Thursday, January 15, 2009

My Diet Philosophy

I thought I would lay out my diet philosophy since I am trying to lose weight. Now I am not one that can follow strict diets like a lot of people do. You know the ones - you can't eat bread. Or you can't eat meat. Or you can only eat bread and meat if you eat 2 pounds of pineapple with it. Whatever.

I can't follow those diets. Basically, I can't follow any diet. The second I tell myself that I am on a diet, I am hungry. No, I mean I AM HUNGRY. And that hunger will not be denied.

So I have finally landed on a weight-loss philosophy that I think will work for me. I picked it up from my step-brother, Home Brew. I think he is fairly qualified to give this advice for several reasons:

  1. He's an engineer. And to be an engineer, you have to be pretty smart. Yes, they can be a little on the odd side but smart. (Apologies to any engineers out there but you know engineers are an odd lot!)
  2. He's fit and trim. This reason speaks for itself - it obviously works.
  3. He's a runner. So he's "into" the health and diet and exercise crap.
  4. His wife is a nutritionist. Yeah, really. Like a college-trained, board certified nutritionist.

I am talking simple weight loss, not eating for heart health or for lowering cholesterol. Simple weight loss. It all boils down to the simple physics of two things:

  1. gozoutas (calories going out)

  2. gozintas (calories coming in)

If you have more gozoutas than gozintas, you will lose weight. If you have more gozintas than gozoutas, you will gain weight.

See! It's simple.

Now the actual application of this can get sticky. So I have adopted my application philosophy from my Dad. Here's why I think he is qualified for this advice:
  1. He is an engineer, too. So that makes him pretty smart.
  2. He is 73 so he is living proof that it works.
  3. He has always been fit and trim.
  4. He has rarely (and I mean RARELY) been sick. Never been in the hospital. Never had surgery. He is the picture of health.
  5. He eats dessert after dinner every night.
  6. He always eats a snack before bed.

So what is the magic application philosophy? Everything in moderation.

He eats dessert every night but he does not eat the entire pie. He eats a snack before bed, usually cheese and a couple of crackers or a small bowl of cereal. And on occasion, a bowl of ice cream with chocolate topping! But he doesn't sit and eat an entire bag of chips while watching TV.

See, it's simple. More going out than coming in and everything in moderation.

So here's the truth about what I am doing to lose weight.

  1. I have chocolate milk with my breakfast. My world is not right unless I have this. I will not give it up. So I have weaned myself off of the hard stuff and currently drink 1%. Or 1/2% if I can find it. Can't quite do skim yet. I don't know if I ever will.
  2. I get hungry mid-morning. Instead of diving headlong into a bag of chips, I eat a 90 calorie granola bar or something like that.
  3. I try to stick with Lean Cuisine or something for lunch.
  4. I get hungry mid-afternoon. So I make myself a smoothie with fruit and a couple of tablespoons of yogurt. I also add a scoop of protein powder which makes the "full feeling" last longer.
  5. For supper - I try to add a salad. I have switched to ground turkey instead of ground beef. I grill instead of fry. I look for low fat and low calorie substitutions for my normal things.
  6. I get hungry before bed. I try to have things on hand that will satisfy that hunger without going completely nuts. Like the 100 calorie cups of pudding or Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches, etc.
  7. I drink lots of water. Usually 1/2 to 3/4 of a gallon per day. Yes, I pee a lot.
  8. I drink soda. This cannot be helped but I have switched to diet. I have Diet Sun-Drop or Diet Mountain Dew with lunch and a Sprite Zero with supper.
  9. I exercise. I ride on my bike trainer, usually 4 days per week. Vol Fan and I go to the gym for cardio and weights, usually 4 days per week. I do small things like park far away from the door to make me walk further.

Now let's see how good this works.

14 comments:

Clippy Mat said...

gozintas and gozoutas!
YOU are my new diet guru.
screw Dr. Oz.
:-)

Lori said...

