Food & Fitness: The Writing Diet November 29, 2011
Posted by nrhatch in Exercise & Fitness, Food & Drink, Health & Wellness.comments closed
After I started writing on a regular basis, I lost 20 pounds with no effort at all.
Those twenty pounds (which were the ugly ones) seemed to melt away as I spent more time at the keyboard and less time in the kitchen.
I’d be writing, and my stomach would speak up.
“G~R~O~W~L. I’m hungry.”
“OK, I’ll feed you in a minute. Just let me finish this first.”
“G~R~O~W~W~W~L~L~L~L. I mean it, I’m hungry.”
“Yes, I heard you. Here’s a swig of coffee. I’ll get you something to eat in a few minutes.”
The weight fell away, week after week, because I’d found something I enjoyed doing more than transferring the contents of the refrigerator into my ever expanding belly.
Don’t worry. I wasn’t starving myself. Far from it.
I lost the weight at a healthy rate of 2 pounds a month (or 1/2 a pound a week).
Some caloric math: 3500 calories = 1 pound.
If you are losing a pound a week, you are burning 500 calories more a day than you are eating.
Losing at half that rate meant I was consuming 250 calories a day less than needed to maintain my previous girth.
Almost anyone can cut 250 calories a day with barely a growl or grumble of protest from the tummy.
Like the tortoise, slow and steady wins the race. A quick jack-rabbit start may motivate us . . . but if we expect to lose 5 pounds every week, we are apt to become discouraged.
Instead, look at what you have been eating and cut out 250 non-nutritious calories a day ~ the donuts, cookies, ice cream, chips, and sodas that don’t fill you up anyway.
Then, replace those calories with foods filled with fiber that do fill you up: fruits, veggies, whole grains, with some nuts and popcorn thrown in when you need a crunchy treat.
Quote to Ponder: Nothing tastes as good as being “fit” feels!
Aah . . . that’s better!
Related posts: Holiday Health Made Simple * Holiday Diet Tips * Holiday Parties * Top 10 Ways to Keep the Weight OFF * A Month of Meatless Meals
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