An important part of living a weight control lifestyle is delayed gratification. You absolutely can have a cookie, or pie, or cake, or your favorite meal on this lifestyle. In fact it is recommended.
My food intake and calorie count
Breakfast – 1/8 apple pie with single crust (450)
- 450 calories
Lunch – Grilled pork burger (450); 1/2 whole wheat wrap (45); pickles and horseradish sauce (20);
- 515 calories
Dinner – 6oz fettuccine (300); 1 Italian sausage link (230); homemade San Marizano tomato sauce (30);
- 560 calories
Snacking – tea with half and half (80);
- 80 calories
Total for the day: 1610 calories (limit 1700)
Walking is enough
To finish the thought from before the break: it’s no good skipping meals or starving yourself during the day. You will feel deprived and unhappy since there is no immediate reward for doing that. I felt that way on several failed diets. Instead, now I carefully use hunger to improve my eating experience. (1) Wait until you are physically hungry before you eat. Don’t wait until it’s too late, or you will eat so fast you will hardly notice you have done it. That can lead to overeating as you go back for seconds. (2) Eat a controlled portion of your favorite food. The fact that it’s your favorite will make the waiting and the controlled portion worthwhile. A small amount of hunger enhances your enjoyment of your favorite food. It’s a much better experience than eating a lot.
I had three wonderful meals today (controlled portions) and finished at 1610 calories for the day. I was completely satisfied and don’t want to eat any more. How many people can say that? Eating 1610 calories per day means I will lose a reasonable amount of weight this week. That’s partly because I am taking light exercise almost every day. You don’t need a lot, but some exercise seems to enhance things.
My current system is to eat about 1600 calories per day. The last few weeks, doing that, I have lost an average of nearly 2 pounds a week. That includes walking 3 miles most days and 1600 calories of food intake per day. I also write down everything I eat and plan out meals that are worthwhile. The balance is hunger and fulfillment. If you eat a controlled portion you will be slightly hungry for each next (portioned) meal, which will be extra fulfilling. Then the cycle continues as you are hungry next time. It’s all because you don’t eat too much at any one meal. It’s amazing how fulfilling hunger takes only a small portion of food.
So far I am keeping my mind in the right place. I want to live this way and enjoy it, so it hardly takes any willpower. Would you like your favorite food for dinner? Why yes, I would. See?
-The Doctor