The goal is weight control (overall).

How you get to the goal can vary.  I recommend maximizing the pleasure of eating, if you can find the time and energy and attention to do so.  Look at the Food Prep King – I have talked about him before, and his strategy of extreme weekend meal prep.  He hardly has to prepare any food during the week because he cooks on the weekend and portions everything out; he has developed recipes that work for him and can fit into that kind of schedule.  

I love to find and read stories on the Internet about people who have successfully lost large amounts of weight and kept it off over time.  They have achieved control, and it takes constant attention.  I have found a way to make the effort worthwhile, and that allows me to raise my lifestyle to almost a luxury experience.

This story is interesting.  Sara (for ’tis her name) lost 100 pounds over a year.  When asked how she did it, her standard answer is “I’m still doing it.”  That is just perfect.  The Doctor agrees that the price of (1) getting thin and (2) staying that way is constant vigilance.  Sara also is quoted, “The best diet plan for weight loss for you is one you can stick with long-term and improves your health.”  Exactly right again.  If the diet is deprivation and misery, and you have to live that way forever, then you just won’t do it.  It sounds like her goal of eating is not just being thin, but feeling healthy as well.  That can be a winning system, though it’s not mine.  Some people eat only with their health in mind, they are often thin, too.  

I tell you often that becoming thin is a side effect of my wonderful lifestyle.  I am not joking around about that.  It removes so much effort and willpower from losing weight.  I spend my willpower making sure my lifestyle is wonderful, so win-win.

Cosmopolitan magazine has regular articles about weight loss that often have nuggets of good advice.  Here are some of my favorites from women who have lost 100 pounds:

Find a healthy meal you like, and eat it all the time. “In college, I researched the food available in the dining hall to find the healthiest options, settling on a turkey sandwich on whole-wheat bread with mustard. I ate that for most lunches and dinners—and I was so focused on achieving my goals that it didn’t even feel repetitive.”

That is another strategy that works for a lot of people.  This woman’s goal of eating has been transformed.  She is so focused on the goal (being thin) that what she is eating is now less important.  She picks a simple meal that she likes and so removes some of the temptation from life.  She is also making it easier to regulate her food intake, as she will know exactly how many calories are in her sandwich and won’t have to figure that out each time.  By contrast, I do a lot of looking up how many calories are in things.  I also spend more time than she does shopping, preparing meals, cooking, and cleaning the kitchen.

Prepare for heavy meals. “When I know I’m going out for dinner, where I’ll probably want to eat extra calories, I eat lighter meals throughout the day, like a smoothie for breakfast and a salad for lunch.”

That is calorie counting, in one woman’s life.  She is paying attention, and her goal is to eat the right amount of calories to stay thin.  She is also increasing her satisfaction by anticipating the restaurant meal.  By preparing and waiting and getting a bit hungry for it, she will enjoy it more.  It will be very satisfying.

Eat more often. “I switched from three meals a day to six small meals a day.”

This is amazing self knowledge.  This lady, who lost a lot of weight, learned about her body and did what she needed to do to create a lifestyle where she could be happy and be thin.  It takes less willpower if everything you do towards your goal makes you happy. 

On a regular diet, only the goal itself (getting thin) makes you happy.  The rest is unhappiness.  Learn about yourself and build an attractive life you can be proud of.

Stash snacks everywhere. “I carry protein bars in my purse and car. This way, I fend off hunger so I don’t overeat later.”

Brilliant!  Especially when you are still figuring yourself out, don’t try to tough out getting hungry.  If your body is hungry, listen and give it something to eat while you are still in control.  Once your need to be fed takes over, it is really hard to stop eating until you are full or run out of food.  This quote is about not punishing yourself.  Hunger at the right time is a good pursuit, but the goal should be a system or lifestyle that will make you happy and thin.  You should never, ever diet in a way that is punishing.  

You can lose all kinds of weight using rewards.

-The Doctor