The Eye

Still on course for the most part here. It’s never been my intention to bore the pants off you all, by starting a daily blog diary of everything I eat - that would be boring reading, or it might make you feel hungry and encourage you to eat more yourself!

Anyway, I’ve lost 11 lbs since I started. I really should do more exercise, but I am watching what I eat.

Occasional lapses or splurges don’t hurt, as long as they’re occasional. Last evening for example, at the Tweet Meet, I ate chicken fingers in honey mustard, and a few fries, and washed it down with two pints of draught Guinness.

I totally refuse to get into that frame of mind I’ve seen some folks adopt - the “I’m slimming so I’ll deny myself anything that is remotely bad, and I can’t eat out, because I can’t weigh it” mentality.

I am finding the online app at The Daily Plate is great for keeping “score” on both my exercise, and my eating habits. It’s working so far. It’s not until you actually look at the values of what you eat, that you realize that the seemingly harmless sandwiches and extra rice and potatoes are loaded with calories that you perhaps don’t really need!

I was convinced I was eating healthily as I don’t eat sweet stuff, or drink soda, and have wholemeal bread and rice for the most part. Sure, that’s great for fiber intake, but it’s not so good, when you eat four sandwiches instead of one, or an extra plateful of rice on top of your dinner.

Some things I’ve found useful then. Use a program like The Daily Plate to calculate how much you really eat. Try and do some exercise, even if it’s a few sit-ups, or a walk to the mom and pop store, or a few stretches. You don’t have to pay to go to a gym to get useful exercise.

Don’t buy candies, and cookies, and extra stuff for other family members or in case friends come by. Don’t go grocery shopping when you’re hungry - you will always buy more than you need. Eat more fruit and vegetables. I’ve found a roadside stall that sells mangoes and peaches, and at the supermarket we buy more apples and bananas. They are good to snack on mid morning or afternoon - much much better than chips and dips!

When you eat meals, cook a little less. Do not go back for seconds. If there is food left over, refrigerate or freeze it for another day. Some things are simply tastier the next day anyhow.

Try and get out of bad habits. Many of us eat because we always do at that time, perhaps when watching TV for example. Do you really need to eat a big bag of popcorn when watching that movie on HBO? No, because if you weren’t watching the movie you’d not be eating the popcorn! If you really need to eat something, grab some more of that fruit. Better yet, skip the movie, and go for a walk.

I had a terrible habit. I loved to have a late night snack. I’d make a couple of sandwiches, and take to bed and eat while reading a book. I love to read last thing at night, as it helps me unwind so I can actually sleep. Most everyone says it’s bad to eat late; it’s not good for the digestive system, it encourages heartburn or acid reflux (which I tend to suffer from), and some say it’s a good way to put extra weight on. It’s also a good way to upset one’s partner who complains loudly about the crumbs in the bed.

I’ve eventually managed to quit doing that, and now I take an apple to bed instead, and I’ve even gotten to the point that I seldom eat that, so those bad habits can be broken!