Diet Delites

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Pig Out On Summer's Harvest

You heard me. Pig out!!! Summer is in full swing and the local farmer's markets are brimming over with fresh picked fruits and vegetables. I have waited all year for this. Vine-ripened tomatoes, sweet corn, peaches, fresh lettuce, green beans, all conspire to turn me into a vegetarian, at least for the summer. Now is when I stop counting calories, mostly because you can easily indulge yourself in the jewels of summer and never have to worry about over-eating.

How about the following for lunch: a fresh berry smoothie (fresh berries of your choice, a few ice cubes, a cup of skim milk; frappe in blender; pour in glass and enjoy) and a plate of sliced tomatoes and cucumbers sprinkled with a little coarse sea salt; and a great big slice of cantelope. I'm in seventh heaven with a meal like this.

For dinner bring on the sweet corn. I put one ear in the husk into the microwave for 4 minutes and voila, it's done with no mess whatsoever. Choose the really sweet (sometimes called supersweet) variety. Butter, salt, or anything else would only destroy the delightful flavor of this summertime treat. Complement the sweet corn with fresh green beans boiled until tender but not soggy; top with 1 tbsp. of olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt or garlic salt. Round off the meal with a big slice of juicy, sweet watermelon or a gigantic dish of fruit salad made from melons, berries, cherries, peaches, with a low-fat vanilla yogurt topping.

Whatever your favorite fresh summertime delites, feel free to indulge. Eat as much as you want. I guarantee you will be healthier, happier and slimmer after six weeks of this regimen.

Chow for now.

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Fell Off The Horse Again

Well, I'm back again after a two-wek absence. Mostly, I'm embarassed. I've gained back three pounds pigging out at every opportunity. I'm weak; what else can I say. I know losing weight is probably the most difficult thing in the world for most people, and I'm envious of those who can literally make the pounds dissolve without even trying. My own sister went on the South Beach diet for only two weeks and dropped 15 pounds. What's more, she's kept the weight off. It's not fair!!

Not to worry. I'm back in the saddle again today. So far, so good. I did indulge in exactly 1/2 cup of lite ice cream, and that has taken the edge off. I'd like to say that I'm taking dieting one day at a time. The truth is that I need to take it one hour at a time.

Needless to say, I'm not going to reach the goal I anticipated when I started this blog. So what else is new? Maybe this week will be different. Stay tuned and don't give up. I've been doing this for many years and still have hope.

Chow for now.

Monday, July 03, 2006

Monday Weigh-In

Since I weighed in just a few days ago, the scale hasn't budged. I'm still at 162 pounds. I'm hoping next Monday brings me in at 160 pounds. Yes, I'm going to try to lose 2 pounds this week. With the 4th of July looming in front of me, I'm not sure I'll make it. Truthfully, I'll be happy to be at 161.

Chow for now!

The Dieter's Kitchen

There are a few items that no dieter's kitchen should be without.

1. An heavy-duty scale - no less than a two-pound limit and measurements in pounds, ounces and grams and kilograms. A scale is vital when it comes to measuring amounts of so many food items -- cereal, meat, bread slices you cut yourself, vegetables. It is indispensible for recipes written for the European market. But most of all, it helps keep you on your diet. After all, do you really know what 6 ounces of white meat of turkey looks like when you're slicing it from the carcass? Or how much is 56 grams of Raisin Bran? Unless you have a gifted mind for weights and measures, I think you'd be surprised by some of the portion sizes you've been eating. I certainly was.

Favorite Kitchen Scale -- 30004 Stainless Steel Kitchen Scale 8-lb.

2. Measuring Cups. Keep on hand a 2-cup Pyrex measuring cup and one or two sets of graduated measuring cups. If you just can't do without, let's say, orange juice which is good for you but relatively high in calories (about 124 calories for 8-oz.), make sure you know exactly how much 1 cup is before that first gulp. The same goes for the amount of milk you use in your cereal. Even skim milk has 80 or 90 calories per cup depending on the brand. A half-cup of milk and 2 ounces of cereal, depending on the cereal, approaches or exceeds 200 calories. Measure before eating.

3. Measuring Spoons. How much is 1 level tbsp. of butter? mayo? cream? olive oil? peanut butter? Have you been indiscriminately dipping your knife into the jar thinking your are taking just a little bit? Do you randomly pour from a container guessing at the amount you're using? Stop right now. I can guarantee this is where so many extra calories are creeping into your diet.

Yes, it's a pain to measure so many things, but it's necessary. I keep these utensils on my kitchen counter in a draining rack. I use them so many times a day, it's too much work to keep hauling them out of the cupboards and the drawers. So I simply keep them in view. It also serves to remind me of my goal. Do I ignore them many times? Obviously I do or I would'nt be on a diet. But that's besides the point. When I lose weight, I lose because I use these diet aids. They work.

Chow for now!


 
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