This is One STRESSFUL Week!

This week is something else...I am stressed to the max with class projects, papers, trying to find a job, interviews, and a lot of other projects.

When I get to these times of extreme stress, there are two ways I feel it can impact my diet (both of them negatively):

1. I eat anything and everything in sight and I quit eating health foods because it's easier to go to McDonald's instead of cooking a meal OR
2. I quit eating.  I forget about food, I run around and skip meals.  I drink caffeine or soda to give me energy.

Both are bad steps to take, so I'm trying to avoid them.  I try to remember that I love cooking and that it helps to relax me and reduce my stress.  I also remember my diet goals and know that I will succeed!

I will update later in the week.  For now I leave you with 23 Ways to Eat Clean, a neat article on about ways you can work to eat more clean and natural foods.

Until Next Time...

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-Tyler

Cook Out -- Go To . . .

For those of you not in the North Carolina foothills, piedmont, or coastal plain areas, you are probably not familiar with this North Carolina only, deliciously tasting, bad for you, establishment called Cook-Out. You can only find them from about Charlotte, NC and eastward.  They serve hamburgers, hotdogs, BBQ, chicken strips, fries, milkshakes, and some North Carolina local sodas.  

The food is horrible for you, loaded in grease and fat...but sooooooo good (check out the menu here).  

When Cook-Out first came to the town near where I go to college, it was swarmed by local students (it's open 'till 4 AM, so it works for our schedules, AND the menu [which you can check out at the link above] is incredible cheap), myself included.  My favorite thing is a Cook-Out Tray, which costs $3.99, with a BBQ sandwich, french fries, chicken nuggets, and sweet tea.

...I know, right?  It's TERRIBLE!!!

Well, I love Cook-Out and when I started the diet I had to quit it, then I had my relapse time and I had it some then, and then I quit it again.  Well, after the last time that I ''quit it'' I told myself that I would have it again for my birthday, and tonight was that night.  So, we went, and I got my Cook-Out.  Yeah, I feel kinda gross now, but I'll get over it.

One final note before I head to bed, I weighed myself today...

My Weight, as of April 6 is...

310 pounds.

 A gain of 1 pound since last time I weighed.

So, here we are, back up to the 3-teen mark.  BUT, I still have five weeks until graduation, and think I can get below the 300 mark by then!

I'll be heading back to the gym tomorrow (and I am NOT looking forward to it).  Wish me luck!

Until Next Time...

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-Tyler

Eating on Purpose...And, I Hate the Gym (Part 7)

So, yesterday was frustrating...after I weighed in and realized I had gained 2 pounds I didn't want to do anything.  I didn't want to work out, I didn't want to eat right, I was annoyed with myself and with this whole ''diet'' thing.

I am still feeling that way a little bit, it's so frustrating to make progress and then screw up and lose it (the progress that is...not the weight).  I know that a lot of why that has happened is my own fault, because I don't make the best decisions sometimes, especially on the weekends.  I enjoy food sooooo much!  And I looooooooove eating!  I also get frustrated because I see other people who can eat whatever they want and they don't have to work out, or work out the same amount that I do, and they never gain weight.  That is obnoxious...I feel like if I eat a carrot and drink a glass of water I gain 7 pounds.  But, I guess it is the lovely metabolism and body that I have been blessed cursed with.  I will just have to live with that for my whole life, and making healthy food choices and exercising is what I have to do to make up for that.  But then I go back to the whole ''I hate the gym!'' rant.  I have yet to go this week, because I am so frustrated, but I plan on going tonight because I have to get back on this weight loss plan!  I need to do it and I have so many folks out there who are following me and I want you all to be there to celebrate with me when we get to the end (maybe we can have a party...of course we'll keep the food limited).

Well, today's post is a bit of a rant (I promised you a weekly rant several weeks ago...let this count for last week's and this one's).  But I also wanted to share some information I found on a website, it's from another weight loss blog called ''Fatty Weight Loss.''  They have listed the Top 10 Diet Tips and Tricks and one of them I found interesting...

Diet Tip #8 – Eat on Purpose
Don’t be afraid to get in touch with hunger. Discover what true hunger really feels like. Treat this as research and document all findings. Observe what happens to the body as hunger approaches and how long it takes the physical feeling of hunger to subside even when no food is consumed. Also, pay attention to any emotional reactions that may arise. Strive to develop a sense of actual hunger so that eating becomes a purposeful activity designed to sustain the body only rather than fill other needs. 

