Well, now that the holidays are over, it’s time to think about working off some of the pounds we’ve gained over the last month (or last few years 
). Having been overweight for most of my life, I’ve had lots of experience with diets over the last 10 years, and I know how hard it can be. The thing that worked the best for me is not thinking of it as a diet at all.
I don’t like the idea of eating low-fat dishes that are pale imitations of the real thing. It makes me feel like I’m punishing myself, and it’s just not a sustainable lifestyle. The goal should be to change your eating habits so that you’re healthy *and* happy.
I’ve decided that the thing that works best for me is to make a list of foods that I genuinely like that just happen to be good for me. For instance, this week I’m eating lots of Korean BBQ chicken breast, kim chee, and rice. It’s pretty low fat, and as long as I don’t overdo the rice, it’s pretty low calorie as well. Other things that I love that are fairly healthful (salad with Japanese orange ginger salad dressing, sushi, grilled zucchini, shrimp diavolo, rice porridge, Vietnamese beef noodle soup, AKA pho (I go easy on the beef). I could go on for a while. I’m guessing that your list will be longer than you think if you try and be creative.
If you’re looking for some new dishes for your weight-loss plans, here some handy links:
Low Calorie Recipes
Low Fat Recipes
Low Carb Recipes
Vegetarian Recipes
Vegan Recipes
The other big component to losing weight is, of course, exercise. For the sedentary, it’s a a huge adjustment. Again, I think the key is not to punish yourself. Just get out and do anything active that you enjoy and take it easy enough that you’re still having fun. If you kill yourself at every workout, there’s a good chance that you’ll give up soon. And after a while, you’ll be in better shape and can stand to work out harder.
One more thing I learned over the years is not to beat myself up if I go off my diet. If I have a craving for some rich food, I’ll go ahead and satisfy my craving with a reasonable serving. Then I’ll go right back to my program. There’s no point in looking back and beating yourself up. Just do what you can to make yourself healthier.
So here’s to a happy and healthy new year!