| Wiccan Weightloss Support Dreemy's Dream Diet |
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| Well, time will tell how well my dream diet actually works! (Update! as of January 13, 2003 and after 6 and a half months I have lost 52 lbs. I still have a long way to go, at least another 35 to 40 lbs.)) I know what to do......and I have done it before. The thing is putting it into practice minute by minute, day by day, till one day you look, and low and behold the dream has come true, and you are no longer over weight and lumpy, but lean and lithe. So rather than focus on menus right now or recipes in this introductory paragraph, let me tell you what I do know and what does work: You have to move. Yes, you know it, too. You have to move your body and work it. But beyond that, a more muscular body burns calories faster and more efficiently. I know, you women don't want to have bulky muscles. But there isn't much chance of that really. Still, if you are wanting long, stretchy muscles instead of tight bunchy ones, things like yoga, Pilates, gymnastics and ballet build lean mean calorie burning machines without bunchy bulky muscles. So combine things that get your heart rate up with things that stretch and tone muscle! One new theory is that doing aerobic (something to get your heart-rate up) excerise in smaller time portions is actually more effective than doing it all in one stint. The recommendation is for 3, ten minute sessions. I tried doing this and it did help with the weight coming off. It was also do-able for my very overweight body when I was getting started. The difficulty is finding the time to get in three sessions. Sure it is only ten minutes....but who wants to sweat in their work or "day" clothes and make their hair wilt in the middle of the day. So what has been more practical for me is a compromise of 20-30 minutes in the morning and then a walk in the evening. Sometimes the weather just wouldn't co-operate with walking outside in the morning. So I have been pushing back the furniture, putting on oldies music and dancing like a maniac (The cats don't know whether to attack my feet, join in or run like the dickens...so they do all three!). (Update! The extremely cold winter we are having here in Northeast , Pa has kept me from walking in the evening for the past few months. I do about 35 minutes of my dancercize every day, skipping only a couple of times a month, and then about 15 minutes or ballet barre and stretching.) Secondly, you have to take in less calories than you burn, but not so few that you trigger a fat-conservation reaction in your metabolism. The best weightloss rate is to loose 1 to 2 lbs. a week. You can probably and will probably loose more than that the first week or two. This will most likely be due to water loss, but hey, it is a great morale booster, right? So, in regards to how much or how little to eat it gets really tricky. There are formulas on-line even that would tell me I can consume up to 1722 calories a day and lose weight. Well, I have eaten 1500 a day and can't loose a lb doing that. Then there is the old stand-by 1200 calorie balanced diet which the old weight watchers was built around. It works, as countless people who have implemented the approach will attest. However, what I want for myself is excellent health. So for me, I decided to get as much nutrition as I could out of each calorie. The result has been eating a lot of food while cutting calories. I am trying to cover all the nutritional bases each day. New studies suggest that eating smaller meals more frequently helps to increase metabolisim. So while each meal doesn't cover all the food categories....I get them in over the course of the day. I have kept a food journal for the past 6 and a half months. Below are sample menus from my food journal. I chose the ones that preceded actual weightloss, so after the fact, they would appear to be the best choices I had made. Sample day 1 Breakfast; I spiruteen shake (made with water, 3 egg whites, and 1 scoop of shake mix....I also use 1/2 to 1 sweet'n'low packet and ice cubes and make it in the blender) mid-morning; 1 cup of puffed unsweetened kashi cereal with 1 cup of blueberries, raspberries or fresh sliced strawberries and 1/3 cup 1% milk. Lunch; 1 soy protein bar ( between 200 and 230 calories) Supper: I package of tuna packed in water (60 to 70 cal per package) mixed with chopped celery and 1 T fat free miracle whip,, large plate of salad with dark greens, cukes, 1/2 a