This MUST be a tip I missed when I started this whole weight loss thing over a month ago.  It is something I had never really thought about doing.  I know that I eat out of boredom and when I'm stressed or frustrated.  But, I have never really understood how to handle that.  So, yesterday, and today, I have been conducting this little ''Eat[ing] on Purpose'' experiment.  It may seem a bit unhealthy, but I have been letting myself experience hunger, for example, now it is almost 1 p.m. and I have not had breakfast or lunch.  I can feel that I am hungry and know that I will eat a healthy lunch after class.  Now, this is not my ''gateway drug'' to anorexia, so don't worry about me there.  I also know that some tips say ''Don't allow yourself to get hungry because you will eat more.''  Well, I'm not doing this every single day, but I am going to try it out for 3 days and get a real feel for hunger so I have a better appreciation for food and will learn more about ''Eat[ing] on Purpose'' as this article refers to.

So, as you go about your Tuesday, I encourage you to ''Eat on Purpose.''

Until Next Time...

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-Tyler 

Week 5...Here We Go

And we begin week 5, with much...frustration.  I weighed in today and the verdict is:

My weight, as of February 2 is:

314 pounds

A gain of 2 pounds from last week!

So, last week did not go so well.  BUT, it's so strange because even though I gained weight I feel great, my pants are too big, and I feel thinner.  So, maybe my fat is shifting around...it's really not a big deal.  I'm not going to let a pound or two ruin my day, or my week, or my month.  It doesn't matter...in the end.

I'm back on the plan starting tomorrow, I know I can do this, but it takes work and a few pounds here or there is not a big deal.

That's all I have for you this evening, off to do some homework!

Until Next Time...

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-Tyler

Dear Rain, You Suck...But Diet, You're Not So Bad

I can't believe that a week ago we were getting ready for a fun snow storm and now we are getting flooded.  I guess the tubes we used for snow tubing could be used for going down the river...in my front yard.


Well, my friends, week 4 is almost at a close.  Can you believe that we have been at this for almost a month???  I can't, it's been crazy.  On Monday I will post my weight, as usual, and we will also get some updated pictures (I know you are all excited about seeing that...).


So, this is how I'm feeling at the end of week 4:

• This has not been the easiest thing I've ever done (but it's not been the hardest either).  The last few weeks have been especially difficult.  I have also had some real issues with understanding what food is to me and how important it is to me.  I have had several breakdowns because I get so angry.  They go like this:  "I hate being fat."  "Why is it that whatever I eat makes me fat, but skinny people can eat anything they like and don't gain a pound."  "I want to eat what I want to eat."  "I hate being told that I can't have what I want."  "I hate not being able to have what I want."  It has been really hard at times, but I have had to come to the realization that food is not the only thing that makes me happy...I have also come to the realization that I have some ''addicted to food'' tendencies.  That has been difficult.
• I am probably feeling the best I have ever felt, physically that is.  Since the diet began I have had, maybe 4 or 5 headaches, with only 1 or 2 being really really bad.  I used to have a headache everyday!!!  And would average 1 to 2 severe migraines a week.  Not any more, that has been an amazing ''side effect'' of this new healthy lifestyle.  I also have more energy (I used to sleep 9 or 10 hours a night and be tired by 2 pm the next day...now I can stay up later, get up earlier, and I feel great all day).  My legs and ankles don't hurt as much.  I have had very little back pain (laying down in bed at night used to be extremely painful for the first 10 minutes or so).  It is amazing what exercising, losing some weight, and not filling your body with ''crap'' can do!!!
• I am learning more self control and doing a better job of eating and exercising...but not without some struggle.  If you have kept up with the blog you have seen the many times I have slipped up, eaten too much, eaten the wrong thing, etc.  I have, first of all, been able to get over those times and not worried about it, realizing that it really is okay in the grand scheme of things.  I have also gotten better, this week was great for me...I went out to eat for dinner earlier in the week, had McDonald's last night (which I did because I was short on time, BUT I asked for the nutrition facts first [to which the girl working said ''I can see them, but you ain't gon' like 'em''] and found the best option [a Ranch BLT with grilled chicken for 470 calories]...and I drank water), and then went to lunch today.  I have decided that I am going to limit myself to eating out twice per week (thanks for the suggestion Kayley) and one of those times will be Friday lunch at The Snack Shop.  I just love it and I have got to have that tradition in my life, hahahahaah.
• Finally, I enjoy working out!!!  I know, isn't it crazy?  I am finding that I enjoy going to the gym because I feel great and know it is having great results.

