The Dietitian and the Magic Weight Loss Pill

As part of this transformation program we get to meet with a registered dietitian 4 times.

The first time I met her was when she was talking to the group and the only thing I took away from her was that I would get wrinkles, LOL! Ah well, I’m making peace with that.

I met with her on Wednesday and basically here is the breakdown of how this looks.

There is no magic pill. The king of weight loss is, you guessed it–eating better. But what does that really mean? Does that mean I can’t eat my favorite foods including cheesecake, chocolate and wine? Nope.

Learning to eat right requires thought. It requires planning. Frankly, it requires some dedication. Who said that eating has to be this easy, mindless exercise and it should be intuitive because we eat from the moment we are born? There is a saying, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”. I get it now.

So she talked to me about my goal of wanting to lose 2 pounds per week and I want to do something that is sustainable once I get into maintenance (I can’t believe I am even thinking that way).

The easy stuff:

• My food plan is 1525 calories. 3 meals and 2 snacks. This puts me at losing approximately 1.5 pounds per week (I get it that the loss is not a perfect science but that is what is should even out to over time)
• That’s good because I had figured I would be needing to eat around 1300 so that gives me extra food right there.
• The reason a person gets cravings is because their blood sugar decreases. Your blood sugar decreases if you don’t eat often. Eating often keeps your blood sugar levels even. If your blood sugar levels dip, you crave, you eat something sugary which raises your insulin level, it lowers an hour later and guess what? You are craving again! This is the cycle that refined sugar and bad carbs gives  us.
• Let me say it again. When you eat junk food you will be looking for more an hour later because an hour is the digestion period of sugary substances.
• I know from personal experience that craving is sometimes mental. I have turned to food for comfort and given in. My stress level has dropped in a MAJOR way since I have been working out and I all I want is more of that.
• So I was told to eat breakfast like a King, lunch like a Queen and dinner like a Pauper. Basically biggest meal early in the day.
• Eat protein at EVERY meal. Even snacks. This keeps my blood sugar normal and also balances out carbs so I don’t have the insulin increase and drop. I have already seen BIG BIG improvements by doing this.
• We are doing our planning by following the exchange lists. You might be familiar with the exchange lists because it is given to Diabetics to help them learn to control their blood sugar. But it isn’t just for diabetics.
• From an exchange perspective my personal food plan is 7 breads, 8 meats, 3 vegetables, 2 fruit, 3 milk and 2 fat. The maximum percentage of fat each day shouldn’t be more than 42 grams  and no more than 170 carb grams per day.
• It looks difficult but it is pretty easy. Very flexible. It does take planning. I know my food intake for all of next week and I’m finding that awesome because it’s one less thing to worry about!
• So when I want my treats I fit them into my plan. Treats have to be exactly what they are called…”TREATS”, not emotional life preserver or things to cling to when I am frustrated. It is hard. I’m in therapy working to relearn new behaviors after 35 years of treating junk food like a companion in my life.

There really is no magic pill. I am literally taking this one day at a time. I weigh in for the first time on Monday and I’m nervous. But whatever the number, I feel better than I did one week ago.