[dieting]

This is basically my run down for my diet.

I went to http://www.webmd.com/diet/healthtool-metabolism-calculator to calculate my average metabolism. To say alive and healthy I need to ingest 2200 calories per day. That will keep me at my current weight.

It takes the burning of 3500 calories to lose 1 pound. So, from reading a few websites, if I cut back 500 calories per day, that averages out about 1 pound lost a week. I didn't want to dive into this crazily so I just cut out 500 calories exactly. I didn't want to go any lower because my body would go into starvation mode.

I use the Flavor Wave for just about any dinner. It basically allows all of the fat and grease to drip off into the pan below, giving me a nice and healthy piece of chicken, beef or pork (or whatever else you want to put into there)

I have to be careful about what I decide to eat, so making a meal plan was.. step one in my dieting routine. I at least plan out every dinner I will eat on Sunday's. Usually the dinners I make for example will include 3oz of chicken breast (100 calories), 1 cup of green beans (35 calories), and a small starch such as 3/4 cup of pasta with 1 tbsp of fat free italian dressing (220 calories). I try to keep my dinners nice a light because that is a main problem that most people have. We all love to eat late. By eating late means you are ingesting large quantities of calories and then doing nothing. If you eat a big breakfast and lunch, you are more likely to burn off those calories just from your every day exercises.

Step Two in my diet is I save breads and other grains for special occasions only. 1 slice of bread usually has 70-150 calories PER SLICE! Imagine eating 2 pieces of toast and a grapefruit. You feel like its not that bad but the bread just ate up 200 calories. Yes mother, this means I have eliminated rice to "special occasion" only. *about once per week I will eat rice* This reminds me of the adkins diet but just not so crazy.

Step Three -- I give myself 1 day per week to eat 1 meal however I choose without counting the calories. Without this day I don't think most people would be able to make it. I look forward to Saturdays. Saturdays are my Neng Myun days. <-- I LOVE noodles!

Some Tips

• A lot of fruits and vegetables are what I like to call "negative" calorie foods. These foods are very special to me because it takes your body more calories to digest the food than the food has in it's caloric content. Take apples for example. 1 medium apple may have 80 calories but it takes your body 85 calories to digest it. Thus, making a net loss of 5 calories. Most of your fruits and veggies are this way, so take time to look on the internet and find foods that you can enjoy.

• Popcorn is a giant life saver in my life. A whole cup of popcorn is only 15 calories if you air pop it. If you buy corn in the bulk bag seeds you can put the corn kernels in a brown lunch sack, roll the top and air pop the popcorn just like you do with pre-bought popcorn. It is healthy and still tastes delicious as long as you don't burn the popcorn!!! I also bought the ranch cheese powder for my popcorn because a whole tsp only has 2 calories in it! What a way to save calories instead of using butter!!!

• SUGAR FREE FRUIT POPSICLES! 15 Calories PER Popsicle. It doesn't get any better than that!! Instead of icecream just grab one of these for a low calorie dessert! YUM!!

• Stay away from any drink that is not diet. A diet sprite has 0 calories and tastes the same as a 220 calorie regular sprite!

• At least try to get in SOME sort of exercise. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Park your car farther away from the store. Walk to school. Vaccuum the house!! <-- Household chores burn up SO many calories like you wouldn't believe!!

• DRINK TONS OF WATER and do NOT eat past 7 or 8. Really you shouldn't eat dinner past 5 or 6.....but hey, we are all human and we are all busy!!
  

And my final words on this crazy diet of mine.... Just don't starve yourself. If you think you deserve a snickers then GET one!! Sometimes you just have to indulge or you won't be successful at all.. you will just get miserable and forget it all together.

OH! I also use a program on microsoft works that has a calorie counter. It helps me because I just record what I ate and how many calories were in it and it adds it all up for me. It's awesome. After about a week of this recording, you will feel EXTREMELY strange NOT recording what you are eating. You will find yourself WATCHING what you eat before no time!!

THANKS FOR LISTENING! Hopefully this helps someone out there in cyberspace...

If you just stay motivated... then trust me, you can do this!!!!