Saturday, April 12

Diets Don't Work

Thats right , folks. DIETS DON'T WORK!!!!
We are in an international epidemic of obesity, while the fashion models on the runway are whittling away to nothing. Size 0?? I learned in math that zero is equal to nothing. Zero time anything is zero. Either we have disappearedinto thin ar, orwe are taking up too much space.
What people need to do if they want to shed those extra pounds is actually amazingly simple and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out. It involves re-educating yourself. The word 'DIET'is just the word 'DIE' with a 'T' at the end.
These are tips that I have learned over the years that have helped me keep my shape.I am 42 years old,I have two boys and at 5'9" inches tall I weigh in at around 135 lbs.I am heavier than my modelling weight by a few pounds, but I would be considered too heavy to be a model with my present weight.Go figure.

1. Eat a healthy breakfast. Even if it just whole grain cereal with milk and fruit juice, its better than nothing. You need breakfast to kick start your metabolism. It is definitely the most important meal of the day.
2. Take your time to eat. Get out of the office at lunchtime. Don't eat at your desk. Take the time to sit down and CHEW your food. Savor every bite. Use your meal time to interact with others.The Italians and the French consider meals as a sacred moment to enjoy food and company.
3. A silent dinner. I had the opportunity to experiment a silent dinner. No words were spoken at all during the meal. It is amazing the difference in the taste of the food.You also feel full faster, therefore you eat less quantity.I like to do this on my PMS days.
4 It is healthier to eat various smaller meals throughout the day rather than 3 large meals. Eat the heaviest meal at lunchtime.
5. The more colorful your plate of food is, the better it is for you. Orange foods such as carrots and pumpkins, are high in beta carotene, green veggies are full of anti-oxidants. Stay away from 'beige' foods(white rice, potatoes,white bread etc.). They tend to be high in carbs and low in nutritional value.
6. Stay away from deep fried, fast food and processed food. If you can't pronounce the ingredient, it does not pass your lips.
7 Prepare your food with a positive attitude. A meal made in anger or irritation will not be savored the same way as a meal prepared with love. My mom always said, if you can read, you can learn how to cook.
8. Set the dining room table for every meal. You don't have to channel the spirit of Martha Stewart, and you may be just serving leftovers, but the ritual of setting the table and having to sit down and eat helps make you appreciate what you are eating.
9. Get out and move around. Go for a walk, ride your bike. Aerobic exercise is fundamental to help get rid of those pesky pounds and you will feel better.

Notice that I have not mentioned calories. In the moment that you are more aware of WHAT you are putting in your body, the calorie question takes care of itself.

Many career women complain that they don't have the time to cook healthy foods. Not true. Preparation in advance and family participation is the key.Menu planning and sticking to a shopping list!(how can you tell I was raised by a Home Ec teacher). Get everyone involved in food prep,even the smallest kids.They can set the table! If possible,spend a day prepping for the week. That way, all you need to do is heat it up and throw a salad together on the day.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

From 6am to 03´min in the next morning. Just have a great dinner with my sister in Sao Paulo... We are here babysitting our youngest sister while she recovers at Albert Einstein Hospital from surgery to extract a tumor out of her maxilar bone. But the point is that we both (me and my PhD sis) where so burnt out this week and so happy to squeeeze some time to actually have dinner just the two of us that we ended up eating a ton more food than Lisa Kauffmann would recommend for this late hour of the day (not to mention the Malbec wine from Argentina). So, besides eating healthy and exercising with good old fashion common sense as she perfectly stressed, we also should try to face our Pantagrualian with calm. Just wake up tomorrow and eat a healthy breakfest, exercice, and eat several small balanced meals along the day. Two or three Pantagruelian days in a row every week and you probably are facing the sort of imbalance Lisa was talking about when she mentioned obesity and anorexic epidemics. Says the 40 years old stressed professor...