Re: Diet and Exercise 2010: Whatever it takes
For 2 - is there a particular breakfast food you like? I love muffins, but with the amount of butter and buttermilk in most recipes, it's not reasonable to buy them. I found a recipe online and substitute yogurt and skim milk in for those respective ingredients (I usually cut the sugar by about 1/3 to 1/2). Making the miniature sized ones (you can get a pan for 5$ at Walmart) gets you about 40-50 of them. I bring a half dozen to school with me and eat them either just before or during my first class (8-9:30am). Might be worth a shot. Yogurt and cereal can be portioned out the night before (I prefer to buy the bigger containers of yogurt since it's cheaper) - mix the two in the morning in the car on the way to work or at your desk.
Eating breakfast has been one of the biggest changes that has helped me out. I used to be so hungry by lunch (and even worse for dinner) that I'd eat a ton - and rationalize that I didn't have breakfast. All this while telling myself that I was saving myself calories by skipping breakfast...
lunch is fairly easy if you cook at home every (or at least most) nights. Since you'll be wanting to watch your portion size anyway, serve yourself (and your spouse) and while you're serving, start to put the meals into travel containers right away (don't put on the lids, you'll want them to cool before storing). When you're doing the dishes after dinner, throw the lids on and put them in the fridge (stacked if you can into a meal). Then all you have to do is throw them in your bag (with your breakfast) and take them on your way.
This has been my MO of late while losing 30 lbs. Cut down on portons for dinner and save the leftovers for lunch the next day... It also has the dual benefit of saving calories and saving money.
I've started walking again now that I'm back in Boston - about 2.6 miles a day to and from the train. It's amazing how much you become car dependent when you live in a rural area and it just slows down your whole lifestyle, if you're not careful. Now that I'm back in the city, I walk everywhere (and am making a conscious effort to take the stairs every day in the library - it's 4 flights to my favorite cube there).
This is my next step. I really need to start exercising again. I was able to
very easily drop 30 lbs. in about a month and a half just changing my diet, but making no change to my lifestyle. I also had surgery at the beginning of February, and have been limited in moving around, so am looking forward to trying to get more active in the next few weeks.
Being back in school has made me more conscious of what I'm spending on food, so I've cut way back on eating out at restaurants (I haven't found a good Chinese delivery place since I moved in August and I've stopped searching) and have started to meal plan so that I can be sure not to go over-budget in any given week. Made my first loaf of bread last night, which came out pretty well, and have been making my own granola and muffins since school started.
No real goals for this year, just the desire to start being a bit happier with the way I look.
Eating out has been a weakness for my family for a long time (especially for dinners). Our schedule is brutal. My wife works days, getting off at 5 p.m., but occasionally working a bit later, and I work evenings, and have to leave the house at 6:30 p.m. This means that I have to cook meals, and I'll say that I'm not the best cook out there. I mean, I know some basic stuff, but lets face it, if it's at all complecated, my wife better do it. That means that she's gotta get off work, rush home and cook something that can get done quick and consumed all in an hour and a half... The easy alternative, especially on a hard day, is to eat out. Plus, I am frequently on the road (I broadcast High School sports on the radio), which also forces me to eat out.
Like I said, I've already lost 30+ lbs. this year, and my early goal was 45. I guess revising is less weight based and more getting active. I also want to maintain the eating habits I've established through the first two months of 2010. It's so easy to slip back into old habits, but I did find that my one trip to McDonalds (first in 2 months!) was not apprecieated by my stomach... So I don't think 'll be doing that again.
It sucks! 