Diet is a 4 letter word

Warm up

After a doctor’s visit, she highly suggested I lose some weight. So I have been on a diet since May 16^th, 2011. It seems like it has been since 2008. Diets are hard. Diets aren’t fun. And honestly diets shouldn’t be necessary.

Main Set

I knew I needed to make some changes in my eating habits. So I started out on this venture trying to do it on my own. I had limited success. After a few weeks of frustration, I went to see a Dietician – Sue Delagrange. Sue helped me tweak what I was doing and told me those dreaded words I didn’t want to hear, “We need to cut your calories even further.” I started out eating 2000 calories a day. Sue cut me back to 1600 calories/day but had me focus on my fiber and protein intake each day.

I track all my calories using a great application LoseIt.com. I have the application on my phone so it is very handy. I can also view my Fat/Carb/Fiber/Protein intake with a few clicks so I can tell if I am on track for the day. The program also can create comprehensive weekly reports that I send Sue for her input and accountability.

It took me 3-4 weeks to get used to the 1600 calories/day. I was crabby. I had a bad attitude, but I stuck with it. It hasn’t been fun, but I am now seeing positive results. Last week, I finally felt comfortable all week and especially during my exercising. It was a good week.

So what am I doing? Like most diets, I am eating 4-5 times each day. Sue introduced me to a high fiber tortilla. See below. These weren’t my favorite at first, but I now like them. Most mornings, I have a tortilla. My favorite filling is left over grilled chicken (3 oz) with roasted red peppers and roasted Vidalia onions. Also see below. This makes a great breakfast less than 300 calories. I will also add some fruit which brings my breakfast total to less than 400 calories. This breakfast is high in fiber and high in protein.

Onion before cooking

High Fiber Tortillas

My favorite Roasted Red Peppers with Grilled Chicken

I love this time of year – Vidalia onions are here. Here is how I grill them. Cut the top and bottoms flat and peel off the skin. Cut some of the onion away on the top where the garlic will rest. Cut the onion in 8ths. Place foil over a bowl and set the onion in the foil. The bowl helps hold everything together. I drizzle the onion with Olive oil. Some aggressive shaking of Worcestershire sauce. ½ teaspoon of chopped garlic. A dash of pepper. I then seal the foil tight. I cook 4 at a time in the oven at 350 for 60 minutes. You can also do them on the grill. If you haven’t had onions like this you need to try them. They become candy!

Cool Down

I have made some mistakes along the way where I have made some bad decisions and left me with little to no calories prior to dinner. But for the most part I can now deal with the 1600. Last Saturday, I played 36 holes of golf in 90 degree heat. I planned for this by backing my own lunch and snacks. What surprised me was that I actually got stronger during the day. I am sure the food I brought helped me maintain my energy while I kept hydrated by drinking only water. While I still have a long way to go to hit my goals, I am making progress. If you are on the same adventure, I know how you feel! But with hard work, you can also reach your goals.