It’s the strangest thing. I’ve been pretty sedentary lately due to an injury, so I haven’t been able to go for my daily walks. Yet, I notice I’ve lost some weight. Hmmm. I’m eating normally and I’m not depriving myself in any way. I even treat myself to cookies or biscuits during the day when I get peckish. In the evenings, I like to have some chocolate or ice-cream too. Lately, I’ve even been indulging in home-made yoghurt with either strawberries or mango, my favorite. I also sweeten the yoghurt with a little sugar. Raw honey often goes into my daily fruit and vegetable juices, as well as into cereals and beverages.

My mother-in-law is jealous. She takes care of herself and watches her weight. She potters around the garden daily and plays golf regularly. Carbohydrates, oils and anything sweet are an absolute no-no. Not so for me. I must have my rice and bread, if I’m to feel full. I eat spoonfuls of oil every morning, to ensure I get my essential fatty acids. I used to take flaxseed oil, but when I found that it aggravated my estrogen-driven breast cancer, I stopped that and switched to fish oil instead. I also consume olive oil liberally.

I’ve had a problem with weight gain all my life, and I piled on the pounds over the years, in spite of trying various diets. Then, in the last couple of years, I started losing weight gradually, without doing anything drastic. So far, I’ve lost around 25 pounds. On a small frame like mine, that’s significant.

So what’s the secret to losing weight? All I can say is, I don’t deprive myself at all. I eat until I’m satisfied, and I allow myself various treats. I think that the following factors play a big part in my weight loss:

1) I don’t let myself go hungry. When my tummy starts growling, I eat something.
2) I start every day with around 500 ml of plain water, followed by two or three mugs of fresh fruit and vegetable juice. Not only does that help to flush the toxins out of my body, but the enzymes from the fruits and vegetables also help my digestive system to work more efficiently.
3) In the past fortnight, I’ve taken a liking to eating home-made yoghurt in the morning as well as at least one more time before the end of the day. That delivers more healthy enzymes into my system
4) I eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Not only do I juice them, but I always keep fruits washed and ready to eat in the fridge, for when I get hunger pangs or simply when I feel like having something refreshing to munch on.
5) Carbohydrates are generally healthy stuff like wholemeal bread, brown rice and whole grain cereals.
6) I keep nuts, seeds and dried fruit handy for snacks.
7) Raw honey is my main sweetener, although I do sprinkle some sugar into my yoghurt.
8) Meals are cooked with olive oil. Vegetables are roasted in olive oil. Salad dressing is made with olive oil, besides other ingredients.
9) Meat is rarely eaten. I prefer fish and, once or twice a week, small portions of chicken.
10) When I treat myself to cookies, biscuits, pastries, chocolate, ice-cream and so on, I ensure that they are made with top-quality ingredients and then I try to eat small portions each time. When the quality is good, it’s easier to be satisfied with just a little bit.
11) Exercise is important. Unless I’m sick or nursing an injury, I go for walks at least once every day. I also do my own chores, which helps keep me active indoors.
12) My regular beverages are plain water or herbal teas. Sweetened drinks are only consumed very occasionally, like once or twice a month.

That’s all there is to it, really. Nothing complicated or drastic. So basically, if you want to lose weight, don’t deprive yourself, eat when you’re hungry, but make sure you eat nutritious, good-quality food. As far as possible, eat fresh. Be fussy about what you put into your body, and keep it in good shape with regular exercise. There’s no need to torture yourself; do what you enjoy. For me, that’s simply going for a walk daily.

It amuses me to see friends and relatives desperately trying to get slimmer by doing things like eliminating carbohydrates, fleeing from anything sweet, and following fads like eating primarily meat (remember the Atkins diet?). As I’ve discovered, losing weight is just simple common sense, and the results are more long-lasting when you make certain healthy lifestyle and dietary habits part of your life.

Posted: November 6th, 2009 under Diet, Health Basics 101, weight loss.
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