apollak

In the middle of last year, all of the size 34 pants I had bought stopped fitting. Well, to be more precise, I stopped fitting into them. My middle had been on a course of slow but steady inflation for a few years thanks to a sweet tooth and a hearty appetite. I was by no means fat nor medically overweight, just bulging in the wrong places. I worked out a bit here and there - mostly cardio and stretching and playing tennis. On top of this I have some chronic gut issues and allergies that I take daily meds to control.

I wanted to get the bulging under control and I wanted to get on a path to eating healthier and hopefully help my body get stronger inside with better ingredients - strong enough to reduce or eliminate the daily meds from my life. I didn't want to do anything extreme as I am a firm believer in moderation and long term change in habits as opposed to quick fixes. After some research online and discussions with friends, I came up with a few rules to follow that work with my lifestyle and I have had exceptional results. I have lost perhaps ten pounds or so in the last three months - I never really weighed myself before so I'm not sure what my starting point was - but I do know that I now wear a pants size 31 or in some cuts a 32. I feel better in general, have more energy all day long and am slowly reducing the dosages on my meds (under doctor supervision of course.) So here are the rules I have been following:

1. Whole Grains Abound - Cut Processed White Grains

I thought this one was going to be more difficult than it has been but the marketplace has such a wealth of variety these days, and so many alternative options that it really is a no brainer and I think has really made the biggest difference of all. No white breads or pastas - whole grain only. I've also tried spelt which I am not crazy about, and of course soba noodles which I love.

2. Eat Constantly

I have always heard and read that six small meals over the course of the day are healthier than three big meals and it always felt right to me but I recently read something about why it works better for our systems. According to this article (I'll try and find the source) when we continually keep our bodies nourished every few hours, our bodies basically come to expect the regular intake of food and do not store as much fat. It just seems to make more sense to me to send smaller portions of food through your system to give it a chance to all fully process. So I always eat a hearty breakfast (usually oatmeal with fruit or eggs) have a snack at 11am or so (more on snacks in a moment) a moderate sized lunch at 1pm, healthy snacks or the other half of my lunch at 3pm and 6pm and then a small dinner at 8pm. I feel satisfied and energized all day and never get into the food-comas that used to always slow me down.

3. Sweets for Special Occasions - Cut the Fat and Sugar

My mother makes amazing brownies. They are famous among my oldest friends. Her cookies rock as well. And I live in New York City where the variety of food is dizzying and the desserts in particular range from the finest chocolatiers to the exotic indulgences of every corner of the world. How to resist? Well again it is a matter of moderation. Dessert is not a regular part of every meal or every day. They are special indulgences. Once I got out of the habit if expecting it every day it made a big difference. Sugar is highly addictive and cutting overall sugar intake makes a big difference in the weight loss as well as in the craving for more sugar. Vicious cycle to break, I know but early efforts make it easier as you go along. This includes candy and soda pop as well. Opt for berries instead. Mmmm berries.

4. Fry Free Living - No Fried Foods

This one can be rough sometimes too but overall it again just a matter of choosing the non-fried alternatives (especially not-deep fried) which exist in abundance. Fried means flavor, no doubt and I love me some good chicken-fried chicken or crunchy french fries. But there's plenty of other options and it really does make the indulgent treats that much more special. On a regular basis though, choose the no fry zone.

5. Water, Water Everywhere

Lately there has been some debate about whether or not the "Eight Glasses a Day" rule is healthy or not. My take is that our bodies ARE 80% water and our core inner working rely on the smooth flow of food through our system so a steady flow of water makes sense and feels good. Plenty of water keeps skin clear, prevents headaches, keeps hunger at bay and even keeps you alert. The rule for me is to drink water and herbal teas throughout the day and drink enough so you're never overly thirsty.