So there, a little bit of how we're doing as week 4 comes to a close.

I will be busy all weekend, so may not get a chance to update the blog until Sunday afternoon.  But I will try to drop in and let you all know how the weekend is going!

Until Next Time...

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-Tyler

PS:  I have realized ALL of my pants are looser...that's a great feeling!  :-)

My Life is Outta Control...

My life is too crazy right now with classes, meetings, conference calls, homework, and more.  I feel like I don't have time for much of anything.


Yesterday I didn't make it to the gym, but I did have my walking class in morning and we walked a mile.  So, I counted that as my exercise.


Today I have meetings and a conference call this afternoon, so I will be busy with that, so now it's up and off to the gym.


Although life has been crazy this week, I do feel that this whole ''diet'' thing has become more natural.  I am drinking water all the time without really thinking about it, I am not snacking, I feel better, and I want to go to the gym.  It's going really well and I am just hoping for the ability to maintain this over the coming weeks and months.


Ooo, I got my haircut yesterday!  A new haircut to go with a new me, that's exciting.


Alright, I need to go to the gym and then head to my afternoon meetings.


Until Next Time...


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-Tyler

Tuesdays Are Crazy...

So, Tuesdays and Thursdays are, by far, my craziest days during the week.  I have classes from 10 am to 4 pm and that makes for a long day.  This morning I could NOT get out of bed to go to the gym, but, I decided that my walking class, that meets on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, would take the place of my workout for the day.  Well, my class got out early, so I went to the gym anyway and did a mile and a half on the elliptical before coming home, jumping through the shower, and going on to my next class.  


I was doing pretty good today...and then this evening came.  There is a great local restaurant called Pleasant City Wood Fire Grille that has amazing deals during the week; their Tuesday night special is 1/2 price pizzas and $2 draft beers.  The place is crawling with locals and college students...and my friends and I LOVE to go.  So, we went, I did good by splitting a pizza with someone, although I did get a beer which doesn't really help my calorie intake issues.  We were doing okay, until someone suggested going to the local ice cream shop after dinner...of course me, still in my fat kid mindset, wanted ice cream like a fat kid wants cake (not sure if that analogy is too redundant here).  We went, I could have gotten a low fat or healthy option, or just one scoop, but I didn't.  I got my favorite, a Minty Grasshopper sundae.  IT IS SO GOOD!!!  And...I ate it all.  So, I did feel bad about that, but then I realized that it is okay!  It is not a huge deal!  So, I got some ice cream, big whoop.  I also went to the gym today and walked half a mile.  I also lost six pounds last week.  And I also ate better all day then I used to eat at all.  So, screw you ice cream...you're good, and I enjoy you, but you're not as much to me as you once were.  I actually felt pretty yucky after eating it (not for breaking my ''diet'' but because it was way to rich and I just wasn't impressed with the nasty way I felt afterward).


With this information in mind, I plan on working out a little extra hard tomorrow.  I am also going to play racquetball with a friend tomorrow!  That should be fun and offer a new form of exercise to my routine.  I am also thinking about incorporating a couple of exercise classes at Gardner-Webb into my schedule, just to switch things up a little bit.


Alright, I have a lot of work to get done this evening, so I am going to go do that.


I will update more tomorrow, my schedule isn't nearly as crazy.


Until Next Time...


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-Tyler

Sorry for forgetting about you...

I kinda forgot about the blog yesterday...my apologies.  They day was good, I went to the gym and did 2.5 miles on the elliptical, 1.5 miles on the bike, and got to 1 mile on the treadmill!  I worked pretty hard and think it will definitely pay off.  The weekends are hard because I never really feel like doing anything...I just enjoy sitting around, hanging out with friends, and EATING, and eating, and eating, and eating.  Again, the mindless eating thing is a big problem.

Last night I went out to dinner at Applebee's.  Did you know they have WeightWatcher friendly meals and meals under 550 calories?  Did you also know that none of those options were appealing to me?  Yeah...so I got the three cheese chicken penne, not really knowing how many calories it contains until I looked it up when I got home.  It has almost 900 calories for one serving, not tooooooo bad, and I only ate half of what I was given.  So...I think I did okay.

Thus far the weekend has been okay, I have done well with my eating, worked out yesterday, and haven't done too much mindless eating.

Tomorrow is my next big weigh in day!  I hope it goes well!

Until Next Time...

