Face it, dieting is torture but it doesn’t have to be. I have found a way to conquer the diet beast and not cheat on my diet. You have heard this many times, “it is not a diet it is a lifestyle change”. Cliché as it is, it’s true. When I committed to change my eating habits and was consistent, I began to see results. I took small steps toward my change. I had a lot of cleaning up to do so I took it one step at a time. I eased myself into a “diet” I could live with.
My first step was to eliminate all fried foods and fatty meats. I was a” meat and potatoes” Southern Gal all the way around. I turned fried chicken into grilled chicken breast fillets. Instead of 80/20 hamburger meat I switched to 96% lean or ground turkey. I swapped my fatty Ribeye for sirloin or London broil. Pork chops became pork tenderloin. I gave up vegetable oil, canola oil and Crisco for Olive Oil. I cook everything in Olive oil.
Next I gave up junk food. Potato chips, cookies, cake, ice cream sundaes, brownies, cobbler, snack cakes and swapped them for bananas, strawberries, blueberries, oranges, mangos, peaches etc….. Chocolate Shakeology with a spoon of natural peanut butter and a tablespoon of graham crackers became my Reeses Cup. Tropical Shakeology with spoon of fat free cream cheese and graham crackers became my cheese cake.
My next step was to eliminate bread, potatoes, rice and pasta totally. Some people can handle wheat bread but not I. I gave up bread totally including the biscuits. I eat brown rice one time per week but that’s it. I can’t eat it every day. I switched potatoes to sweet potatoes. I found by keeping a daily journal of my food intake, I could pin point foods that caused me to gain or slow down my results. That’s why certain foods I do not eat at all or on a limited intake.
Now that you have the idea, here are a few things I do to eliminate cheating. When I crave a cheeseburger, I have a cheeseburger salad. All of my favorite burger toppings go onto a bed of lettuce. The same with spaghetti, I simply use ground turkey or lean ground meat in my sauce, top it with a bed of lettuce and add parmesan cheese and my favorite dressing. Now for my salad dressing, I continue to eat my Hidden Valley Ranch dressing. If that is the only bad thing I eat, and I am burning 3500 calories a week with my workouts, and it keeps me from craving a Whopper, then I think I’m okay. The carbs and sugars are lower in regular ranch than the lite. Of course if you prefer Balsamic Vinaigrette then your way ahead of me.
What about Pizza? I take a whole wheat tortilla shell, cover it with sauce and my favorite toppings along with 2% mozzarella bake it hot and fresh and enjoy my pizza. I still eat Chili, just use lean meat or ground turkey and substitute black beans for kidney beans. I still eat kidney beans occasionally. What most people call a cheat meal, where they eat something really bad; I make these my cheat meals.
I do not eat at any fast food restaurant. I make enough food at dinner to take the left overs for lunch. This keeps me from eating out and blowing my diet.
My regular diet consists of 1200-1500 calories per day. (This will vary with your weight loss goals and fitness program.)
Breakfast (one of the below)
Shakeology Protein Pancakes (no more than 1 time per week) topped with sugar free syrup
Eggs and turkey bacon or sausage
Oatmeal topped with fruit (blueberries are the best)
Omelet with turkey bacon or sausage
Lunch (one of the below)
Lean meat, chicken or fish and 2 vegetables
Salad topped with lean meat, chicken or fish
Shakeology
Dinner (one of the below)
Lean meat, chicken or fish and 2 vegetables
Salad topped with a lean meat
Snacks (two per day)
Fruit, nuts, and yogurt
Celery, raw broccoli, raw carrots
Occasionally I will have a few fat free cheese cubes
Occasionally I will make brownies or pumpkin bread out of protein powder. If I have any type of cake or cookie, I make it homemade with whole wheat flour, unsweetened applesauce and protein powder or Shakeology. You may find great recipes at http://myshakeology.com/coachtammyhicks or visit http://beachbodycoach.com/coachtammyhicks
Of course you need a fitness program to go along with your diet, but step one is to get your eating habits under control. Contact me at http://beachbodycoach.com/coachtammyhicks or http://fabin60.com and http://facebook.com/FitAfterForty
I can help you select a fail proof fitness program that is right for you. Being consistent with diet and exercise are key to a healthy lifestyle. I can offer you unlimited support and motivation. Let’s get started today!
