O.K., I'm way out of my element here but I promised a post on diet, so here goes. I know little on this subject. I am not a calorie counter and really never "diet." I just know what I've observed about myself, and through watching others.
I think most women have different metabolisms than most men and things vary from individual to individual. Look around your own family; even the people you share DNA with react differently to different diets and foods. You've got to find what makes sense for you.
As stated earlier, stay away from "bad" sugar; processed sugar, candy, soda, packaged cookies and cakes... Regardless of the high calories, when I eat this stuff I'm hungry more often and I crave more high calorie foods. When I don't eat this stuff I feel better and more energetic.
Don't eat 4 hours before bedtime. This one is very important for me. My wife seems to be able to snack at night and not gain weight but when I want to lose weight this is the first rule I implement. Drink water, but don't eat. If you are an avid, late night snacker and you find yourself starving try this find a large, low calorie food item you can eat to make yourself feel full. Pickles and raw potatoes work for me. I like both, they are low calorie and filling.
As Blackhawk pointed out; eat breakfast. I usually eat a bowl of oatmeal. Well, I could give a lot of specifics about me, but that doesn't necessarily correlate to you, so the main thing is stay away from sweets (we don't need more diabetics in this country) and experiment with different stuff until you find what works. I also like Harry's suggestion of setting aside one day a week when you don't pay any attention to what you eat. I typically do that also, even when trying to lose weight.
Oh yeah, when you're in a restaurant try eating half a meal. Mrs. Firefly and I almost always split an entree when we go out and it's always enough. American restaurants serve huge portions. We typically split an entree and get one extra salad or side dish and it is plenty. Also, when out with our kids I sometimes won't order a meal because they will leave enough uneaten food to feed a grown man. Restaurants give kids too much food too, but kids are smart enough not to eat it all. So, save yourself some money and calories the next time you take your family out to eat.
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Pretty good advice overall. Regarding water intake, research has shown that drinking 16 ounces of water upon waking boosts metabolism for hours afterwards. Of course, follow up with a breakfast rich in protein and complex carbs within an hour after waking.
Hmmmm... The no eating late/before bedtime rule. That's the one I'm working on now. I used to snack, or finish eating my daily requirements after my son was in bed. I'm now trying to get all my eating done by dinner time. Last night was the first night, and seriously, I don't think it will be hard avoiding food late at night. I have lots of wonderful herbal teas and seltzer, and I'm not usually that hungry that late.
I've started mixing up the workouts in the morning. Dagnabit! it's hard! But I feel better, like I've accomplished something. People are starting to ask if I've lost weight, which is great and it gives me the impetus to keep going. This weight (which, granted, is certainly not a tremendous amount), has been with me longer than I care to admit to. It's time it goes bye-bye. I have a toddler who LOVES to run, and want to be able to keep up with him as he grows and gets faster.
This is a great blog. I'm so glad you guys keep this up.
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