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-Tyler

IT'S FRIDAY!!!

Hi Everyone,

It's FRIDAY!!!  I'm glad we've all made it here...this week has been good.  I didn't go to the gym today. :-(  BUT, my friends and I did go on a walk to the bank and the grocery store.  We cooked dinner together, we made chicken fajitas and guacamole.  It wasn't necessarily the HEALTHIEST of meals, but it was so good.  I didn't eat too much, just too small fajitas, AND I stopped myself from going back for more.  I was completely full and really wanted to eat another one, but I didn't.

Last night we cheated!  It was kinda bad.  I had a candy bar, but I looked at all of the candy bars in the gas station and got the lowest calorie one: a Milky Way Midnight.  It had 210 calories and helped satisfy my need for chocolate.  And the good thing is, I didn't feel bad about cheating.  That's good.  I also learned something else about myself recently...I cannot have sugar free chocolate things.  I had a sugar free hot chocolate from the coffee shop across from campus and, not to be too gross for you all (but I did promise you all honesty), and it made me miserable.  I have never been so bloated and gassy in my whole life.  It was terrible...so I'll be steering clear of sugar free chocolate items FOREVER.

Well, it's the weekend.  I plan on going to the gym tomorrow to make up for not going to the gym today.  I'll probably take Sunday off from working out, but plan on going on a walk at some point that day.

I'll update tomorrow!

Until Next Time...

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-Tyler

Day 2 and Exercise...

To start this post, I want to remind you all of something I told you earlier when I started my blog and that is that I would provide you with honesty and sarcasm and humor.

So, with that in mind:

I HATE EXERCISE!!!

And now that I have that out of the way...let me share some of my opinions on exercise and the gym:

• I have decided that it MUST have been a skinny person that designs workout facilities.  My reasons?  Because why in the world would I want to work out in the room surrounded by mirrors and windows?  If a fat person would have designed a gym it would have been a low-to-no-light room with no mirrors and no windows to ensure ultimate secrecy and anonymity.
• I understand listening to Christian music, and I understand why it would be playing at Gardner-Webb, a Christian school.  What I don't understand is playing Christian music in the gym.  Who wants to sing along to "How Great is Our God" while they're gasping for air and trying to not have a heart attack?
• In conclusion, I finally realized where a piece of workout equipment that had always puzzled me comes from.  The StairMaster rose straight out of the pits of hell.  I tried it...for like 3 minutes and decided that it is evil and I will never go near it again.

With that said, day 2 has gone pretty well so far.

Until Next Time...

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-Tyler

Let's Talk About Portion Size...

Let's be honest:  we all eat wayyyyyyyyy too much.  


One of the biggest things I have to work on with this diet is portion control.  I will sit down with a bowl of cereal that is 2 or 3 serving sizes, or I will have two servings of pasta or chicken.  I love bread and I love cheese and could sit down and eat one piece of cheese after another.  Another issue is also listening to my body and KNOWING when I'm full.  Yesterday was good because as I was eating I would put my fork down after each bite, take a drink, and just sit for at least a minute.  I did not make an effort to clear my plate, and I tried my best to eat slowly and wait for my body to tell me when I was full.  It worked really well.  I prepared meals that were based on the food items' serving size and didn't eat too much of that.


So, for the rest of you out there, if you're dieting or not, here are some visual guides for serving size, to help you whenever you're preparing food at home or when you go out to eat.  Hopefully you can picture these items and see how much of the food item you should be eating.  These portion size images come from Food Network's Healthy Month 2010 website and can be found at this link.

One serving of meat is 3 ounces, and is about the size of a deck of cards.

One serving of pasta or rice is 1 cup and is the size of a tennis ball.

(PS:  Whole grain pastas and rice will fill you up faster and are healthier!)

One serving of peanut butter is 2 tablespoons, or about the size of a ping pong ball.

While you can eat a lot more veggies than one serving, the size you should eat to count as at least one serving is 1/2 cup, which is about the size of a baseball.

A baked potato can be a great choice for a meal, when it's not loaded with butter and sour cream.  When are picking a potato, the perfect size is about the size of a computer mouse.

Cheese cubes or fruit can also be a great snack.  The serving size for cheese cubes and fruit is about 6 ounces, which you can visualize as 6 dice.

I hope these tips help you all!  They have really helped me over the past couple of days and I am sure they will be useful in the future!

Until Next Time...

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-Tyler

The Kitchen Purge...

