Okay, you’ve started exercising, but have you changed what you eat yet?

Yesterday I talked about getting started with exercising, which most weight loss programs suggest is your first step, and then you work on changing what you eat.

As I said yesterday, I am not a medical expert, I have done this mostly by the seat of my pants with some input from a couple of close friends, and eventually my doctor.  If you do plan on embarking on any serious weight loss, you should always consult your physician first.

First Step, “Put Down The McDonalds!”

Look, I know it’s bad for you, you know it’s bad for you, just simply stop eating fast food.  Even their “healthy alternatives” are about as healthy as drinking a cup of fat.

Need more convincing?  Simply watch Super Size Me.  Slanted?  Probably.  It doesn’t matter, it will still scare the living heck out of you.  Once I watched it, I dropped all fast food from my life unless I’m travelling, and even then I try to be careful as possible in what I order (focus on turkey or grilled chicken items with as few condiments on it as possible).

If you go to a walk-in restaurant such as Ruby Tuesday or Chilis, they have healthier choices, but even then you have to be careful.  I have lunch once a week at Ruby Tuesday and I order the Turkey Burger Wrap (tortilla instead of a bun, less carbs), but as a healthy “alternative” it still comes with french fries.  I change the fries out for rice mixed with tomatoes and green peppers, but even that gets ruined with melted cheese on top of it, so I have them leave the cheese off.  So they give you a “healthy” main item and then try to kill you with the sides, so watch that closely.

Second Step, “Watch What You Drink”

Sodas have to go.  Period.  There is nothing redeeming in in soda pops … nothing.

Iced tea is okay in moderation, but try to watch what you sweeten it with, and if you can skip sweetening it, do so.

I have taken my coffee black since I was about 17 or 18, so I didn’t have to consider cream and sweetner, but if you use either or both of those, consider low fat alternatives or cutting them completely.  And those big ass drinks you order from Starbucks?  Go read the facts on them, and then if you must go there, try to choose their “healthier” alternatives.  Personally I get a venti sized Latte when I go, but since I have no Starbucks in my town, that is one every couple months, I consider it a treat to myself and factor it into my calorie take for the day.

Caffeine also makes you retain more water, so the more caffeine you cut from your life the better as it will lower your water weight.  I’ve written about my cutting my caffeine before, and the eventual withdrawl it caused, but all is good now, and I have been able to maintain the level just 2 -3 cups of black coffee a day, and one cup of green tea.  There are days I would love to have more coffee, but I keep myself in check.

And did I mention no sodas?  Yes, it is worth mentioning twice.

Oh, and for the love of the deity of your choice, stay away from the “energy” drinks!  The amount of sugar they contain could kill a small animal.

Third Step, “Read Everything”

There is a reason nutritional facts are printed on packaging.  Use it … embrace it … let it become your friend.

Make sure you read how many “servings” are in a package, and remember that the facts printed are for “one serving”.  So, if a nutritional fact chart says “200 calories” and you plan on eating the whole package, multiple that 200 times the number of servings the package says it contains.  So 3.5 servings per container would be 700 calories total.  Read carefully, they try to sneak stuff past you to make it sound healthier.

Fat calories are pretty much unavoidable, but anything under 50 percent of the total calories is pretty acceptable.  However, just remember it is acceptable once or so a day, not 3 times a day.

Fourth Step, “Cut Your Servings”

As Americans we are constantly attacked with “All you can eat buffet!” ads, and fast food employees asking if you would like to “super size” your order … just say no.  If you are walking up to a food service station that looks like a feed trough, this is probably not the place for a person attempting to lost weight.

All that being said, the first place you need to cut how much you eat is at home.  This has been the biggest hurdle for me as I do live with family, and my mother is an outstanding cook … I hate her for that.  Saying no to her food is like telling a classic artist, “I’m sorry, I don’t care to look at your latest sculpture.”  I have to build my eating each day around what she is preparing, and then I simply have to try to control how much of it I eat.  This is never an easy task, but it has to be done.

Fifth Step, “Eat More Often”

I know this sounds crazy, but if you want to lose weight, eat more often.

The theory is that if you eat around 100 calories every three hours you will keep your metabolism burning through out the day.  The problem is that after you have a large meal, your body only continues to process that food for another 2 to 3 hours.  By introducing another 100 calories you can basically reignite your digestive system, and it will continue to process that food.  It will also help control your hunger when you get to a large meal.

Believe me, it isn’t always easy to consume another piece of food.  It may sound like Heaven to get to eat all day long, but you do get really tired of it after a while.  Just remember to change up what you eat and you should do fine.

While I have no scientific proof that this actually works, it sure seems to have helped me out with my weight loss.

Sixth Step, “Build A Diet That Works For You”

I can not stress enough how these plans may not work for everyone.  You have to experiment and find what works best for you, start by reading up on other diet plans, mix-and-match if you need, but I honestly see no reason to ever pay for a diet plan.  The Internet is an amazing resource, why should you pay some entity to tell you what to eat when you can research it for yourself?  Take that money and spend it on a gym membership or exercise equipment for your home.

Again, as with any weight loss advice, consult your physician for advice before beginning.  I am in no way an expert, or nutritionist, and you should remember everything that I suggest in these posts is what worked for me.  These suggestions may not be correct for you.

The next entry in this series will be about staying motivated.  It’ll be published on Thursday of this week, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed to make sure as not to miss it.  Also make sure to check out part 1, Exercise, The First Step To Losing Weight.