Weight Loss Wisdom

Whenever I undertake some daunting task, such as losing a large amount of weight, studying for a final exam, raising children, training dogs... I try to come up with a mental gimmick to help myself through the hard times and to help myself remember what works.

I have lost over 27 pounds since mid-September, following the Weight Watchers plan. I eat candy bars and brownies and Olive Garden dinners and movie theater snacks. In short, I eat like a normal person. No meal replacement shakes. No bars. No pills.

I was thinking of what has been working for me, and I realized that I had a mental gimmick. Only, it's not a gimmick at all.

It's just that five things that are most important to weight loss for me all start with the letter F. So I call them the Five F's of Weight Loss.

(and, no, "eff it all" isn't one of them)

Here they are...

The Five Fs of Weight Loss

1. Filling Breakfast. Protein and fiber in the morning keep me full until lunch and keep me from needing a snack. My favorite breakfast is a cup of Greek vanilla low fat yogurt mixed with a sliced banana and a half-cup of granola. If I eat that, I'm full until noon. And I eat breakfast at 6 a.m.
2. Fruit. Fruit is FREE on Weight Watchers! All fresh fruits have a Points Plus value of ZERO! So, I reach for a fruit instead of a snack with a higher Points Plus value. It sounds so easy but it really makes all the difference. When I'm starving before cooking dinner, I eat some grapes -- without measuring them, just eat them until satisfied. The fruit fills me up and lets me get through cooking dinner without sampling my ingredients.
3. Fiber. Always reach for whole grain. Also, I eat broccoli every single day. I love broccoli, so that's easy for me. Lots of veggies and whole wheat, whole oats, oh, and fruits are full of fiber, too! Fiber fills me up. I hate being very hungry, so I'm all about the fiber.
4. Fluid. Keeping hydrated helps me feel better, look better, and lose weight. Fluid helps me flush my body. It makes my skin pretty. It helps keep me fuller. Anything works: milk, water, Crystal Light, diet soda...it really doesn't matter! Just drink to your health!
5. Forgiveness. This is the most important one of all. I had to learn to forgive myself for slip-ups and mistakes. If I decided to go off the plan and eat too much, I had to be able to forgive myself, dust myself off, and get back on the right track. Otherwise, guilt would eat me up and I would quit. Forgive your mistakes. We all make them. Just keep trying. The only way to fail is to stop trying.

I hope my little bit of wisdom helps someone, some day. It's what's working for me. If your New Year's Resolution is to lose weight, keep these five tips in mind. And best of luck!