Thursday Thirteen- Losing Weight

Here are 13 things I've done to either lose weight, or maintain my weight. Some of these I like, some I'm not proud of (and please, no one take this as diet advice. Gosh, I would not want to be responsibile for someone else getting sick or otherwise- shudder!):


1. Eat Salad, and lots of it- I'm big on salads so this one really fits me well. I like to add things like dried fruit, extra veggies or a little turkey. I use a low fat dressing and munch away. It makes me pretty full so it works for me.


2. Skipping lunch- this one I'm not proud of at all. *guilt* But sometimes I can get away with eating a very small amount of something like a few turkey slices and a drink of juice. I usually only do this if I ate tons the night before.


3. Have Lean Cuisines for lunch- They are so low in calories and fat, I don't feel bad eating them. And they are so good! But usually I'm starving by dinner and run the risk of overeating so I don't do this too often.


4. Exercise- I made the mistake of thinking the more I exercise, the more I can eat. I found out the hard way, it doesn't work like that (esp. after 40). So now I work out more for strength and my health and a little for weight maintenence.


5. Small portions- This is a tough one for me. When I eat, I like to feel full. Grazing was never my thing. But some days, if I'm really motivated, I can eat the right amount at each meal and eat no more than one snack.


6. Not eating after 6 p.m.- This is also hard. I love to sit down, watch a good movie and eat something yummy, even if it's a bowl of cereal with lots of milk. For some reason, T.V. and food go together so well :)


7. Getting the Flu- Ok, I admit, this is a really twisted one. As much as I hate getting sick, I always hope I've lost a few pounds when it's all over. Yeah, it's mostly water loss but there is always hope! Crazy, aren't I?


8. Inspiration- While I don't tend admire famous people and all their dramas, I sometimes like to pick someone famous (or not) who inspires me fitness wise and use that to motivate myself. It does help some, but since I don't have a personal chef and a personal trainer...well, you know.


9. Weight Watchers- This is my favorite way to lose weight. I first tried it after I had my last child when I could not get rid of the weight. I didn't join Weight Watchers but I gathered as much information as I could from the internet and from friends about the points program and gave it a try. It really works! And it helped get me back on track with paying attention to what I am eating. Now if I could motivate myself to stay on it...


10. Drinking lots of water- Everything I read about losing weight says you should drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. I find this easier said than done. During a workout, it's no problem because I am so thirsty already. But at home, I forget. Plus I take a water pill so I would spend three quarters of my day in the bathroom if I drank 8 glasses a day! But I do drink water when we eat out, instead of soda. So that is good, right?


11. Writing down what I eat- This actually is a great idea. It's part of the Weight Watchers point plan and it helps a lot. My issue is finding the motivation to record everything that goes into my mouth. I can't remember to go to the bathroom half the time, let alone write down what I eat.


12. Nixing chocolate and other sweets- yeah, right. Ain't happening, diet or no diet. Too bad no one has come up with a chocolate mousse diet, or a cookie diet or a cheesecake diet....