Yes, another diet blog.
This was inspired by recent conversations with my fellow alumni, those trying to shed a few pounds before they start invading Greensboro.
I personally, don't diet, and since my exercising has hit a stride, I feel like I'm in a good place to sustain what I've done so far this year. No need to overdo it, because seriously, it's not that serious!
But for those of you who need a few pointers to get your diets headed in the right direction, here's what I suggest. (I don't give exercise advice)
1. Don't deprive yourself. The minute you tell yourself you can't have something, is the minute you start craving it. Unless you have the will power of an elephant, don't do it to yourself. Instead, manage your potions. Instead of the jumbo bag of Cheetoz you usually by at the super market, get two small bags out of the lunch isle, and make them count!
2. Don't drink and workout. The biggest Empty Calorie hog is alcohol. And if that wasn't enough, alcohol dehidrates you, which isn't good for your workout regimen. So cut out your beers, your chasers, your glass of wine, your margarita and your champagne. Now is not the time for celebration.
3. Dumb down on caffeine. Most of us use caffeine to stay awake during those long days in the office. But while it's good for keeping you up, it will also keep you awake. When your exercising, sleep is vital to the body's healing process, if you don't get enough sleep you won't have the energy to get up and keep going. Instead, find a energy vitamin complex to take the edge off of sleepy.
4. Keep clean. Do you know why celebrities are always doing the fat flush and the colon cleanses before a big event? Cause it works! It's a quick fix though, not a solution. But if you keep your body clean while your dieting, you'll feel lighter, you'll have more energy, you'll be able to control your portions and you'll be healthy. No one likes answering the "poop" questions with your doctor, but they ask for a reason. If you haven't pooped, chances are there's a lot of crap going down the shoot. Vegetarians have some of the cleanest bodies because the foods they eat naturally move through the body. How do you achieve this cycle of "what goes in must come out"? Well, some take a fiber supplement, or drink those fiber dissolvables with their water or juice. Some eat fiber intensive meal bars, some have a high fiber diet with Cherrio's and Whole Wheat bread. And others do the simply laxative.
Personally I'm not a fan of any of those. I prefer my teas. The Triple Leaf Tea Company has several teas geared towards diets and keeping your body pure. I like to drink a cup of Detox Tea or the Dieter's Green Tea once a day, usually my mid-morning cup, and in the evening I have a cup of Super Slimmer's Tea. The Slimmer's tea is a mild cleanser, and the Dieter's Tea helps with digestion. The Detox helps keep the impurities to a minimum. Now if you go this route, be sure to try the teas one at a time, one tea type a week, until you know how your body will react. I like to take a tea break when I'm not trying to keep slim, and I lay off it for a while. That first day back is always a doosey!
5. Water, water, and re-water. Not Propel, not Vitamin Water, just WATER. Now if you're like me and the taste of water makes you gag, add lemon juice or a slice of lime. Not only do you forget about the watery taste of water, but the citrus is actually cleansing for the body and the skin!
6. Change it up! One thing I don't like about frozen dinners, its the same thing in a box, with a different brand name on the front. If I have to survive off of the same meatloaf and Asian Chicken combination for a month, I'd be salty too. So change it up! Try an Indian dish, or a Greek salad instead of an Italian salad. Make a sandwich with sun-dried tomatoes instead of fresh. These things will keep your stomach from getting bored.
7. Treat yourself. At least once a week treat yourself to something special. Whether its a slice of cake, or a glass of wine, give yourself something as a reward for doing well. But don't go over board. You can't eat 6 donuts just because you went 6 days without one.
8. Get a support system. Often times we try to diet without the support of someone positive. Even if this person isn't dieting with you, they can keep you in perspective. One of my dear friends started feeling bad for dieting because she had other friends who were negative about the idea of dieting. She made the decision to be healthy anyway, but I feel that if she had had the support of your friends she might have gotten further faster.
9. Not everyone needs to know. When you start broadcasting about your diet to the whole world, it no longer becomes about you. Take this on as a personal challenge, not a global one.
10. Go shopping. At the end of this diet stream you should be ready to hit the mall for something nice. Especially if you're going to Homecoming! Go get something that's going to make you stand out (within reason) and is going to show off the hard work you just put in. Know that you put in a lot of hard work and you deserve some positive attention. And don't let anyone tell you different.
Well, I think I'll stop here. I'm only doing tips because I don't believe in counting calories. Remember to eat will, and don't forget that food is your friend, not thighs!
