My Rules....

This is the rules I'm following on this journey. Some may change over time and some may be added.

Rule #1 - Don't call it a diet. The word diet just puts you in a mindset for failure. Find a word or phrase that works for you. I like "Change In Nutritional Habits".

Rule #2 - Don't count the numbers. Society as a whole is too OCD when it comes to numbers. I am a woman. My weight fluctuates based on things like menstrual cycle. Obsessing over numbers will only dishearten my attempts to lose weight and make me more likely to fail. The same goes for calorie counts. I don't have the patience to count each and every calorie that goes into a meal. The exception to this rule is that I will compare calorie counts between the items I am buying.

Rule #3 - Exercise but don't over do it. Know your limitations. If you have played couch potato most of your life, don't think you can run 10 miles your first day. Pick a reasonable goal and extend that goal as your body allows. Any exercise is better than none.

Rule #4 - Moderation not deprivation. If there is something you can't live without, have it but in moderation. I can't handle a sandwich without mayo. To me a sandwich is bland, dry and not enjoyable to eat in the least without it. So I have mayo. I just go light on the amount of it. I get the flavor & moisture but less calories than I used to.

Rule #5 - Pick a day to splurge. Saturday is my day to splurge. That doesn't mean I have pancakes for breakfast, cheesecake for lunch and roast beef with mashed potatoes and gravy for dinner with chocolate cake for dessert. That would just ruin all the progress of the week. What it means is I might have something special for dinner. Or perhaps a dessert. And I won't take that huge piece of chocolate cake that could feed a small country with just the 3 inches of frosting alone. Instead I will have a single serve torte with a dab of custard in it and fresh fruit on top. It's sweet, I feel as if I've splurged, but it's not as bad for me as some things would be. Is it a fattening dessert, hell yes. But still not as bad for me as some things. You have to treat yourself once in a while or you'll get disheartened, just do it with Rule #4 in mind.

Rule #6 - Find ways to "trick" yourself. I suffer from cravings, just like most people. Sometimes it's something sweet, sometimes it's salt, but there's always something I crave. Find ways to make yourself feel like you've fulfilled that craving without completely blowing the diet. One of my favorite tricks is popsicles. I get some really good popsicles by Edy's that have only 45 calories and I feel like I've had a sweet treat. Fresh fruit will also work in that instance. And instead of reaching for the bag of chips when I want salt, I've started popping a mini bag of low fat popcorn. Sprinkle a minimal amount of salt when you open the bag and it will curb any salt craving in a way that's not adding to the waistline.

Rule #7 - Make allowances for what's not in your control. Also known as 'you don't have to eat it'. You can not control everything, it's just not possible. Sometimes you can't completely stick to the diet because of outside influences. That's okay. Just don't over do it if possible and get back on the horse so to speak as soon as you can. One of my biggest obstacles in this respect is my father. We share cooking duty in this house. I've recently tried to take on more of the duties but I just can't take over all of them. And unfortunately some little fairy decided to whisper in my father's ear once upon a time and told him that gravy isn't fattening. The man just has no concept of low calories or low fat. But just because he makes it doesn't mean I have to eat it. Yes it irritates him and yes I might get complaints from the chef that I'm not enjoying all he cooked, but SO WHAT! That's right. So What! Is not hurting his feelings by eating gravy more important than my health and sticking to my change in nutritional habits? No way! He'll get over it, my waistline and health won't.

Rule #8 - Oily Fish & Chicken are your friend and less is more when it comes to Red Meat. This I can't take credit for in the least. It's something I've learned from a recent episode of Alton Brown's show Good Eats over on The Food Network. Alton was starting to pack on the pounds a bit and made some changes in his eating habits that has helped him lose weight. I've taken his changes into consideration and incorporated them into mine as much as I can. I do my best to get at least 3 meals containing oily fish each week and am eating a lot more chicken. Since my father is the big red meat chef in the house, I've left him 2-3 dinners a week to make whatever red meat dish strikes his fancy. It's still more red meat that Alton recommended, but it's what I can live with in this household. There's already been complaints about limiting that much, I can only imagine what it would be like if we cut it more.

Rule #9 - Just because someone famous or on some program recommends something doesn't make it true or make it work for you. Yes above I said I took advice from Alton Brown, that said, I'm not following it 100% either. I've taken it as advice but not as a 'you must do this'. Just because Celebrity X is on the cover of People Magazine saying 'I lost blah pounds eating nothing but fish flakes and you can too' doesn't mean it will work for you. Most celebrities have personal trainers and nutritionists and what not in their corner keeping them healthy and pushing them to work out 20 hours a day and what not. The average Joe like myself doesn't. I have 1 person I can count on 24/7 to push me to meet my goals and that's myself. Not to say I don't get help and encouragement elsewhere, but the only one guaranteed to be around and see everything I eat and do every day is me.

Rule #10 - Know who you can count on. There will be people in your corner helping and encouraging and people who just won't. Know who those people are and do what you can to avoid the rest as much as possible. My husband is my best source of encouragement with my mother being a close second. I know that when I need someone to say 'you're doing great, keep it up' or 'don't eat that, you know it's no good for you', I go to them. My best friend Alissa is also a good source for this, as well as some of the people I know on Facebook. I also know that my father is not someone to go to for these things. I fully admit to being one of those women who still have a little girl in them seeking daddy's love and approval. Unfortunately I've also learned I'm not likely to get it. So for the most part I've stopped talking to him about my exercise goals and my eating habits because I will only get negativity from him and all that does is upset me and make me want to eat a box full of Hostess products.

Rule #11 - Don't be afraid to try new things. I fully admit to being one of those kids that would only eat this or that (white bread) or who went ewww when someone tried to get me to eat something new (fish). That said I have grown up and my tastes have changed. In this effort to eat healthier I'm also trying new things. To me bread used to come in White and That Other Crap. Now I'm actually eating some of that 'other crap' and am finding that not only is it better for me, but I actually like it. Another big thing was fish. Fish used to be crappy sticks or crappy patties with gobs of tartar sauce. Now I'm finding recipes for tons of different kinds of fish and I have stopped using the tartar sauce. Keeping with my 'eat more oily fish' goals, I keep a list of what are oily fish in my purse to take with me when I grocery shop. This week we tried Red Snapper for the first time and I like it a lot! I also recently tried Sardines for the first time. Now I'm a bit picky about them. One thing that's a must is boneless and skinless, but they're really not as bad as I thought they would be. Recently I also tried Sushi for the first time and found it rather enjoyable. I wouldn't want to eat it every day but once in a while is fine and it's a great way to get in my oily fish quota.

Rule #12 - Set reasonable, attainable, short and long term goals. Many times I've said 'My goal is to get down to blah pounds' or I want to lose blah pounds'. And within a few weeks I'm back on the couch eating cake and ice cream and the goal is long forgotten. Long term goals are a good thing. But you need short term goals as well. I have a variety of goals, some I've already reached and some I have yet to reach. But each time I reach one it's an achievement. I'm 5'2". Or as some people would say 'a short shit'. The recommended weight for someone my height varies anywhere from 110-140. It all depends on who you ask. My first goal was for my jeans to not be so tight. I've reached that within a month. I can actually pull my jeans out from my body without sucking in my belly. Another goal I've reached is I wanted to be able to stand up straight and look down without seeing my belly stick out past 'the girls'. I've also reached that goal. One of my longer term goals is to get down to the weight that I was in high school (approximately 175). I'll talk more about my goals in another post but I think you get the idea.

More rules may come but that's all I can think of for now.