I think your right on with all this! I have worked with a few people over the years to help them lose weight and everything you mention here are things I taught them. The main thing I taught them is that to lose it and keep it off you have to change your whole life style and way of looking at things and that it will happen slowly. That once they started feeling good they would be motivated to keep doing it the rest of their lives. I taught them how to cook things that are healthy to taste good. I also taught them how to lose weight by still eating or drinking the things they love...in moderation. I helped them find an exercise that they could love and enjoy and wouldn't seem like such work. Anyways, all these people took the weight off slowly and have kept it off now for quite some time.

You are off to a great start!

Busy Bee Suz said...

Sounds like a perfect plan. good luck...but I don't think you will need the luck part.
You crack me up w/ the chocolate milk in the morning. you could be one of my kids. :)
funny, that I can't (and my girls) drink any milk BUT skim milk. we are so used to it...

Anonymous said...

Sounds good to me! After doing well on just this sort of non-diet for three years, I have well and truly fallen off the wagon. Combination of things caused that - but I really need to climb back on, and very soon.

But back to you - I've struggled with my weight since puberty, and this way of doing things (the non-diet, lifestyle-change, smaller portions/more exercise thing) has been the most successful, and the longest lasting for me.

Good luck to you!

Unknown said...

Really great tips. I get so discouraged about my weight. Very depressed! Water is key! It is hard for me to drink water during the day because my commute to Philadelphia is so long and it is hard to find places to run into to pee.... I am going to start again fresh on Monday. PLEASE pray for me!

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Good for you, Woody.. Keep us posted as to the results. Diets as such don't work. Once you give up something you like, you're doomed and feel deprived. The key is to eat slowly, eat in moderation, eat healthy, and exercise. Exercise is great--but one cannot exercise ONLY and expect to lose weight. As you said, it's all about calories...Good Luck!

Somebody opened the freezer door in Tennessee. Our low this morning was 10 degrees. We've had some snow--but just a dusting. It's blowing around in the air mostly!!!

I gave my birdies some extra breakfast this morning!!!!
Hugs,
Betsy

Donna Reed In Blue Jeans said...

Great idea! I like your dad's method the best! I'm kind of like him. I snack all through the day. Nibble, nibble.

Good luck on your weight loss!

Anonymous said...

sounds like a very good plan to me. gozintas and gozoutas? Sounds like the title for a best selling diet book.

Unknown said...

You sound very focus and determined. You should document your progress for your new book,

"Gozintas and Gozoutas"

You rock!!

Predo said...

Sounds like a great plan! No need to suffer to lose weight, just cut back. You are on the right track!

Stay motivated Sunshine, it will work out fine!

Snooty Primadona said...

I started reading this when I got up this morning but didn't get to post because I remembered I was supposed to go for my yearly bloodwork this morning. When I came back, the internet was down for several hours.

Anyway, it sounds like you have the perfect plan. Keep it going. At least Vol Fan goes with you. Mr. Snoots has never exercised one day in his life because he's always been skinny. Whatever.

I've never done that well on diets either, but changed the way I eat about 8 years ago. And, I don't deny myself a little goodie or treat now & then. If I do, I wind up falling off the wagon and eating huge bags of potato chips, alone. Uh-Huh.

Desert Survivor said...

Sounds like a good plan!I drink a ton of water, too, and find that keeps me from eating as much (as I gobble my mint chocolate chip ice cream right now--sometimes you just have to enjoy the better things in life!). I also figure why drive when I can walk or bike? And I exercise my toes during TV commercials. Bigger muscles might be too much effort.

(Sometimes!) Serendipitous Girl said...

YES! Come to California! We'll have a West Coast Blogapalooza--flip flops required!

Anonymous said...

Will your book be available at my local Borders? LOVE the technical terms: "Gozintas & Gozoutas"

Good tips there Woody. The KEY is to find out what works best for YOU...and it sounds as if you have done just that:)