This was inspired by recent conversations with my fellow alumni, those trying to shed a few pounds before they start invading Greensboro.
I personally, don't diet, and since my exercising has hit a stride, I feel like I'm in a good place to sustain what I've done so far this year. No need to overdo it, because seriously, it's not that serious!
But for those of you who need a few pointers to get your diets headed in the right direction, here's what I suggest. (I don't give exercise advice)
1. Don't deprive yourself. The minute you tell yourself you can't have something, is the minute you start craving it. Unless you have the will power of an elephant, don't do it to yourself. Instead, manage your potions. Instead of the jumbo bag of Cheetoz you usually by at the super market, get two small bags out of the lunch isle, and make them count!
2. Don't drink and workout. The biggest Empty Calorie hog is alcohol. And if that wasn't enough, alcohol dehidrates you, which isn't good for your workout regimen. So cut out your beers, your chasers, your glass of wine, your margarita and your champagne. Now is not the time for celebration.
3. Dumb down on caffeine. Most of us use caffeine to stay awake during those long days in the office. But while it's good for keeping you up, it will also keep you awake. When your exercising, sleep is vital to the body's healing process, if you don't get enough sleep you won't have the energy to get up and keep going. Instead, find a energy vitamin complex to take the edge off of sleepy.
4. Keep clean. Do you know why celebrities are always doing the fat flush and the colon cleanses before a big event? Cause it works! It's a quick fix though, not a solution. But if you keep your body clean while your dieting, you'll feel lighter, you'll have more energy, you'll be able to control your portions and you'll be healthy. No one likes answering the "poop" questions with your doctor, but they ask for a reason. If you haven't pooped, chances are there's a lot of crap going down the shoot. Vegetarians have some of the cleanest bodies because the foods they eat naturally move through the body. How do you achieve this cycle of "what goes in must come out"? Well, some take a fiber supplement, or drink those fiber dissolvables with their water or juice. Some eat fiber intensive meal bars, some have a high fiber diet with Cherrio's and Whole Wheat bread. And others do the simply laxative.
Personally I'm not a fan of any of those. I prefer my teas. The Triple Leaf Tea Company has several teas geared towards diets and keeping your body pure. I like to drink a cup of Detox Tea or the Dieter's Green Tea once a day, usually my mid-morning cup, and in the evening I have a cup of Super Slimmer's Tea. The Slimmer's tea is a mild cleanser, and the Dieter's Tea helps with digestion. The Detox helps keep the impurities to a minimum. Now if you go this route, be sure to try the teas one at a time, one tea type a week, until you know how your body will react. I like to take a tea break when I'm not trying to keep slim, and I lay off it for a while. That first day back is always a doosey!
5. Water, water, and re-water. Not Propel, not Vitamin Water, just WATER. Now if you're like me and the taste of water makes you gag, add lemon juice or a slice of lime. Not only do you forget about the watery taste of water, but the citrus is actually cleansing for the body and the skin!
6. Change it up! One thing I don't like about frozen dinners, its the same thing in a box, with a different brand name on the front. If I have to survive off of the same meatloaf and Asian Chicken combination for a month, I'd be salty too. So change it up! Try an Indian dish, or a Greek salad instead of an Italian salad. Make a sandwich with sun-dried tomatoes instead of fresh. These things will keep your stomach from getting bored.
7. Treat yourself. At least once a week treat yourself to something special. Whether its a slice of cake, or a glass of wine, give yourself something as a reward for doing well. But don't go over board. You can't eat 6 donuts just because you went 6 days without one.
8. Get a support system. Often times we try to diet without the support of someone positive. Even if this person isn't dieting with you, they can keep you in perspective. One of my dear friends started feeling bad for dieting because she had other friends who were negative about the idea of dieting. She made the decision to be healthy anyway, but I feel that if she had had the support of your friends she might have gotten further faster.
9. Not everyone needs to know. When you start broadcasting about your diet to the whole world, it no longer becomes about you. Take this on as a personal challenge, not a global one.
10. Go shopping. At the end of this diet stream you should be ready to hit the mall for something nice. Especially if you're going to Homecoming! Go get something that's going to make you stand out (within reason) and is going to show off the hard work you just put in. Know that you put in a lot of hard work and you deserve some positive attention. And don't let anyone tell you different.
Well, I think I'll stop here. I'm only doing tips because I don't believe in counting calories. Remember to eat will, and don't forget that food is your friend, not thighs!
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