Diet

I've had so many of you ask about my weight loss...I try to answer all the questions, but to be honest I get tired of repeating the same stuff over and over. So, I've decided to take a few minutes to share my thoughts on the subject. I am by no means a pro...after all I've only lost 27 pounds so far, but truth be told I suck at anything that requires discipline...so even 27 pounds has required major life change on my part.

First, I'll share with you the 11 most important things I've learned over the last few months.

1. Unless you keep the "good" stuff around, you will have no option but to eat the "bad" stuff.
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2. You have to commit...there is no such thing as 1/2 way. You're either all in..or you're not!
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3. The first 3 or 4 days will be hell...the cravings...the mood swings...the hunger...the thoughts of suicide...it's all there and it's all real. You have to be ready for it!
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4. Sugar free gum will become your best friend.
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5. Find someone to be accountable too. Someone you will actually stand on a scale in front of.
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6. Be ready for the negative...people are ignorant...they want you to fail. Your dedication makes them feel guilty...so they will pick you apart every chance they get. I can count on 2 hands the people who have been supportive!
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7. You can't wait for "a good time" to start...IT WILL NEVER BE GOOD...if its a real life change you are going to have to learn to work around the obstacles.
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8. There is no miracle drug...diet...or product. It's all you!
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9. I can honestly say, had I know how truly easy...no, I won't say easy...simple it was to shed these extra pounds...I would have done it years ago.
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10. ALWAYS...and I do mean ALWAYS...have some sort of "safe" ready-made product you can keep on hand ALL THE TIME. I keep bars in my purse, in my desk...everywhere! You will have to fall back on them now and then. Like I said, if you don't have it around you will cave.
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11. I've learned that I can only "diet" one day at a time. I can't think about tomorrow or next week...One day at a time...that I can do!

There is no right way or wrong way to "diet" But there are a few hard facts you can't get away from.

1. You have to have an un-balanced diet to lose weight. That means totally cutting out certain elements of your regular diet for some specific amount of time.
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2. The most effective things to cut out will always be carbs and sugar.
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3. You will need to cut back on your fat and calorie intake too, but since you can't totally cut them out without starving to death (literally)...you will have to learn to control them.
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4. No 2 people are the same...so no 2 weight loss plans will be totally the same either.
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5. Ready-made products are vital!
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6. It's all about protein. I don't just mean a "protein diet" so much, but you won't be able to sustain that "full feeling" from meal to meal without it.

Here is the basic plan we went with:

Adkins shake or bar for breakfast.

1 cup pure protein and 2 cups veggies (not potatoes or carrots) for lunch and dinner.

13 oz of protein about 3o minutes before bed.

Bran had an extra bar mid-day, but I didn't.

Here are a few of the products I swear by...

I would never have made it without these Adkins products. I did start out on Ideal Protein, but only till I reached 17 pounds. I've since used these and lost and additional 10. I'm 9 away from my goal...at least my first goal! I have a shake for breakfast, and a bar for lunch and bedtime snack. Usually I have a veggie at lunch time and then my bar 30 or so minutes later. Dinner is a lean protein and veggies. (if you want some of the recipes I've created...email me or comment me)

As I said before...I would never have made it without my gum! These gums are really great because they actually taste like the real deal....dessert! I always have a pack around. One in the kitchen window so I'm not even tempted to graze as I cook, one on my desk at work for "those" moments, one by my bed for late night cravings. And I always have 5 or so packs in my purse!

This dressing is just the best! It's a calorie a squirt and totally fat free. It does have a tiny bit of sugar, but I've never found that to be an issue...and I use A LOT! I usually have a salad or raw veggies at lunch, so this works great for me. There are 2 other flavors, but since I'm a huge balsamic fan...why mess with a good thing?

One thing you will find as you start to shed those pounds...things get loose...and I don't mean your clothes! Ladies, check it out on the web...it will be the best $30 you will ever spend!

I've really had to re-think my eating habits these last few months. Knowing I won't be able to go back to the type of cooking I did before, I've really had to put some hard work into teaching myself a new way to cook. These 2 magazines have been amazing! I can't wait till I can try some of my new recipes!

This is a GREAT book! They have a blog called 3fatchicks too, but the book was by far my favorite read of the year!

So, there you have it. No magic pills...no super secret diet...just a lot of dedication and will power. Now you know!