Why am I writing about this? I am not a nutritionist, I am not a fitness trainer…and I will probably never be neither of the two; but as I wrote before I was chubby (just to be kind to myself) and I’ve learned a few things in the process of losing “some” extra pounds. I am not “defining Pi” here, by any means that’s not the case! I am just listing some of the basic notions one should keep in mind on the long run for a healthier and slimmer self.
Being healthy/ living a healthy life doesn’t necessary mean being skinny, but it can lead to that.
I know that this simple list of DO’S and DON’Ts can be a heartless torture for some people; that is why the most important thing is to really want to make a change in your life style. It might be the end of the world as you know it, but you will soon find new meanings to live for.
DON’Ts:
1. Sodas(you name it, they’re all bad, bad, bad, bad for you, so just don’t!)
2. Fried food/ fast food (it’s kinda the same thing and it’s incredibly fattening, stay away!)
3. Cookies, cakes, cheesecakes, cupcakes (whatever might end with “cake”), chocolates….and all the rest of the gang (not gonna get you far; if you really really what something sweet and fruits are not enough have a small piece of dark chocolate- the real dark chocolate, the bitter one, not Hersey!)
4. Butter, mayo, fatty cheeses, potato chips (potatoes in any form, come to think of it!), white bread, white rice, white pasta…white in general is not going well with diets!)
5. Coffee(it’s not really a “don’t”, but you should limit the intake and cut down the load of sugar and creamer/half&half/condensed milk/whipped cream! Stay with basic milk and half a spoon of brown sugar or stevia sweetener; Equal and all the rest of the synthetic sweeteners are just disgusting, in my humble opinion, and even though it saves you from ingurgitating more calories it’s all chemicals, which means not good for us organics!)
6. Eat at late hours (No, no, no! After 8 p.m. food is toxic, remember that!)
7. Sit on you butt all day long!
DO’S:
1. Drink water! (lots of water; they say you should drink 2 litters of water daily, but I say what the heck go crazy, drink more! It does make you feel less hungry and your skin will love this new habit!)
2. Drink green tea instead of coffee! (it’s good for you, take my word for it or browse the internet to make sure I’m not lying)
3. Eat lots and lots of veggies, green leafs and fruits! (they say you should eat that much fruit and that much veggies…2 cups of veggies and 1 cup of fruit per serving, or something like that…it’s all there on the internet; I never really cared about quantities when it comes to fruits and veggies…but you can pack some extra back weight even if you’re vegetarian, so be careful!)
4. Eat light soups!
5. Eat lean protein (meaning chicken breast, turkey, fish…egg whites- if you can stand that, I can’t! Now the standard for protein portions is the side of you palm; yes, the fingers don’t count!)
6. Eat nuts (but not too many, they do have fat in them; again the standard recommended portion is what you can fit in your palm per serving)
7. Make sure the food you buy is not full of sugar; which means: read the label!
8. Exercise!(crazy, I know, but it’s the only way to lose weight! Try simple stuff at the beginning; if you’re committed in time you will go for the harder ones.) Including: DO walk to take the mail, the kids to the play grounds two blocks away or to purchase a last moment grocery from the neighborhood store.
9. Count your calories! (a simple way to decide how many calories you should have daily, in order to drop your weight is to multiply your current weight in pounds by 12; if you just want to maintain your weight you should multiply it by 14; for boy the numbers are 14 and 16.)
9. Count your calories! (a simple way to decide how many calories you should have daily, in order to drop your weight is to multiply your current weight in pounds by 12; if you just want to maintain your weight you should multiply it by 14; for boy the numbers are 14 and 16.)
As I said, I am not a nutritionist and I am not a fitness trainer. The internet is full of people how are one of the two or both so make sure you look for their much more pertinent and elaborated advice. (JillianMichaels , Zuzka Light, also browse their names on YouTube, bodyrock.tv – which I think is now dailyhiit.com, Denise Austin, BeFit and this crazy guy are some my favorites; DO find a routine that best suits you.)
Culinary Epiphany 