I've been on a diet for two weeks and all I've lost is 14 days.
-- Totie Fields
We're reading Diabetes Weight Loss Week by Week (American Diabetes Association, 2012) and following the author's suggestions. This is week seven.
This week's chapter takes a break from food, diet and activity to focus on our environment. Switching it up can help break bad habits.
Author Jill Weisenberger writes that weight and blood glucose can be difficult to control for people who eat most of their calories later in the evening. Reining in nighttime overindulgences can really make a difference.
Start spreading your calories evenly throughout the day. If you don't like to eat breakfast, start with a piece of toast, nuts or a cup of yogurt. Eat a moderate-size lunch and a light afternoon snack. End the evening with a moderate-size dinner and a planned snack. Continue the routine until you have adjusted your eating schedule.
Change your nighttime routine too. If you snack in front of the TV in your den, move to the bedroom or another part of the house. Or find something else to do altogether.
Close the kitchen once you've had dinner and your evening snack. Turn off the kitchen light and close the door if there is one.
Signal the end to your evening. Put on your sleepwear, brush your teeth or read to the kids. Do whatever it is that means the evening is winding down.
Try to ferret out what things or events that trigger you to overeat. Do you get a snack at the gas station? Stop for warm doughnuts on the way to work? Avoiding a trigger can be as simple as changing where you buy gasoline or driving to work another way.
And if you are writing down your daily food intake, examine the record to see where the trouble times and places are.
WEEK 8
This week is all about knowing our hunger. What triggers our appetite? It can include things like commercials, smells, boredom, depression or happiness.
Try to rate your hunger from 1 to 10, 1 bordering on starvation/irritability, and 10 being Thanksgiving-full. This exercise can help us be more mindful of eating, discourage us from eating at inappropriate times and encourage us to eat at the right times.
Weisenberger recommends filling up on fiber too. It's great for our digestion and helps us feel full naturally. In general, the recommendations range from 21 to 38 grams of fiber per day. And if we eat foods that are fiber-rich, it's easier to get the right amount in.
Eating out can be another tricky situation. Portions these days are bigger than ever, and many calorie bombs are disguised as salads, or "wholesome" wraps and sandwiches.
We can be thankful that many restaurants have websites where they list nutrition information. Weisenberger's ideas for eating out include:
• Preview the menu. If possible, know what you are going to order before you get there.
• Be inquisitive. Ask questions about how things are prepared and don't be shy about making special requests.
But be polite about it.
• Be smart when you order. Fill up on vegetables or broth-based soups.
• Be picky. Don't use up your calorie budget on food that isn't delicious. This is especially true at buffets.
• Don't drink your calories. Stick to water, which is usually free.
• Pay attention to your food. Focus on each bite. How does it look? What is the texture? How does it smell?
• Slow down. Try to be the last person to start eating and be the slowest eater.
• Watch your portions.
These days I usually eat about half and take the rest home for lunch the next day.
• Reconsider the meaning of value. Pay more attention to health and nutritional value than the price.
If your body doesn't need it, you are wasting it, whether you eat it or not.
Email me at:
rboggs@arkansasonline.com
ActiveStyle on 09/28/2015