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When I first decided to lose the weight I had put on over the course of two decades, I automatically knew that I was not going to start looking for the latest or greatest diet. For the most part, I did not "diet" during those past two decades. A couple of times when I did try to "diet", I quickly went right back to all of my old past habits. I felt I was just like the grabby octopus and that I simply had no control over my eating habits for the remainder of my life. I felt burdened and powerless.
I think I always knew deep down inside that it all comes down to eating correctly. I just didn't know how to set up an eating plan properly in order to eat balanced meals in the right amounts. Sure most of us may think we know but I soon found out I didn't really know! I had to educate myself and learn!
My Dad was a great example for me in life while growing up. He mastered the art of knowing how to "eat to live." He didn't live his life in a "live to eat" manner. My mom, bless her heart, was a wonderful woman but together they were very similar to a certain childhood poem most of us know well.
Jack Sprat could eat no fat.
His wife could eat no lean.
So betwixt them both, they licked the platter clean!
Yep, that pretty much sums up my parent's eating patterns throughout their lives. So, I was exposed to two extremely different eating patterns.
It's been well over a year now that I've lost the weight extra weight or fat as I prefer to call it. I am a realist and I have always called the extra weight that I carried around for two decades "extra fat". I think I realized from the start that if I was going to attempt to set up a healthy eating pattern, the first logical place to start would be from our basic food pyramid. That made a heck of a lot sense to me.
That's what I did, I went straight to that site and found out how many calories I should be eating each day and what I needed from each food group. My goal was to first set up a low calorie balanced pattern of eating in order to lose all the weight and then up my intake from the same food areas. That way I wouldn't have to get off a "diet"; I would already be eating correctly from the start. Of course I had to cut back in certain areas from what they suggested I eat daily for my particular age and activity level in order to create a deficit to lose the extra weight.
Check out this link to see what they suggest a person my height, weight and age should eat at 54 years of age on a daily basis. It's really interesting. Of course, remember I had to cut back in order to create a deficit in order to lose the weight but this is what they suggest I eat on a daily basis. I modify it and even in maintenance I eat fewer grains and dairy but this is pretty much the way I eat on any given day.
This site has information for everyone, no matter what age, height, weight, activity level or gender; it's awesome!
Setting up a personal healthy eating plan based on my particular likes really made the process of
losing weight and maintaining weight a wonderful experience. It is truly a method and pattern you can live with for a lifetime and you only have to learn it once. It sure beats waiting around for the next latest or greatest diet!
I think it is so important that all of us realize that we have this valuable site where we can all look up what's needed to create a healthy eating plan for life!
Have a great day everyone!
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