Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Nutritional Sanity by keeping it simple!

I have to remind myself that though I'm on Weight Watchers that doesn't mean I'm on a "diet." I'm changing the way I eat, it is a lifestyle change. When I look at it that way, it makes it easier not to quit. I'm also learning not to make it difficult, to keep it simple. As someone would say when I over analyze things and get freaked out when I go over my allotted points/calories for the day, I should remember to "KISS." What does KISS stand for....
"Keep It Simple Stupid!"

I'm reading this book titled "Lose Weight with THE POWER OF ONE" by Stephen Moss. It is a simple approach to dieting and learning about nutrition. It is a VERY easy read and was recommended to me by a nutritionist. It is a fictional story about an overweight woman who just had a baby and is having problems in her marriage and she blames her weight. She meets someone who helps change her view about nutrition and health and loses weight in the process. I love that the book applies the principles of nutrition as a story which makes it more relatable.

I was already familiar with the strategies that the book listed, but I loved how the book TEACHES how to make good nutrition a part of our life, and most importantly to KEEP IT SIMPLE. Here are some of the strategies that were listed and my comments are in parentheses:

- Reduce the amount of fat in your daily life to as low as possible. (example egg whites instead of the egg yolks, reduced fat cheese, reduced fat mayo,ect)

- Eat breakfast (duh!)

- Reduce the amount of sugar in your daily life to as low as possible (I tried cutting out sugar and just ended up binging on more sugar. Cutting sugar out of my life was not the answer! The best thing to do is experiment with baking. I like sugar substitutes, my favorite is Stevia which is a herbal sweetener. I also like sugar free chocolate pudding or Smart One frozen desserts)

- Do not bring any factory made snacks, meals, or refined flour products into your home. Use foods that are as close to natural as possible. (That's very hard when you have kids in your home, but you can limit the amount that you buy and experiment with snack recipes that you can make on your own)

- Drink water

- Stop eating when you are approaching feeling full.

- Eat often (small meals through out the day)

There is also one more strategy, but I want to read more on that before I list it. Some of these strategies are taught by Weight Watchers, but it's great to read another spin to it. It was also important for me to write this, so that I can refer to it when I start making my plan of eating more difficult than it should be. It's been an extremely busy time for me and I miss reading your blogs on a regular basis, it keeps me grounded! So, I'll be catching up reading and commenting on blogs towards the end of the week. Happy Healthy Eating!



Food for Thought: "Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated". ~Confucius

15 comments:

F. McButter Pants said...

I am going to check out that book. Thanks for tips.

KISS! So hard to keep it simple, sometimes.

Heather said...

Sounds like a great book!!

Unknown said...

This is a great post, and so very true. When we start making things complicated it gets out of hand.
Eat less, move more! KISS

kaseybobasey said...

You are so right, girl. We all just need to keep it simple. How to lose weight: Eat right and exercise. Can it get any simpler...and I seem to make it so hard. :)

Sally said...

Soooo true!!! And why can't I get this through my thick head???

Mary said...

Thanks for the reminders!!

Wendy said...

thank you for the tips!

Gigi said...

Totally agree with keeping it simple. Why do we insist on making it harder than it has to be?

Cammy@TippyToeDiet said...

I agree on keeping it simple, but I object to the omission of egg yolks! Or I would if I was an attorney and we were in court. :) Egg yolks are high in phosphorous, vitamin B12, and selenium. Unfortunately, they're also high in cholesterol and satfat, so moderation is the key.

And that ends today's defense of egg yolks. :)

Thanks for the info!

avisiontoremember said...

I just found your blog via mormon mommies. I love it. I also have a blog about weight loss/running and I love reading what others are doing and their struggles cause I have my fair share to.

Suzanne said...

Those are great tips. It is hard with kids though...having some of those temptations. I just joined WW again. I like that I can still have treats too, just stay within points! Whenever I give up sugar I binge as well...I let myself have a treat once a week, or if I'm working out hard, once a day!

Post-it Notes said...

Thanks for the book review. I will have to look into getting it. Also... thanks for reminding me about KISS... Great Post!

~closed~ said...

Very helpful tips.

Unknown said...

Interesting book! Being a HUGE reader (no pun intended as a chubby bubby LOL) it sounds very interesting!

Some great tips too. Some are like you said "DUH" but sometimes it's great to be reminded!

InWeighOverMyHead said...

I will check out that book! i go back to WW tonight after coming home from my vacation to Cali. I am afraid... lol

- Lisa
www.losewithlisa.blogspot.com