I am a big picture person. I don’t use timers. I taste my food to see if it’s done. I am an instinctively decent cook and a mediocre baker. Krysten often complains that our 1937 Magic Chef oven is a pisser for consistency as the door wont seal completely and the thermostat is wonky. But it’s never bothered me*.
As human beings we mostly adapt to our genetically inherited attributes. Really tall people bend down when going through doorways; short people don’t keep important things on top shelves. And while some traits are lacking, others often improve within our lifetime to compensate. Someone with poor eyesight might have enhanced hearing such that they drive with the windows open at night (my father appears in reference once again).
In my case, I tend not to follow instructions well. MY adaptation is that I’m bloody lucky which may be more a consistent act of God than a genetic trait, but the truth is I’ve learned to find alternative ways to achieve goals by mostly understanding the larger objective. For obvious reasons this has not served me well in trying to lose weight; learn my multiplication tables or finishing but not completing the GED**.
So you see the most difficult part of this journey involves counting calories and following directions. That and nothing else will keep me below 1800 calories. Humph.
Daily Counting:
2 servings of Medical food shakes
3 servings of Concentrated Protein
3 servings of Fruits
4-5 servings of Vegetables
2 servings of Legumes
1 serving of Dairy
1 serving of Grains
6 servings of Oils
2 fish oil pills
*Note: Krysten is a much better baker than I am.
**Note: I took the GED which is the high school equivalency test and scored in the 98th percentile but answered the wrong essay question (question b rather than d) and therefore my score was voided.
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I am with you, I dropped wheat + flour, except once week I get beer! Also, dairy, except for cream in the coffee. (1 latte a week)
ReplyDeleteAlso I have picked on cardo-worksouts;
with walks, gym, yoga 2x a week, and at least 2 spinning classes a week.
So far 11 + lbs have dropped in the right spots and I am sleeping better!
-bunkie
James,
ReplyDeleteI went on a 2k calorie diet last year. Celery has almost no calories so snack the heck of of it. Stay away from sweet fruits and veggies- carrots, bananas, etc...They suck up your totals.
I ate two instant oatmeals for breakfast everyday (about 240-280 total)
Check out the soup isle at the grocery store. I forget the brand but there are some light veggie soups that have 100 calories total for the big cans. Makes a great lunch.
A handful of almonds or hard boiled egg white give you the protein you need to calm midday hunger cravings.
By the end of the day, you'll be at under 1000 calories so you'll still be able to have a good balanced meal for dinner.
I used Everydayhealth.com to track my meals. Paying attention to what you put in, makes a big difference. At 1800 calories per day & taking a 1 hour walk every other day, you'll lose about 1 lb every other day. I lost 15 in about 2 months...then put it back on in my wife's 3rd tri-mester. Good luck! It's really not that hard once you get going.
-Justin