So...with the diet starting tomorrow, I decided it would be good to go through the house and purge the kitchen, fridge, pantry, and my junk food stash of everything that shouldn't be around.  I tried to get rid of sugar, products with high fructose corn syrup, products made with white flour, and anything that was generally high in fat or calories.  We also had some old stuff, expired stuff, and almost empty items that needed to be thrown out, so they're included in this.

That's a lotta junk...

Bye bye Caesar salad dressing, Rainbow Chip frosting, and Pure Cane Sugar.

Nice knowing you cream cheese, full fat sour cream, and Original Pancake and Waffle Syrup (i.e. brown colored high fructose corn syrup).  By the way...whoever left that Michelob Light and Coors Light at the house last semester, they're now in the trash.

Peace out pasta made with white flour; Aunt Jemima, it's been nice knowing you.

So, that's it for now.  Tomorrow morning I have to work at a new student orientation on campus, so I will be doing my first weigh in and updating the blog in the afternoon.  I also plan on starting my workout plan in the afternoon!


Until Next Time...


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-Tyler


PS:  Check out my friend Vicki's weight loss blog:  Losing It With Momma

Grocery Shopping Day...

I went grocery shopping today...do you guys know how freaking expensive groceries are?!?!  It is a little ridiculous.  I think I did a pretty good job.  It was tough though, I really love Moon Pies and did you know that they make MINT Moon Pies?  Those sound so good.  And what about ice cream?  Oh My God I love ice cream.  BUT, I didn't let my temptations get the best of me, and I got a lot of yummy and healthy groceries.  


So, I had said yesterday that I would post my grocery list, well I don't want to bore you with all of that, I mean, you probably don't want to know how many grapes or bags of spring mix I bought; but I'm going to try to highlight some of the cool items that I found and think you should have in your fridge/pantry:

KRAFT Mayo with Olive Oil
1 tablespoon has 45 calories and 4g of fat
compared to 90 calories and 10g of fat in Regular KRAFT Mayo


Now, I don't LOVE mayonnaise, but I do need it for making chicken salad and homemade honey mustard, so I'll keep this in the fridge for those items.

Quaker Instant Oatmeal WEIGHT CONTROL
1 packet has 160 calories and 3g of fat
compared to 200 calories and 2g of fat in Regular Instant Oatmeal


So, it appears that regular may only be a little bit worse for a person than the WEIGHT CONTROL product, BUT the weight control brand contains 7 grams of protein (compared to 4 grams in the regular) and 6 grams of fiber (compared to 3 grams in the regular).  It has one more gram of fat, but less calories and a lot more protein and fiber to help keep hunger at bay.  I love oatmeal and think this will be a healthier option for breakfast than cereal with milk, and it will help to keep me fuller, longer.

KLONDIKE Slim-a-Bear Ice Cream Sandwiches
1 sandwich has 100 calories and 1.5g of fat
compared to 260 calories and 11g of fat in one Klondike Ice Cream Cookie Sandwich


I really love sweets and ice cream is one of my favorite things.  These will be a good treat for myself, like, once a week.  I can't get in the habit of eating them every night before I go to bed.

Arnold's Sandwich Thins -- Multi-Grain
1 sandwich bun has 100 calories and 1g of fat
compared to 200 calories and 3g of fat in 2 slices of Arnold's Multi-Grain bread


I tried these last weekend at a family Christmas party that we had.  I REALLY liked them, they have 100 calories for a thin bun.  They taste great and you can actually have 2 pieces, to make a real sandwich, instead of just one slice of bread for the same amount of calories.


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So, these are just a few of the neat items I found as I begin my weight loss journey.  I hope they taste good, and I will let you know how they are as soon as I try them!


Tomorrow is my last day before the diet begins and I am getting really excited about getting to it!  I know that I can do this and cannot wait for feeling better and how great I will look (even though I think I look pretty fine now, haha).  


The plan is to do my first weigh in on Monday morning and post that for the whole world to see.  I'll probably post my ''Biggest Loser Weigh In Photo" (and believe me, I am NOT looking forward to that) at that time too.  I'll start working on Monday as well and start my new eating plan!  By the end of the month I am going to find a general practice doctor and set up an appointment.  I want to have someone to meet with about once a month to check in and keep my blood pressure/cholesterol/etc. monitored.  I also hope to find a nutritionist/dietician to meet with.  My friend Kevin Williams actually suggested I find a dietician and I did a search of nutritionists/dietitians that accept my insurance in the Shelby area and found on in Kings Mountain.  I'm going to call and check with them to see what my copay would be to set up an appointment there as well.


