Cheat Day/Meal

I do have a cheat meal once in a while where I can't tell what the calories were that I ate... I make it as close as possible and log it and move on. I usually don't put all the calories on there that I've eaten, though. If I can, I try to make the other meals that day lighter.

With it being summer, the best thing to do is not have a label and instead have "low-cal days." When you have two low cal days per week, mine and my husband's are with the 5:2 fasting diet by Dr. Michael Mosley of Mondays and Thursdays, then you feel more energized to eat and eat on no low cal days or regular days, that is until you see no real change in your weight. Then you begin to truly work harder. I wanted to maintain my weight and have only through this diet post 40. Now almost 42 in Oct., I feel the best I have since in my 20's and 30's. Had my husband not stumbled on this diet, we both would be hugely unhealthy.

Not to mention my numbers are way down. When we first met, I was 36, and once we moved in together, I was 37 with 287 cholesterol points and when I turned 39, even worse at 40, my weight wasn't melting like it used to. So, I found myself eating more fruits and veggies, thinking this is how to do it, and that worked but there was not structure of how much, etc.

Then my hubby came back from a business trip and mentioned this diet and the doctor. He tried it - and me, having had a mom who was a dietitian, - I thought 600 cals for men and 500 for women was insanely unhealthy. So for months I just watched waiting for him to cave. Then, something crazy happened. He's 13 years older and he started losing several pounds. He was checked at his primary care physician and was told his numbers are doing better and to not change what he's been doing.

I started it too in June 2013 beginning at 700-800 cals. Dr. Mosley says it is hardest the first month and a half to two months and he wasn't kidding, but I slowly reduced it to the 500 after not seeing any results. I then started seeing results.

I didn't realize it's life-changing though. I decided to eat like a pig on regular days, then do my low cals and then weigh. I was wrong about thinking it's okay, and when I didn't see long lasting results, I truly craved to, and started eating even healthier on non low cal days. It worked!!

I started a FB page called, "Good health: 5:2 diet, Juicing, and Nutrient health" just about ten days ago, and I've catalogued recipes I try on low cal and non low cal days to keep my health in shape. The keys:

1- don't over indulged ever, instead eat small portions of the good stuff and then keep the rest of the day low cal on special cook out days with friends, events with family
2- remain aware, meaning take your head out of the sand, and that will enable yourself to be more accountable
3- have a buddy do it with you and both be smart and accountable for the other's success and your own through recognizing bad patterns
4- switches: if you eat 2000 cals/day regularly, reduce it to 1000, then 1500 for a while. When you don't see results, lower it again to 1200, then enter into your lifestyle the 5:2 one. It's a great way to convince yourself to be healthy all the time without too much nudging as you stick to it. It works so well.

My husband has been on it for just over a year and reached his goal weight, having lost 30+ lbs without exercise, and now that we've lost the excess, we started at a health club and still maintain great changes where we both ensure the other stays on track and then we self-check to be sure we are happy with our own bodies. If we ever feel we have slipped, we reign in the calories on regular days and watch sugars and carbs everyday, even low cal days.

This app is my life saver that works perfectly in watching my calories and his on low cal days.

Once you reach your goal weight, Dr. Mosley says to go to one low cal day per week from two. I like food too much, so I will stay with the low cal two-day structure, at least for now.

Good luck and check out my page.