After overcoming fears, diet fits her to a 'T'
The thing about the word “diet” is that I've always gotten hung up on the “die” part. As in, “I'll die if I can't have chocolate.” Or pasta, or bread, or pizza, or ice cream, or buttered popcorn ... the list goes on and on. I've investigated plenty of diet plans and invariably I'd find myself opting out because of one thing or another I was sure I'd die without. Tell me I can't have something, and I want it a thousand times more.
It sounds melodramatic, but we're talking some seriously good foods.
Greek chicken with browned butter on pasta covered in cheese ... that's part of my heritage. Can you eat roast beef without both the mashed potatoes and meat slathered in gravy? And whipped cream, lots of it, served with a little pie ... now that's just puffy clouds of joy. Comfort food, all of it.
Then there's the convenient, I-lead-a-busy-life options. Pizza is high on that list, along with frozen garlic bread, hot wings and a host of fast-food choices.
As much as I whine about my trainer's tough exercise regimen, going into the Fittest Loser Challenge it was the diet that had me really worried. I might not die, but I could starve. At best I'd be really, really cranky.
With fear and trepidation I faced “The Diet,” a nutrition program provided by Push Fitness for all the contestants. Among their top 20 “must-do” weight-loss tips are “eat every two to three hours — five evenly spaced meals every day,” “never skip a meal” and “consume protein, carbohydrates and fat every day.” They had me at “never skip a meal.” What's not to love about that?
As I began to map out what I could have instead of focusing on what I couldn't, I discovered I had way more choices than I had feared. And along the way, I've made some tasty discoveries. Vegetables and I historically have had a very distant relationship. When seeking comfort in food, cauliflower never crossed my mind nor did asparagus, carrots or broccoli.
The first week of the Challenge my husband and I were invited to a friend's house for dinner and as a way of supporting my weight-loss effort, they created a meal that stayed well within my calorie/fat/carb/protein limits. That's the night I met roasted cauliflower.
Since then, my daughter has introduced me to roasted asparagus and I found out how simple it is to prepare braised carrots. Broccoli and I still have issues, but we're working on it.
What it comes down to for me is recognizing the power of the “T” in the dreaded D-I-E-T.
I have to think about each meal. I have to thoughtfully plan and prepare in advance and that includes making a grocery list. The first time I reached for the paper in my pocket at the grocery store, I thought I had someone else's list. It read: Cauliflower, asparagus, lettuce, tomatoes, apples, carrots, Laughing Cow light Swiss cheese, low-carb crackers, Ezekiel bread, oatmeal, salmon, chicken and ground turkey breast.
It takes time to map out a menu for the week. My Sunday afternoon is spent preparing and packing my lunches and snacks for the week. I take a grocery bag to work every Monday morning and fill the refrigerator with my healthy food selections.
I've had to make peace with the tension between “I want it” and “I can't have it.” The goal is too important and as Tony constantly reminds me, “I can do this.”
This week when the scale registered ZERO weight loss, it took tenacity to pull it together and power through the subsequent workout. But Tony's right ... it's working. I know because my pants fell off the other morning. Seriously, I was getting dressed for work and put on my black dress pants that were snug just a couple of weeks ago and, well, it wouldn't have been prudent to show up at the office without making a wardrobe adjustment.
Finally, there's the big “T” and that's Tony. He's the magic that makes it all work.
• Gerry Alger, editor of the Daily Herald's Niche Publications, has been sitting at a desk for 25 years.
Status report
Current weight: 172
Weight lost this week: 0 pounds
Total weight loss: 16 pounds