Trendy diets

A poster complained on a forum that nothing works for her. My answer is a little harsh but many people do not lose weight because they want sympathy instead of results. But I am sympathetic but you deserve sympathy while you are trying - not when you say you have tried and failed.

My reply was, been there, done that! Poor me. A victim of my own appetite. I really can feel for ya because I have been there, but believe me you have to dig inside yourself. You can't believe that all that diet literature out there is somehow going to "work" for you. Seek out the tidbits that will make a diet work but you have to integrate it into YOUR life!

Dieting has become too complicated and trendy. The real answers are plain and simple but most of us can't face reality. We succumb because we can't deal with a change in our lifestyle - and we think it is all or nothing. You must recognize that you are a food addict but you can't starve for the rest of you life either.

First you have to slow down the weight gain and begin to turn things around before you can take it off. Eat a bowl of low sugar cereal (Cheerios or oatmeal with Splenda and cinnamon, Corn Flakes, Rice Crispies, no sugar Mini Wheats (new!) ) when you are hungry - before you guzzle those potato chips.

You don't GO on a diet. First you have to stop eating crap but you CAN eat real normal food that will help you lower and maintain your weight loss gradually. Don't even think of trying to do it fast. You may go 2 weeks without losing a pound and then drop 3. If you lose 4 in a week I can guarantee you that you will gain it back - sooner rather than later 0 or quit.

Not many people are going to stick to a tasteless diet that leaves your stomach growling. Look for good things that you will enjoy eating. IF you are really hungry you should not be as picky either. Those veggies begin to look better and better. Make a huge bowl of salad and put on 1 Table spoon of any dressing you like. If it is too thick to spread, add a few drops of water, vinegar or milk. 3 tablespoons doesn't taste any better than 1 but there are about 100 calories in each tablespoon. YOU choose between more taste or less weight.

It takes some will power but you DO have to change you mindset from "I can't" to "I am in control of myself". This is NOT from some guru on a pedistal who has never had a serious weight problem, 3 children, depression and and a litany of unfortunate life issues. No I am just an average person with normal problems. But I did manage to lose 75 lbs when things were otherwise lousy and have kept it off. Actually my life and health were the only things in my life I could improve.

They say it gets harder as you get older. Well, I did it at 67 years and I love how I look and feel. One day it was so bad I had to sit myself down and decide how I was going to live the rest of my life. I seem pretty tough some days but I told myself so I can do this. Get out of the cocoon I have been hiding in. Start to love life and feel really sexy again. I am responsible for my health, for myself and for others who need me. This is about setting you priorities in order to change your body.

I follow a diet not unlike a diabetic except I don't have to take insulin. I realized I am carb sensitive and cannot control my appetite if I eat too much sugar. I stopped swigging OJ (sorry Florida) because it is pure sugar with vitamin C and 0 fiber (even the pulpy variety!). You can get more nutrients from Tomato juice. (read the labels!) Read the ingredients and sugar in cereal boxes. The trendy, so-called healthy cereals have more than 3 g of sugar per serving. Ditch 'em. Look for old fashioned cereals. Cut way back on the white carbs (which turn to sugar in a few minutes). Do I eat all I want to eat (as the diet programs promise)? No sir! I love French bread and butter but I rarely touch it. I eat only half a banana for breakfast. (I eat them because bananas contain potassium which help control your heart rate). Another half a pear or apple (which are not as sweet as most fruits) an hour before dinner to dull my appetite. You can share them with somebody else.

Check out portion size. If you think a Lean Cuisine is too small then you have NO idea what portion control is. Your eyes ARE bigger than your stomach as the old saying goes. We have become so accustomed to looking at big plates loaded with food we have NO idea any more what a portion is. You have to decide for yourself - if you rather get your jollies from eating than feeling and looking good, then forget dieting. It won't work until you change your priorities and treat a diet like a new hobby.