally I found it easy to hit a daily 1,800 calorie average. I stopped logging carbs and fat early on because controlling calories automatically controlled the carbs and fats very well.
Portion control has been the greatest value. Not really denying myself favorite foods, just controlling how much and how often. The last several months I've maintained a 1,600 calories / day average. Lower calorie veggies etc have been given priority over high calorie foods / snacks. Again, not denying anything... Controlling quantities and frequently of higher calorie foods. Weights and measures of all foods have been an important key to success. Log everything in a spiral notebook with calorie values. Using an ongoing reference sheets for all foods broken down into categories for easy reference helps greatly... breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. Cumbersome in the beginning, but it quickly becomes easier. A food scale helps greatly. Small bowls for measured snacks ideas a huge help, rather than eating snacks right from the bag. Eating out is the hardest thing to control. If we are going out for a meal, we carefully control or cut down calories for home meals. Occasionally eating out is a blew out of 2,000 - 2,100 calories for that day... Cut backs the day before and after help keep the 1,600 daily average within reach. Snack bags also the control intake... 2-3 oreo cookies for a serving, rather than 10-12. Bulky low calorie foods can give you that full feeling. After several months, it seems that the stomach contracts and less food can still make you feel full.
Portion control has been the greatest value. Not really denying myself favorite foods, just controlling how much and how often. The last several months I've maintained a 1,600 calories / day average. Lower calorie veggies etc have been given priority over high calorie foods / snacks. Again, not denying anything... Controlling quantities and frequently of higher calorie foods. Weights and measures of all foods have been an important key to success. Log everything in a spiral notebook with calorie values. Using an ongoing reference sheets for all foods broken down into categories for easy reference helps greatly... breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. Cumbersome in the beginning, but it quickly becomes easier. A food scale helps greatly. Small bowls for measured snacks ideas a huge help, rather than eating snacks right from the bag. Eating out is the hardest thing to control. If we are going out for a meal, we carefully control or cut down calories for home meals. Occasionally eating out is a blew out of 2,000 - 2,100 calories for that day... Cut backs the day before and after help keep the 1,600 daily average within reach. Snack bags also the control intake... 2-3 oreo cookies for a serving, rather than 10-12. Bulky low calorie foods can give you that full feeling. After several months, it seems that the stomach contracts and less food can still make you feel full.
A piece of dark chocolate with 4 ounces of milk (rather than 12-16 ounces) is a evening treat.
All in all... not denying types of foods, but controlling quanities helps with the emotional and mental stress of dieting. But it's not really a diet... It's changing how you eat... Eating healthlier.
So... That's what has worked for us.
All in all... not denying types of foods, but controlling quanities helps with the emotional and mental stress of dieting. But it's not really a diet... It's changing how you eat... Eating healthlier.
So... That's what has worked for us.
There's always the cheat days... Our best called treat days.
Yum! But watch the quanity of sauces... Must are high calorie.
Yum! But watch the quanity of sauces... Must are high calorie.
The best news... Louisiana hot sauce has no calories.
My favorite... Crystal Hot Sauce.
