Thinking of changing it up this year: Going to start a new diet for January and reevaluate at the end of the month. I am sure I'll want to make some adjustments at the end of the month, or I may try a different diet altogether. Physically, I have a very targeted goal ---to lose some of the fat around my middle. I am sick of it. I have always thought in terms of pounds and if I could lose 5 pounds I think it would help a lot, but I am not really sure if it would. Anyway, I am thinking about inches now. Last year, I thought about researching tummy tuck surgery (I didn't) and feel I should try harder before I investigate that route.
I have some experience with watching my weight, and I know a few things that won't work for me. I know I'll fail if:
1) I try to be completely abstemious and give up all of my favorite indulgences. I can use that strategy for a short time but I am planning for the long term. If I *can* lose this belly fat, I don't want it back. I don't want to try to be completely abstemious because I love preparing food and cooking for my family. I love baking bread, making pizza, baking pumpkin bread and iced sugar cookies during the holidays. I love making banana bread from overripe bananas and storing slices in the freezer to pull out for CC's lunch. I love watching the Food Network (especially The Next Iron Chef, Restaurant Impossible and anything Guy Fieri does), and I love trying to re-create food that we may try at a restaurant (much to the chagrin of my oldest daughter). I can't wait to try recipes from my Christmas present, How Easy is That? by Ima Garten. I don't want to eat a lot (in terms of volume) of anything that I cook, but I want to taste all of it!
2) I rely on a low carb diet plans that slowly incorporate healthy carbs back into your plan (e.g., South Beach). Love that I can eat bacon on it and that the diets are effective, but I have learned that I can't stick to them long term. I can't figure out how to incorporate "healthy carbs" back into my diet without gaining the weight back. I am sure it is a flaw on my part but you have to recognize your flaws right? After trying the South Beach diet several years ago when it was popular, and shedding a few pounds I definitely learned the lesson that if I want to lose weight I have to cut back on pretzels and bread, even though I LOVE them, and they have no fat. I learned and still believe that carbs are the problem for me, not fat. In fact I don't know why anyone is afraid of fat these days. So much data (e.g., Gary Taubes books, and studies comparing the effectiveness of low carb and low fat diets) reports that fat is not the problem we once thought it was. That said, I do not seem capable of the part of the South Beach diets where you slowly integrate healthy carbs into your diet without gaining the weight back.
If what you are doing doesn't work, it is time to try something else, and what better time than the start of a New Year? I am starting with Fast 5. I read about it before Christmas
I am going to muse about my days on the diet:
January 1-January 8
January 9-January 10
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