One way to be healthier than you were before

One thing I've discovered from years of yo-yo dieting and exercise programs is they have one thing in common. Too much optimism and not enough honesty. Face it, by now we know the rules. Lots of fruits, veggies, whole grains. Good fat not bad fat. Exercise an hour a day. Blah, blah, blah.

In a perfect world we'd all have the willpower and determination to eat like Jane Fonda and exercise like Denise Austin. For most of us, it ain't gonna happen. But it doesn't mean we can't feel better.

The first thing to do is make an honest assessment of your current eating and exercise habits. There is a wonderful site with free tools to help here, a food and exercise tracker, even meal plans, message boards and supportive and informative articles. It's called Sparkpeople.com. It's worth checking out, even if you aren't there all the time.

Resist the inspiration-- just a little. After all that motivation you may be aching for a veggie burger on a flax bun and a two hour workout. You want to get started, see results. Honestly, this too shall pass, which sucks because if you eat and exercise like that a couple weeks you start to feel great. The number on the scale will move signifigantly until it stops. The veggie burger is thrown out and you find yourself on the couch with a Whopper with cheese watching something stupid on TV because you can't reach the remote.

Remind yourself: it's not about the weight. If you want to lose five pounds to fit into your bridesmaid dress, fine. Summon the spirits of Jane and Denise. You're likely to lose your five pounds, but be prepared to gain back ten. If you truly want a healthier lifestyle, you better get real.

It's not a a diet, it's a lifestyle. Take that assessment you made make small changes to what you already do.  Does food comfort you? Let it continue to do so, at least for now, at least to a point. This is a logic that is ignored in weight loss plans. If you are filling a void with something, and you take that something away you get a hole-- a hole that will often grow. Think of what would happen to a tooth with a cavity if you dug out the filling. Not pretty. The thing that pulls me off the weight loss wagon is that I tire of "Jane and Denise" -- I miss myself, and since "the number" isn't moving fast enough for me like they promised I desert them, fill all my emotional cavities with more than ever and leave all my progress in the dust.

This time it's different; (yeah, I know how many times have you heard me say that?) I hope I mean it this time. My first goal was to try and eat consistently. I got my calorie range from Sparkpeople, and while I don't track every item, I do look up things I tend to eat often to keep an educated idea of what I should do. These are some of my goals to incorporate into my lifestyle.

Eat a piece of fruit every day

Eat something with a vegetable in it each day (fries or chips do not count)

One diet soda a day is allowed.

A small pot of coffee in the morning is allowed (4 cup)

One slightly embarrassing meal is allowed, and is countered with

One meal I am proud of-- (Jane would smile:) )

Make a power fruit and veggie smoothie once a week (at least)

Walk five miles a week.

Write off one REALLY bad food I previously liked. Mine is doughnuts.

A small treat-- a candy bar, small ice cream (no Blizzards) is allowed daily 

Write something new each day. (feeds your soul) 

When these rules become second nature, I can look at upping the ante to the next level. It's slightly better than what I was doing, but not obsessing. I don't own a scale, so I don't know if or how much weight I've lost. I do know the jeans I bought less than two weeks ago are considerably  looser; I'm guessing I'm doing okay.  I'm not going to look like Jane or Denise most likely, but already my life is a little more comfortable. Whatever changes you make in your lifestyle, it is important to remember you need to sustain them. Be careful not to bite off more than you can chew.