Focus on Food

Both Kathy and I are committed to losing some weight this year. Diet and exercise are the keys, of course, so we are starting out the new year with some changes. The first of those regards meal planning. Kathy had tried the South Beach Diet before and liked many aspects of it, so we are planning our meals to contain fewer bad carbs, more fruit and vegetables, and much less beer - the bane of our weight-loss goals.

We ended the year with fasts. I did a three-day juice fast after Christmas to clean out my system, and it went very well. Kathy, because of her work schedule, chose to do a one-day cleansing using a chemical solution that patients use before colon exams. We both felt lighter and cleaner as a result.

Since the first, we've been digging through our combined collection of more than a hundred cookbooks and trying out some new recipes. From New England-style zucchini and red cabbage dishes to Texan beef tips and a Greek lamb fricassee, we've been having fun experimenting. We've been drinking lots of water, too.

Another aspect of healthy eating is portion control. I have a bad habit of going back for seconds, so I'm really making the effort to limit how much goes on the plate the first time and refrain from loading up again, no matter how delicious the meal tastes. Putting down the fork between bites is a good technique, too. I've read that when food is chewed more thoroughly, the brain gets the message that the stomach is getting full. Eating quickly doesn't allow the message to be received fast enough to inhibit the desire for the next bite.

Snacking has never been a big problem for either of us. Kathy likes popsicles and an occasional bowl of ice cream in the evening. I sometimes eat nuts. Neither of us is big on desserts, but I'll occasionally go on a cookie binge if they are around, so not buying them is the simple solution to that.

With the weather being cold and the football season winding down, it should get easier to avoid drinking beer. It's our beverage of choice, although I do like wine almost as much. Water is a good substitute, of course, and I'm going back to making pitchers of lemonade using Crystal Light so that there's always an alternative beverage around when I crave something with taste. Kathy drinks milk. Neither of us drink soda, although she likes to have original Coca Cola now and then, especially the bottled version imported from Mexico.

So we've got a good start on this resolution, and we can support each other in our diet goals as the year unfolds. More difficult will be establishing exercise routines. That's the next challenge.