I'm on my way...at 73!

I've been using MFP off and on since 2011(not always honest with myself) but never kept it up and certainly didn't write here because I was never successful and ashamed to talk about it. Recently, due to health issues, I had to make some changes if I wanted to have any quality of life. Now I feel good about sharing, especially if anyone is having problems "sticking to it."

I spent some time coming up with a “healthy eating plan (HEP)” rather than a diet. I knew, from many years of yo-yo dieting, that I could lose weight, the problem was that I always gained it back when I went off the diet and ate normal food.

First of all, I had to make a mental commitment to myself. Actually, this was one of the most important aspects of my plan. I couldn’t do it for anyone else, and I had to accept that I had to eat differently than most people and not put myself down for that. I was doing this for my health. I had a major heart attack in 2009 and almost didn’t survive. It was a wake-up call and I did try to make more healthy choices, but still had the rationale that one M&M wouldn’t hurt me (but it usually ended up being 6 or 26) and that second helping of Shrimp Broccoli Fettucine Alfredo wouldn’t hurt me just this time. I told myself I didn’t need to measure my food; I’d been at this a long time and knew how much a cup or a quarter cup was. I could wing it. But as the years went by (I’m now 73), I became more and more tired, then to the point of daily exhaustion. My arthritis became worse and it was becoming more difficult to move without pain. My family genes on both sides allow for pretty long life spans, and I realized that I did not want to spend the next 20 or even 30 years barely able to get around and in constant pain. AND I wanted to see my grandchildren become the wonderful adults I know they will be.

O.K., so what I was doing was NOT working. After many long discussions with myself, I began to plan and research what would work for me. I had some success with the South Beach Diet about eight years back, but didn’t maintain it. So I based my HEP on the South Beach Diet as a starting point. I knew my plan had to be something that I enjoyed, that worked and that I could do for the rest of my life. The genes I inherited make food a different thing for me than most other people. I could eat the same thing as my husband and I would gain weight quickly, where he never gained an ounce and had to eat snacks and dessert every day to NOT lose. So life is not fair and I had to deal with it. My sister recommended MFP and I fell in live with it. It has so many food items in it with complete nutritional info on each item, including most major restaurant chain items. I knew I had to be more structured with my eating because my un-structured way of doing things wasn’t working for me. If I was serious about this I had to PLAN. I also knew if I tried to deprive myself of all the things I love (i.e. artisan breads and any kind of pasta) I would not succeed, so that had to go into the plan. I like to eat out once in a while and most “diets” make that awkward and difficult. So I had to PLAN. “My Fitness Plan” (MFP) helped me to set a realistic goal for how much I could eat in a day to lose and lose approximately 1½ pounds per week (what my doctor says is a healthy weight loss). That was hard for me because I, like many today, want instant gratification. I had to train and discipline myself to not expect this to happen overnight. My particular daily caloric goal is 1,260 calories a day.

For the first two weeks which I started on March 26th, I followed the South Beach Diet Phase One guidelines. I would suggest that anyone who wants to do this, purchase the book (written by a cardiologist) – it’s on Amazon and other major booksellers. Phase One is strict and doesn’t allow fruit, bread, pasta, sweets, etc. and lots of lean protein and green veggies, but it is intended to stop the cravings for unhealthy food items. There is a list in the book of foods to enjoy and foods to avoid. I was able to tell myself that I can do anything for two weeks. And it was worth it because I lost 12½ pounds in the first two weeks. By that time, I was highly motivated. When you start to see results, it’s easier to keep yourself motivated and happy about what you’re doing.

At the end of the first two weeks, I modified the Phase One guidelines and added in certain (low sugar fruits) and some starches, even a slice of my favorite New York Style rye bread with I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter spray or a half cup of pasta with olive oil and a pinch of parmesan cheese. MFP helps me plan my meals and keep me within my calorie goal. I usually plan the next day’s meals the day before, but it can be flexible and I can delete something I had planned and add in something else. When someone calls and says, “Hey, let’s go to lunch tomorrow,” I find out where we’re going and google (Ex.) Applebee’s menu, pick something and put it into MFP and can see exactly what the nutritional facts are – whether I need to pick something else or adjust something else in the day, or if it’s perfect! For me, this takes all the stress out of eating out.

The good thing is that I’ve been doing this for almost 11 weeks now and it’s becoming a habit. One thing I’ve learned is that I do need to measure my food if it calls for a certain amount, like a cup of Great Grains cereal, because my ballparking it caused me to eat well over two times the correct amount most of the time. As an example, my calorie intake today was 1,210 calories and consisted of:

Breakfast:
3 cups baby spinach, wilted in the microwave
½ cup Egg Beaters
¼ cups shredded mozzarella cheese (Scrambled all together, I call it Spinach Egg Scramble) Yummm.

Mid-Morning Snack:
Sargento Lite Cheese Stick

Lunch:
Italian Salad consisting of 17 slices turkey pepperoni (cut in quarters), 2 cups romaine lettuce chopped, red onion, red pepper, chopped cucumber, ¼ cup feta cheese, 8 med. sliced black olives, ½ small avocado sliced, 3 Tbsp. Ken’s Steak House Lite Northern Italian Dressing Soooooo good!

Mid-Afternoon Snack
7 whole wheat crackers, 2 tlsp. Feta cucumber dip

Dinner
3 oz. baked salmon filet (bourbon brown sugar seasoning from Schilling)
½ baked sweet potato (butter spray and tsp. of Splenda brown sugar)
8 fresh asparagus stalks Delicioso!!

Mid-Evening Snack
No Sugar Added Fudgesicle

I NEVER GET HUNGRY. Unless I forget to eat, which sometimes happens when I’m busy. I know this probably sounds like a lot of work, but it actually doesn’t take as much time as I thought it would. And…it’s sooooo worth it!

Last, I try to exercise every day – usually make it at least five days per week. I do stretches (for the arthritis), some cardio to get my heart rate up, and some light weight training. I have the weights, a bar, a bench, arm trainer, so it’s hard for me to make excuses. I also ride my bike around our complex 3 days a week and try to swim when I can. With 28 lbs. gone, I can walk normally, walk up the stairs easily (not down yet), and just feel so good all over – I can‘t even imagine how I will feel when I reach my goal. I still have 45 lbs. to go to my goal weight and then I will go on “maintenance” for the rest of my life. That means adding a few more healthy things to my plan but keeping a realistic eye on the scale to make sure it never fluctuates more than 3-4 pounds (which is normal for me.)

I hope this is an inspiration to anyone who reads this. I have a plaque on my kitchen wall that says, “Nothing tastes as good as being thin and healthy feels.”This is true.