6. Fruits and Veggies Are our Friends

Duh. This one is kind of a no-briner when trying to eat right. A big salad every day goes a long way to keeping things flowing through the system so to speak. I opt for spinach often for a good iron boost. As for fruit, it really does taste so much better when you cut down on processed sugar and other empty-calorie sweets. Making sure I keep fruit around is the big trick for me. Out of sight out of mind. I really forget about it. But if I make sure I have it in the house or at my desk I'll always opt for fruit and not miss candy or other sweet snacks. I opt for organic whenever possible but I don't know if that's influencing the weight loss.

7. Don't Eat Heavy Meals Late

Heavy meals just sit in your slowed down system all night. I never feel well when I eat a lot after 8pm (or whatever time three hours before I go to sleep happens to be.)

8. Limit Red Meat, Lots O' Fish

I really do love me a good burger. And bacon - don't get me started on bacon. I get that red meats are harsh on the system and take a long time to break down but I also get a solid burst of protein energy from them. And Come on - I've got to have a little of my grandmother's goulash on Passover and Mom's lamb on easter. So red meat has become mainly a once or twice a week thing at the most. I plan for it on special occasions and otherwise opt for alternatives - a good turkey burger makes a hearty lunch, and turkey bacon is a yummy breakfast indulgence. I've always liked fish and have been trying to make a point of making a meal of it a few times a week. Once you are on the lookout for it there are plenty of interesting and very tasty options. Talapia's still one of my favorites and Fresh Direct has a great selection of pre-seasoned fish that cook up quick and tasty.

9. Keep the Right Snacks on Hand

Making sure I have my fridge and cupboard at home and my food stash at work filled with healthy alternatives keeps me on track all day long and away from candy bars or pizza slices. In addition to fruit I always keep granola bars, nuts and raisins on hand. Plus there are some great whole grain snacks available now, including multi-grain pretzels and tortilla chips and as long as you choose wisely - salsa's a great snack too. Two other staples I keep at work are cans of tuna (Sicilian if possible - yummy) and these little containers of pre-cooked brown rice that I just microwave for a minute.

10. Limit Dairy - Especially Cheese

I stopped using milk on a regular basis a number of years back - found it hard on my gut, and found I didn't miss it with Soymilk as an alternative. Recently soy has been kind of harsh as well so I switched to rice milk (or rice JUICE as Lewis Black I think called it.) I still indulge in the occasional bowl of ice cream but as a rule I steer clear of dairy, especially cheese. I am a HUGE pizza fan so this one has been tough. The occasional slice of pizza does taste even better now. Oh and I am trying to learn to eat yogurt for it's gut friendly bacteria but haven't really gotten down with that yet.

11. Little to No Caffeine or "How I Stopped Shaking and Learned to Love Cacao"

I was severely addicted to caffeine a little over 10 years ago - coffee in the morning, Frapuchinos in the afternoons and iced teas all the time, plus yummy coca-cola a few times a week too. I learned that all that caffination wasn't good for my gut issues, exacerbating ulcers and inflammation so during a particularly bad spell of health I quit cold turkey, using lots of water and herbal teas (especially ginseng tea) and have kept it up ever since. In certain circumstances when I really need a pick-me-up, I will have an occasional tea or even decaf coffee (which still has a bit of caffeine - enough actually to give me a jump-start.) The freedom from the caffeine dependence is great and it also keeps me away from the delicious creamy coffee drinks. Like I said an indulgence every now and then is fine but as a rule they're off the list. I am a big chocolate fan and even though chocolate has a tiny bit of caffeine I still have a square of dark chocolate a few times a week. I used to be a milk chocolate fan but switching to dark and learning to love really dark chocolate (85% or even 100% cacao) has been a part of cutting down on sugar, fats and dairy in general. Plus I get the added benefits of antioxidant rich dark chocolate.

12. Limit Alcohol

I have never been much of an alcohol drinker least of all a beer drinker. In the last four years however I have come to appreciate dark beers. So I'll have one or two drinks a month maybe and I'm fine with that. Your mileage may vary.