Did someone say diet?

In the last post we looked at Lisa's motivation for change.  Today we will look at the 'diet' side of the equation.  Now lets get one thing straight before we start. This will not be a restrictive diet regime or one of high protein, no fat, or some other catchy fad. Lisa was not making changes for competition or a sporting event so what was needed was a long term change in eating habits that will last and last.  If you want to give it a name then we can call it, 'The Mark 1 Plan - The Wisdom of Solomons'.

Part of the weight increase over time had come from eating almost the same food portions as the rest of the family.  So, the first thing to do was to reduce the portion size.  Not rocket science!  If you find it difficult to reduce your portion size, just use a smaller plate, bowl, etc.

The next step was to look at what was going on the plate.  It was decided to cut down on the portion sizes of potatoes and pasta whilst increasing the amount of lean meat and vegetables.  This was done to match Lisa's carbohydrate needs to her activity levels.

There was one complete change and this surrounded lunchtime.  Lisa was used to having a sandwich for lunch, two slices of brown bread, spread with butter, and often filled with cheese or cream cheese.  This was followed by a piece of fruit and a packet of crisps.  This routine was swapped for soup, a crispbread (Lisa now has one slice of brown bread), a piece of fruit and a low fat yogurt.

Lisa still allowed herself some treats such as a bar of chocolate or a small cake.  If she cut these out altogether then she would have only wanted them more!  You always tend to want what you can't have.

By subtle changes in diet Lisa has naturally reduced her intake of fat.  There has not been an obsession to cut out fat as it is required for the absorption of fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.  Saturated fat has been lowered as an aide to reduce potential long term health effects such as high blood pressure and heart disease.

As a bye product of dietary change Lisa has found she has more energy and does not feel lethargic.  In the early days, Lisa did find that she was feeling hungry at times.  This was probably her body readjusting to the changes that were occurring.  During these times, Lisa focused on her long term goal to help her resist the temptation of a snack and opted for a glass of water instead.

As you have seen, there have been no major changes, no fancy fad diet or starving on a very low calorie diet.  Weight loss has occurred and has been maintained by a simple regime of:

• Reducing food portion sizes
• Balancing carbohydrates to activity levels
• Swapping some refined carbohydrates for unrefined 
• Being realistic in approach
• Balancing her eating habits with the end goal - weight loss 

You can see that I have not highlighted foods eaten or advised on menu choices.  There are plenty of ideas out there and you have to find what works for you.

I will leave you with a couple of of ideas;

1. Look at food labels for fat content. Low fat is 3 grams or less per 100 grams.  Medium fat is 3 to 30 grams and high fat is more than 20 grams.  Aim for low or medium fat levels.
2. Always prepare a food shopping list and stick to it.  Never go food shopping when you are hungry.

Next time will will look at Lisa's exercise schedule and how this progressed.  Also, we will see if Lisa reached her goal and look at current statistics.