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[W316]Weight Loss Food Diary

by David Mccarthy, Dav

On Friday I weighed in at 183 pounds (90.5 kilo's) and that is slightly up on last week. It is not a problem because last week was a distorted figure due to being unwell and not eating very much anyway.

One of the things I have learned during this weight control period is never to become upset if the scales seem to indicate a poor week. The reason for this is that when you go into a weight loss program you have to take the mindset that ?I am what I measure, not what I weigh.? With my waist belt two notches slimmer than when I started there are no complaints.

During the past week I concentrated on diet and ate no bread or pastry products on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Bread is my greatest weakness; having a local baker who produces the most magnificent bread doesn't help the weight loss program. Hence the reason for dropping bread for three days; it reaffirmed my commitment in my own mind.

Those that have followed this series of articles from the start will know that I only diet on the condition that I give up no food that I like. This includes bacon sandwiches, desserts, ice cream and just about anything else. What I do is give up one thing each day and leave a space on my plate where that item would normally be. This removes one of the biggest problems that all dieters face ? the temptation to go off of a rigid diet due to the temptation of foods that they love. There isn't a single person I know of that can't give something up for a day when they know they can return to it next day.

In the western world most inhabitants eat far too much. The average adult body requires 2,000 calories each day to function normally; we tend to eat around 3,500 calories each day. This translates to an excess intake of 10,500 calories each week. One pound of body weight is equal to 3,500 calories so that excess eating amounts to three pounds each week weight gain. It is true that you can exercise the excess calories away and if you work in a heavy laboring role in an iron smelter you probably will. But do you spend eight hours each day in that type of environment?

By having a space on each plate you soon learn serving size discipline and that is what causes most weight problems ? eating too much per serving. Remember it takes about twenty minutes for the your stomach to get the message to your brain that you've eaten enough. It is what we continue to consume during this critical twenty-minute period that is our enemy. Maybe serving smaller portions taking a twenty minute break between courses will help you.

This article is copyright ? David McCarthy 2006.

This weeks weight loss diary could be the penultimate because after my Friday weigh-in I am down to 182.5 pounds (90.3 kilograms), just 2.5 pounds above my target figure. Last week I reported 186 pounds (92 kilo's) but the scales were just below that figure so I guess I have shed a little over 3 pounds this week. That is way too much to lose in one week. A general target rule is1 pound each week if you want to keep it off, 3 is much too high.

So how was 3 pounds shed in just a week?

I think I told you a couple of week's back that I was suffering from a cold and that is still with me. Due to a really busy business schedule it has been necessary to work through it even though my food intake has been low because I just feel crook. This is obviously a factor and next week it wouldn't be surprising if the scales go up again.

Looking back over the week it has been a time when eating hasn't been fun and fluids have formed the major part of my diet. On the other side of the equation I haven't exercised as rigorously as normal and did miss one complete exercise session.

The most pleasing aspect of my program to date is that after just a few weeks my body has accepted the fact that smaller portions are fine. If I feel hungry between meals a piece of fruit or a raw carrot is ample and that it is fine to leave food on the plate. Ability to think is not impaired by eating less and improved aerobic fitness is great because suddenly walking and exercise is a fun, and challenging, thing.

If asked, ?what is the best thing to come out of the program to date?? It is difficult to pick one individual item. The fact that I have become conscious of serving size is one of many that will come into the reckoning when we do the final debrief. However, the only thing I have lost is weight, there are for more that have been gained that we will go into in the final article. For now I am happy that my focus on serving size is the major thing that will keep weight from coming back.

This article is copyright ? David McCarthy 2006.

Article Source : weight loss tips com

David Mccarthy has sinced written about articles on various topics from Finances, Lose Weight and Family Concerns. David McCarthy writes many articles on the subject of food, healthy eating and weight control. You can view all of his work at http://www.recipesmania.com/ The site is totally free and contains around 300 recipes for everything from banqueting to dieting.. David Mccarthy's top article generates over 12100 views. to your Favourites.