Miz Woody’s Diet Tips for the New Year

05Jan

Miz Woody’s Diet Tips for the New Year

Posted by Miz Woody

First, let me say that I have fought my weight my whole life.

I was a chubby kid, a fat adolescent, an overweight teenager. As an adult, I have maintained my healthy weight within a ten pound range (except, of course, for pregnancies and one other extremely stressful time period.) As I write, I am four pounds overweight, which is pretty darn good for someone in their 50′s, if I do say so myself.

Not that I don’t want to weigh 15 pounds less. I am after all an American female! But, I don’t think it’s realistic. “Realistic” is an important word, and I’ll get back to it later.

I learned about eating moderately from Weight Watchers back in the early 70′s. At that time their program was based on a diabetic exchange program. I still pretty much follow that plan.

The plan is:
Three meals a day
Three snacks a day – usually between meals

Meals include:

1 protein
1 “limited” vegetable (High sugar or high starch)
as many “unlimited” vegetables (leafy greens and cruciferous veggies) as you like

Snacks are fruits or vegetables.

After all these decades of studying nutrition, dieting and cooking, there are a few things I know.

One: Dieting is in Your Head

Understand that you are a grown-up and you are in control of what you eat. If you aren’t determined to do this, it won’t get done. No one else can do this for you.

Support groups, like Weight Watchers, are great because they educate, inspire and recognize your achievements. They do not do your thinking for you.

I am not in favor programs that provide all your meals. When they tell you exactly what to eat, they do the thinking for you.

I know. That’s what’s appealing about it!

Think about it: that kind of program trains you to let someone else determine what you are going to eat. This is not a program for a grown-up! Furthermore, when you finally get sick of eating their packaged food, you will quit. Then, who will tell you what to eat? More than likely, it will be the old habits that made you fat in the first place.

The Spiritual Aspect of Eating

The Apostle Paul calls self-control a “fruit of the Spirit”. It almost seems like a contradiction: when I’m controlled by the Spirit, I have self-control. It is not a contradiction. The Holy Spirit guides, but you get to say yes or no. The more often you say yes, the more sensitive you become to the Spirit’s leading. Isaiah called it a “still small voice.” The more you practice listening, the easier it is to hear.

Here’s a radical idea. The next time you want to eat something that’s not on your diet, ask the Lord if you may have it. Of course, having asked, you are responsible to abide by his decision!

Two: Small Changes Make a Difference

What we need is not another diet. What we need is a lifelong habit of eating healthy foods in moderate quantities. Short of going to boot camp (á la “The Biggest Loser”) overhauling your entire lifestyle overnight is not a reasonable goal for the average person. It’s just too darn stressful.

Doctors tell us that reprogramming the brain takes 28 days (hence the length of rehabilitation programs.) If you decide, “In the month of January I will:

start running
begin lifting weights
cut out all sugar
start eating more vegetables
read product labels
count calories
quit watching TV
take up meditation and
learn a recreational sport”

chances are you will fail and/or have a nervous breakdown.

You could, however, probably substitute a sliced apple for the junk food you usually eat while watching the skinny people on “Lost.” By February, you’ll be looking forward to the apple and be ready to start one more new thing. (Taking a 20-minute walk before dinner?)

What’s Realistic?

I told you I’d get back to the very important word, “realistic”, so here we are.
Since “Dieting is in Your Head”, it’s important to think things through. Even if you hate details, it’s a good idea to evaluate before you glibly embark on a new plan that worked so well for your best friend. The crux of the matter is finding what is “realistic” for you.

Ask yourself:

Is it realistic to cook every day and/or more than once a day?
What days will you cook? What will you do on the other days?
Is it realistic to keep fresh fruits and vegetables in the house all the time?
What non-fresh alternatives will you use?
Is it realistic to shop more than once a week?
How often can you shop? Can you shop less often?
Is it realistic to be hungry at bedtime?
What can you eat to stave off hunger and not blow your calorie total for the day?
Is it realistic to get some exercise every day?
What kind of exercise can you fit in to your routine?
What days will you set aside dedicated exercise time?

Taking a little time to work through the realities of Life vs. Diet.