" For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; the flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land. " Song of Solomon

December 21, 2007

A Christmas Surprise For Me!


I weighed this morning and was totally surprised to see I've lost another 1.3 pounds! What a great Christmas gift. That makes my total loss 9.6 pounds---all the while eating 1600 calories per day with no exercise or forcing myself to drink water. I'm almost halfway to reaching my goal to lose 20 pounds, and during Christmas holidays nonetheless.

Fluid wise I have been including a cup of green tea daily. Perhaps this has made the difference---there seems to be a parallel to my increased losing and drinking green tea. I've read it speeds up your metabolism. Prior to the green tea I was losing an average of half a pound a week....with the tea it's been a little more than a pound in a week.

Another daily habit I've had for about a month is to eat a raw pear, including the skin. I find a pear to be very filling....it stays with me and seems to curb my appetite.

I've had my share of special holidays goodies within my plan parameters with, surprisingly, no temptation, to date, to overindulge. I'm thinking it is due to a higher caloric intake, so I don't get so hungry in the first place.

Also, I try to watch that the bulk of my calories don't come from starches. If I have a potato it's a very small one. With the potato I will eat a 3-4 ounce portion of animal protein along with a salad and some non-starchy vegetables for the volume---so I feel fed when I'm done. I'm not going for the full feeling...but do want to feel like I've eaten well and not just snacked.

When I was trying to eat those 6 mini meals a day, I found I never felt like I'd had a real meal and was constantly hungry. It works well for some people, but not for me.

I'm more convinced than ever we each have to figure out what will work for us individually...sometimes it takes a lot of trial and error. But if we don't quit we eventually will figure it out.

My daily green tea along with my pear and being careful to eat enough protein and fat keeps me sated.
"....there have been many times when I have shed bitter tears, when if I had understood the situation better, I would have celebrated my good luck instead."

DISCLAIMER

I am not a doctor and all information, suggestions, etc are my personal opinion only.