So it begins again...

It all started a few years back (2002) with "One Fat Chef", and then that turned into "The Incredible Shrinking Chef" (2008) and so it begins again; February 21. I am one fat chef and there is little really incredible about me, so this time I am just the shrinking chef! I have a monumental task in front of me; losing weight and it does not get easy as you get older for sure.

How do you eat an elephant? "One bite at a time" the wise man says, and so this is how I will begin my quest to lose, lets say, 200 pounds. WOW, yes, that is right; I am one big tub of goop so lets see how this goes this time. Not going to eat an elephant but I start the journey with one single step, my plan...

My plan: follow 10 basic rules:

The 10: 10 ideas to help me make better choices

1. Drink Ice Cold Water; try for 8 glasses a day. Limit Sodas
2. No eating after 7:00 pm.
3. Eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, raw or steamed.
4. Eat more fish, less beef and pork.
5. Limit protein and starch portion sizes, eat more veggies.
6. Exercise 6 days a week, Walk every day if possible, at least
30 minutes. Lifts some weights as well, every other day.
7. Write down everything I eat and log it every day.
8. Limit butter, mayonnaise, creamy dressings, salt, sugar,
highly processed foods. Cook with more olive oil.
9. Eat more whole grains, limit processed white breads, pasta,
white rice.
10. Do not skip meals and if at all possible, try to eat 4 or 5
smaller meals during the day.

I think the 2 keys to this is going to be writing down everything I eat and portion control limiting myself to 1,500 calories a day!

Wish me luck!

What exactly is a diet?

Ever since I was a small child, I have been on some type of diet. Dieting has just been a way of life and I have been a complete and total failure at "diets". Even today, there are people who ask me my opinion about Weight Watchers, The South Beach Diet, Atkins Diet, and whatever the particular flavor of the moment is and I really have no feeling about these diets at all except they are a way for companies to take away our hard earned American dollars.. I guess "diet" is what ever nourishment you are supplying your body at a particular moment. This can be good and this can be bad. How can we make any sense of anything at all when it come down to being on a diet.

I am NOT the first person to say "diets" are a horrible idea. All a "diet" does is set us up for failure and thus begins the YoYo cycle. We start and lose weight. We stop and gain it all back plus more. We start again and lose weight. We stop and gain it all back again and so on. This is terrible for the body but what most people that have been on "diets" are used to.

What to do then? I am still trying to figure this stuff out but I have come up with a small idea. Instead of being on a "diet", why not try to eat better, exercise more, and just make better decisions. When we slip up, that is OK and we are right back into the saddle again. Depriving yourself of life's simple pleasures is a big mistake and one of the main reasons we fail each and every time.

I have put together a plan and I call it... "The One Page Guide to a Healthier You". That is right, everything you need to know is right on a one page document. You print out the one page in the form of a Word document and everything is right there for you reference as you start your way towards a healthier way of eating and living. One thing; I am not doing is blowing smoke up your hind parts! There are things you will have to do to make the plan effective and it will take some work on your part. If you can be honest with yourself, accept the fact that you will slip up from time to time and this is OK, and you are willing to make lasting changes in your life, to improve your over all health; this "One Page Guide to a Healthier You" may just work. If you are looking for a quick fix; this will NOT work for you. This is about make long lasting and permanent changes in your eating and exercise habits, making better choices to improve your overall health.

So how do I get "The One Page Guide to a Healthier You" and how much does it cost? Honestly, I am not out to make a dime off of this project. If you would like it, then you can email me, chefbland@yahoo.com, and I will send you back a copy with a smile. You will have to print it out yourself. Once again, realize that it will take some effort on your part to make this work for you. All I am trying to do is simplify an idea while making it realistic to follow. Most of this is common sense! I am probably not telling you things you already did not know or have not heard before.

Good Luck!