As I get going I will post weekly goals along with my weekly weigh in and weekly pictures.  I also plan to do a day-by-day journal of what food I have eaten and what exercise I have done.  It is really helpful for me to keep track of that information and it is just easy to do it here on the blog where I am already writing.  It may be a little annoying for you all to read that...but I will try to make if funny and enjoyable!  I'll insert sarcasm and snarky-ness whenever possible!


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Until Next Time...


-Tyler

"7 Reasons you shouldn't diet in 2010"

I found this article online while browsing this evening and found it interesting.  I think it has some good points to it and things I want myself to remember about "dieting." 


"7 Reasons you shouldn't diet in 2010"
http://shine.yahoo.com/event/newyear/7-reasons-you-shouldnt-diet-in-2010-560899/
By:  Brett Blumenthal


You may be making a New Year’s Resolution to diet in 2010.  Let me stop you there.  If you are planning on losing weight in 2010, save your money and time, and instead, resolve NOT to diet.  No, I’m not kidding.

I know, I know…you want to lose weight.  You want to have the body you had 5, 10, maybe even 20 years ago.  Your skinny jeans are folded neatly under piles of clothes, just waiting for you to squeeze into them.  Sound familiar?  Many of us at some point have gone through this.  But I’m going to tell you a secret…dieting doesn’t work. Sure, these diets work in the short term, but after a dieter stops dieting, they most likely put back on some, if not all of the weight.

In 2010, I’d like you to resolve not to diet.  Here's why they don’t work and what are better solutions for 2010:

1. Malnutrition: Contrary to popular belief, most diets are not healthy and may actually border on malnutrition.  Many urge us to do extreme things, forgo our favorite foods or cut major food groups in order to lose weight.  Healthy eating requires ALL nutrients (carbs, fats and protein) and a minimum number of calories in order to maintain health and proper body function.  FOR 2010: Eat foods that are nutrient rich and provide balance to keep you feeling satisfied.
2. It is Unsustainable: Depriving your body shocks your body into losing weight, but once it gets over that shock, it adapts.  How?  By slowing down your metabolism, going into unhealthy physical states (such as ketosis) or stopping weight loss.  Even if you have the mental willpower to diet forever, your body doesn’t. FOR 2010: Eat healthy as a lifestyle, not as dieting.  This will help you to lose excess pounds and maintain a healthy weight for a lifetime…not just for bikini season.
3. The Pendulum Factor: When you deprive yourself to an extreme, you end up craving to an extreme.  The pendulum swings from “being extremely good” to “being extremely bad” to compensate.  You may have heard this called “yo-yo dieting.”  FOR 2010: Indulge in moderation.  Enjoying the foods you love and the treats you crave once in awhile will help you to crave foods less overall.
4. Life Happens: Diets often require us to change our eating habits in such a way, that normal life gets in the way.  Eating out, going over friends houses for dinner, special occasions all become “problems.”  These things, however, are the very things that make life worth living!  Further, most of us are busy and may not always have the time to shop, cook and calorie-count the way many diets require.  FOR 2010: Fit healthy eating into every day life so that you can enjoy life AND be healthy.  Discover which nutritious foods you love that make healthy eating delicious!
5. Energy Loss and Metabolism: Dramatically reducing your calorie intake can result in reduced energy levels and fatigue.  Instead, it is important to understand which foods provide you with quality nutrition.  FOR 2010: Eat small meals often which will stimulate weight loss, keep you satisfied and make you feel energetic.
6. Quantitative versus Qualitative: Dieting doesn’t really teach you how to eat for the long term.  You may be counting calories while eating foods that actually make you hungrier or cause you to crave more.  FOR 2010: Learn what foods are the most satisfying and most nutritious.  The more nutritious the food you eat, the less hungry you will be.  You’ll make smarter choices and lose weight without focusing on every calorie you ingest.
7. One Dimensional: In order to truly lose weight, you have to eat well AND be active.  I’m not saying you have to run a marathon, but as we get older, our metabolisms NATURALLY slow down.  The more active you are, the more calories you burn and the higher your metabolism will stay.  FOR 2010: Be active.  Even if it means taking stairs instead of the elevator, walking at lunch hour, walking to work instead of taking the train…just move.

Get real in 2010!  Change your life by changing your mentality towards health, nutrition and wellness.  Stop dieting, start eating and start seeing the results that you want…for the long term!