Mind over matter

I know I've told you about my life long battle with my food addiction. What I haven't told you is that I "think" I've found the answer. The answer came to me as a gift from something I subscribe to. The final key in the "me" personal puzzle. Remember no two people, no two people's problems, no two motivators are the same - FOR ANYONE. What works for me, may not work for you. I am always quick to point out that this site is not a one size fits no-one strategy. Take what works for you and apply it to your life. Then keep on applying it to your life and you will get what you say that you want.

I don't have any problem with that philosophy except when it comes down to food. I am not my mother's daughter for nothing. I know that I am totally responsible for what goes into my mouth and therefore my body, I knew that I needed to eat less than I was burning off. My problem was many fold - how many calories should I be eating (and lets face it - it still comes down to calories in vs. calories burned). How many calories should I need to be exercising off again. What are the best foods for weight loss? And in particular fat loss?

So - thanks to the universe (or whatever higher power you may be believe in) this document came my way. And it offered me several insights into my own particular journey.

Eat something every 2 hours. Drink water every hour (that way you don't forget). But break your calorie requirements into the number of "meals" you are going to be eating at each 2 hour slot. In my case about 200-250 calories. What constitutes a meal? Protein, carbohydrate and a fat source.

Given that you also need to ensure that you eat your greens, there's not much room for refined carbs in amongst that lot. But how do you work out your calorie requirements? Well you need to work out your Basal Metabolic Rate - BMR. The rough calculation is Body weight in pounds x 10cal/lb. To lose weight effectively you just need to keep below that magic figure. And beyond that - is purely mind over matter - in more ways than one.

BTW - a piece of protein should not be bigger than the palm of your hand. As many salad and other veggies you can eat (with the exception of the usual culprits - beans, corn, spuds) and a dash of a fat source to make it palatble. Measure it, weigh it and do not rely on your "eye" to gauge whether you have it right or not. Believe me when I say it is easy to over gauge one's requirements if you don't have a measureable gauge to go against.

BTW - a Big Mac, Large Fries and Large Coke = More than my calorie allowance !!

BTW - I'm not blaming maccas for my size - just giving you a very real world example of how easy it has become to over eat in today's modern society.