By Marsha Fottler, Editor.
Several years ago while doing an interview with a famous fashion designer who is petite, thin, always traveling and thus a potential victim to bad food, I asked about her dieting secret. She surprised me by saying, “Eat only what is delicious.”
“If it’s not the best potato chip in the world or the most flavorful piece of steak or the most wonderful granola bar I simply don’t bother with it,” she said. “Life’s too short to eat food that doesn’t taste delicious. But when I bite into something truly wonderful, I eat it with pleasure and excitement and no guilt. My search generally comes up short. So, I eat a little of this and that; there’s always something left on my plate. I guess you could say that high standards regulate my weight.”
This is the same philosophy that Coco Chanel applied when the legendary fashion designer was asked for her definition of style. She answered with one word, refusal.
Since the month of June signals the beginning of the summer search for the best bathing suit or the most fabulous skimpy frocks to show off a tan, it’s also the month when most of us could use some dieting inspiration. Here at Flavors And More we polled our staff for their best diet tips. This is a crew that individually has dabbled in South Beach, Weight Watchers, hypnosis, Atkins, weight training, raw food, serious running, water aerobics, calorie counting and some semi-weird eating practices you don’t want explained.
From personal experience here are our Best-Ever Diet Tips.
* Keep a calorie journal for a week to see how many you are taking in. The following week reduce that weekly intake. Keep calorie counting and reducing those calories, because weight loss happens when your body burns more calories than it consumes. Weight Watchers counts calories in points, which is fine too. Reduce the points or calories you are consuming and you will shed pounds.
* Diet with a buddy, family member or a support group. Reinforcement helps.
* Drink six to eight glasses of water a day. Water fills you up, clears out the sodium and is beneficial to the skin. Vary the flavor with slices of lime, lemon or cucumber for extra refreshment. It’s the ultimate spa drink. Herbal tea is fine too.
* Eat protein foods because you’ll feel full for a longer period of time.
* Eat a small green salad dressed with lemon and red wine vinegar before going to a dinner party and you’re less likely to go overboard on fattening things like cheese and desserts when you get there.
* East several small meals a day instead of three big ones.
* Decrease significantly alcohol consumption or eliminate all beer, wine, soft drinks and hard liquor. Just banishing these beverages will result in weight loss.
* Exercise more. If you’re walking two miles three times a week, up it to three miles and walk a little faster.
* Switch to luncheon-size plates and salad-size forks. When plates are smaller you can create a sense of abundance on your plate. It’s psychological and it works.
* Weigh yourself only once a week. Same scale. Same time of day. Instead of concentrating on pounds lost, celebrate health gained.
* When temptation is strong, go to the mall and try on expensive clothes, shoes and jewelry. Acknowledge that you’re looking and feeling better every day and will soon be wearing the size that you want.
* Investigate low-calorie substitutions that satisfy dessert cravings. No sugar Popsicles are truly tasty and refreshing.
* Live your life, not your diet. When you’re with friends talk about your interests, current events, movies and books. Nobody wants to hear about your dieting struggles.
* Eat only what is delicious.
(Photograph by Rod Millington)