Don't  Die-t     Live It!                    
There  are  no  "bad"  foods,  just questionable  choices
You can eat pizza, chocolate and ice cream - just not a whole pie, the entire bag or full container.   You can have  your cake and eat it too!  In fact, that means you're doing it right!
Let's  see  what a portion really is
Wanting to believe in the weight loss industry is so common that Americans alone spend over  $40-billion  dollars per year on their products and promises.  Meanwhile, we are just growing in size, with more than 64% of the U.S. population overweight or obese.  Health insurers spend more on weight-related health problems in America than anywhere or anything else.  Nearly 100% of all American adults  are either on a diet or have recently been on one.
When  do  you  think  it will  occur  to us  that none of  the  diet  industry's  solutions work?   When  do  you  think  we'll  all  get  the courage  to ask, "If  any  of  this  stuff worked,  why  are there  still overweight  people?"   I  mean, do they want to be overweight?  Are they choosing not to buy the latest miracle product? 
After  more than  30   years  of dieting and products, in less than 6 months  I had lost all the weight I ever wanted to lose.  It has stayed off for more than four years now. 

Breakfast: I didn't care for the idea of this, but hey, skipping it obviously wasn't working.  I started with those  packets of flavored oatmeal, just one, every morning.  I also had a fruit serving (see portion link above) and I never gave up my coffee, but found a nonfat (vanilla) soy milk I liked a lot!  It took a while - they vary, brand to brand.  I also used one packet of nutrasweet type sugar in combination with a regular packet of sugar, eventually getting used to just one packet of regular sugar. 

Mid-Morning I looked forward to an apple or banana slathered with a tablespoon of peanut butter.  Believe it or not, eating peanut butter or some other nuts was actually important.  Not just healthy, but
it contributes to a natural sort of weight control in a lot of different ways.

Lunch and Dinner Easy !  A couple pieces of pizza (I just ordered with half the usual amount of cheese and no meats) or any take out sandwich (half the cheese and dressing on the side) or even a child's portion of a fast food meal, again, preferably with fatty dressings on the side, not on the mealt.  If I ever got a full meal I'd just really focus on it and always take home at least half for another meal.  

Dressing on the side means you are in control!  Over time, I've found that just 1/3 of the usual amount will be plenty.  Today, I actually find most things don't even need dressing if there's lettuce, tomato or something like mustard, ketchup on it.  You can save hundreds of calories and so much fat it's unbelievable, with this one little change!

It was even more interesting to learn to cook myself.  I mea
n, really cook.  The main page has some links for recipes that mimic some famous dishes or discover how vegetarian is probably a lot different from what you think it is (or what it was!).

The only requirement is that you have one portion of protein (meat/poultry/fish/beans, etc) and one portion of everything else you should eat.  That includes pasta, potatoes or rice, a couple of vegetables (they don't just come in green ya know?), more fruit (they've even invented some new ones!) , some fats a
nd real  dessert!   Pie - cake - ice cream - chocolate - even potato chips - whatever you like, whatever you want - it's okay!

Don't forget to get more fruit servings in between lunch and dinner, dinner and bedtime.  You need at least 5 a day  - and just watch how your skin and hair rea
ct!


It takes a little practice to re-learn how to feel full rathe
r than stuffed, but I'd say this only took a week or so with me.  I just kept pretending that what was in front of me was all there was.  Even if the rest of the bag of chips or candy was just feet away, I stopped when the "serving" in front of me was gone. 

It is a
lso extremely important to realize that snacking is not a normal behavior, was invented by American snack food sales departments and the more it's promoted and begun in other countries, the higher and the faster their national average weights rise!  We are talking a direct, indisputable connection.  So refuse to keep buying into that big mistake just as you refuse to buy into the weight loss industry lie.

Quit eating in the living room, the bedroom, the office/workplace/school or your car.

Quit supe
rsizing things.  It's not a bargain to pay a few cents more for food you don't need and will end up paying thousands of dollars more for the health related problems or worse, the next diet industry promise!
If  you  really  want  to lose that butt, try walking away  from  it!
We drive a mile to a gym.  We drive around parking lots waiting for the closest spot.  We take handicapped spaces when we know we shouldn't. 
I've  owned  and been entitled to a handicapped placard for 10 years and still haven't used it.  Even on days I need my cane, in the rain, when it's windy, cold  and I'm rushed.   I just move my feet faster (well, as fast as they'll go) .  I'm not  anymore 'able' to do this than you are.  I'm just a little bit more committed to being done with the weight problems, knowing there's no 'quick fix' like just plain moving.

Distractions: I've tried to make a quilt, learn to paint with various paints, draw with ink, chalk and pencil; painted the inside of the house, papered, decoupaged all sorts of things, made jewelry, cleaned places I forgot existed in the house and maintained a journal.  I've sewn things, dyed things and taught the bird new tricks.  It works for a cat or dog too.  I've just plain kept my hands busy - so they aren't reverting to old habits of shoveling stuff into my mouth out of boredom. 
   
OK, I've found out I'm virtually talent-less when it comes to crafts and the quilt I made would never withstand a washing, but I'm having a really good time trying different things and at least sticking with whatever I start, through to the finish. 

The  scale  is  your  enemy!   Put a 5 lb bag of  flour on a bathroom scale and it reads "5 lbs" right?  Now, pile up 5 lbs of feathers (that's a couple pillows or more).  It still will read "5 lbs". Obviously, the mass, the space that's taken up by that 5 lbs is different.  So is your body weight.  If you lose fat and tone muscle, it may seem you haven't lost any weight or perhaps gained some while eating right.  Meanwhile, you find your body is getting sleeker, you wear a smaller size or different cut of clothes. That is what matters. That is the truth. So to help even further in losing the weight - lose the scale!

OK !  That is all you need. Free! Not a single thing to buy or use or wear.  No clubs, no programs and no "bad foods".   Like I said, it's time to stop the DIE't and start the LIVE it. 

Life  tastes  good!
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It's  harder  for  the  bad  guys  to  get  you  when  you  see  them  coming