Dieting part 2. Part 1 completed. How do you prepare? Talk to yourself!

I promised myself that when I started my diet that I would be sensible and try to find a way that would help me lose the lbs, keep them off and remain healthy while doing so.

I posted my diet day for day and commented on what this did to me.

I am not pretending that it was easy and when the initial 13 days were up I wanted more than anything to celebrate with a large tub of Ben and Jerry’s…………….I didn’t though.

I also promised that I would write about my follow up plans.

In regards to that I have been a bit lazy and I am only getting round to that now.

I didn’t stay on the low calorie diet. I gradually began to introduce the carbohydrates like bread and spaghetti back into my diet as I have to admit that I have really missed these.

I was quite sure that the five kilos I had lost would creep back on slowly but surely. Well they didn’t and they have still kept away after one month of relatively normal eating. So here we are heading for the second half of my diet and determined to lose the next five kilos I so desparately want to lose by Easter. I need to fit into my ski trousers and feel fit on the slopes!

More than that i want to fit into my special dress for my 25th wedding anniversary in June. To do that i would like to lose ten kilos to give me a comfortable size. However, i only intend to lose five kilos on each diet step. Maintain that weight for a few weeks before continuing. I am sure this will help me keep this new weight for a very long time.

So as promised I will once again document my eating habits and see where it takes me.

Before I do this I just want to write about and remind myself of what it means to diet without failing. What do I need to know?

How do you prepare yourself to succeed?

Here are some pointers that work for me,   and i will read this often to keep me going psychologically. Making a promise to myself helps me to achieve.

CRASH DIETING

 A crash diet  is basically when you starve yourself and it involves nutritional deprivation.  You restrict your calorie intake but should avoid at all costs starving yourself.  Should you restrict your calorie intake severely on any one day you should be aware of the damage that this can do to your health and be aware that it cannot be continued over time.

On the other hand I need to lower my calorie intake considerably to lose weight but if I do this in a sensible and controlled manner I will not affect my metabolism and I will be able to reduce my weight and keep it off.

In order to attempt to lose five kilos in two weeks I will need to set up a plan. This plan will include the food that I will eat and the exercise that is needed to help burn calories and put enough demand on my body to avoid shutdown. Most of all i will stick to the plan and really feel ashamed if i don't but if i do slip up i will not give in i will instead do some extra exercise to compensate for any added calories.

I need to remember what happens when my body detects starvation or calorie deprivation, this means that i will not leave out any meals on the plan and eat my daily calorie intake. This is so easy to do especially when you notice the weight going down but it is one of the biggest reasons for failure, believe me, i have been there and done that on several occasions. 

Why should i not cut down on food if i think i can?

If my body detects that it is getting less calories than it needs to function on a daily basis it will try to conserve every calorie it takes in. How does it do this?  It simply, SLOWS down, this is the metabolic rate readjusting just like a thermostat does. It will take those calories into cells that hold on fast. The rate the cell is burning energy at has slowed way way down to minimal, your muscles will feel tired and you might even be lightheaded. This is hard work for your body and it is attempting to knock you off your feet to preserve even more energy for it’s own daily routines.

What does it need energy for now? Well even sleeping costs you, thinking, speaking, you name it you are still burning energy, this is why you cannot survive without food. Even worse if you have restricted your fluid intake in the form of water, the blood thickens and things pass through even slower.

If you severely cut down your food intake at least remember to drink at least two liters of water each day. Water does not have any calories but it is vital for all other vital bodily functions.

How do you cut your calories and lose weight quickly without the metabolism being affected?

This question is asked by millions and if we knew the answer to everybody’s problem we really would be millionaires.

The answer is in most cases that there is no easy way but it can be done.

Determination is needed.

Time is needed.

A plan is needed.

Reality and a sensible attitude is needed.

Most of all motivation helps keep you through the hardest days.

If you don’t have any of these you will probably still be the same weight and maybe even bigger by the time Easter comes around. That will make you feel like a failure and you will feel a sense of depression as a result. At least knowing yourself helps the determination part  and motivation.

Ok so I am off to write my plan and it all starts today………………..not tomorrow but today.