tomatoe, 1/2 red bell pepper, and 2 T low-fat vinagarette dressing made with olive oil. (try for one with 40 to 60 cal per 2 T.) snack; 1/2 grapefruit ( I peel mine and cut it up in a dish and mix with cinnamon and 1 packet sweet'n'low Sample Day 2 breakfast; 1 cup unsweetened puffed kashi with 1 cup berries and 1/3 cup 1% milk mid-morning; 1 spiruteen shake with water and 3 egg whites (made same as above) lunch; 2 slices 7 grain bread (the dense kind from a healthfood store), 1 packet water packed tuna mixed with 1 T fat free miracle whip and 1 tsp real full-fat mayonaise, chopped celery (onion if you desire). Spread the tuna mixture on one slice of bread ( I like it toasted) and spread the other slice of bread with a light coating of FF miracle whip. Top the tuna with a large slice of tomatoe and top with either sprouts such as alfalfa or clover or lettuce. snack; 1/2 red pepper in strips and a 1/2 a cuke in sticks. 1 T semi-sweet dark chocolate chips supper; 4 to 5 oz (cooked weight) lean eye round steak with all visible fat removed before cooking. Try to find thick-cut steaks as they will be more tender. I sliced the raw steak along with 1/2 green pepper and 1 large portabella mushroom with 1 small onion and sauted the steak first in the pan with olive oil flavored non-stick spray, then the onions and last the pepper and mushrooms. Cook veggies only till tender. I seasoned during cooking with garlic powder and pepper and a dash of worcteshire sauce. snack; 1/2 grapefruit Sample Day 3 breakfast; 1/2 a grapefruit, 2 eggs, 1 slice deli ham (35 cal) diced onion, 2 mushrooms, and 1/2 tomatoe. ( I coated a pan with butter flavored pam spray and sauted the onion and then added the mushrooms briefly. I removed the veggies and wiped out the pan and re-sprayed it. then I scrambled the two beaten eggs with the chopped slice of ham, adding the veggies with the tomatoes last during the scrambling process, but you could also use these same ingregients to make an omlet if you wish.) mid-morning; spiruteen shake lunch; 2 slices 7 grain bread, tuna salad as previously described (or substitute any lean protein (about 3 ozs)with tomatoe and sprouts or lettuce. 1/2 cup raspberries or strawberries with 1 snack-cup of Fat free jello tapioca pudding. mid-afternoon; 1/2 a grapefruit supper; 4 t0 5 oz. of any lean protein source (grilled chicken, shrimp, fish, beef, and a large plate of salad (same as previously described) snack; 1/2 a grapefruit Sample Day 4 breakfast; 1 cup cooked oatmeal (not the instant, quick or packet type), 1 peach or 1 apple cut up (try microwaving the apple and adding cinnamon) sweeten with sweet'n'low. I didn't use any milk...but sometimes I use a 1/2 cup 1% milk or silk soy milk mid-morning; about 8 to 10 raw, unsalted cashews (or almonds) lunch; WW dinner (under 300 cal) and a med plate of salad. (In this instance I did not use any dressing. I used a Weight Watchers brand smart ones frozen meal poured over the salad greens with a 1/2 a tomatoe sliced.. A few that work nicely are either the Santa Fe style rice and beans ot the Chicken fahita meals. With the entree topping the salad I don't miss the dressing. If you choose an entree such as lazagna and need a dressing, use a FF one with as few cal as you can find, or try lemon juice with a T of FF yogurt.) mid-afternoon; any treat you want (about 100 calories) supper; 6 or 7 grilled shrimp on a large plate of salad. 2 T Low cal, olive oil vinagarette dressing snack; 1/2 grapefruit Sample Day 5 breakfast; 5 egg whites, 1 whole egg, 1 T silk soy milk, 1 packet sweet'n'low. Beat all raw ingredients and cook in a pre-heated pan sprayed with butter-flavoed pam. Do not stir in the pan. Cover with a lid and lower temp. Cook until just solid. Place the crepe on a plate and place 1 cup fresh raspberries, blueberries or fresh sliced strawberries on half the crepe, sprinkle with 1 packet sweet'n'low and fold over. mid-morning; 1 T semi sweet dark chocolate chips lunch; 1 spiruteen shake or 1 protein soy bar (up to 200 cal) supper; lean chili and medium salad with low-cal olive oil dressing. (try 1/2 cup small red beans, rinsed well, with 1/2 can diced tomatoes, 1/4 can low-salt tomatoe sauce, onion if desired and very lean cooked, drained, ground beef. Season with chili powder, cayenne pepper, oinion powder and garlic powder to taste.) serve with small side salad. (I always eat the salad first and then if I get full save the rest of the chili for another meal.) snack; 1/2 grapefruit |