Getting Healthy

My weight has been something I have struggled with for years. When you don't feel good in your own skin it is apparent to everyone around you. I have recently lost about 27 pounds, which feels great. I have 23 more pounds  to lose before I have reached my first goal. I work in an office and spend 11 hours a day in front of a computer. This kind of life style means I need far less calories to sustain my body. It is not wise to generalize in regards to caloric intake because losing weight is simply based on intake and output. In order to lose weight you have to consume less calories than your body burns in a day. Therefore because I sit most of the day my daily caloric intake would be far less then a woman the same age and weight who was a warehouse worker or yoga instructor.

We all know it isn't easy to lose weight especially because food is all around us and something we can not avoid. It does take a strong will to be able to stay on track when everything around you is willing you in the opposite direction. Once you decide you are going to lose weight, and only you can decide when the time is right, you will need a good support system. Thankfully I have three wonderful friends who are just that. I am currently lucky enough to work with them and we try to bring a healthy "community lunch" so to speak, where each of us will bring an item for everyone to share. For example roasted veggies, brown rice and salad. I will be moving offices soon, so unfortunately I will not longer be able to participate in the lovely spreads we created. Yet I am now in the habit of bringing lunch which is incredibly helpful when you are dieting.

I am a strict vegetarian, which means I do not consume meat, eggs, or dairy products. Contrary to popular belief you can still be overweight if you do not make good food choices. Pasta and bread are my biggest vises. I am not all that big on sweets but I could eat chips and salsa all day! What I have found to be helpful is to stick to a somewhat weight watcher based diet. I used to be a member of weight watchers and I feel their diet plan is the most realistic approach. You can continue to eat real food which is assigned a point value and you simply stay within your allotted points each day. This means if you decide you are going to have a piece of cake its not the end of the world, you just have less points to work with that day. For me a system like this is much easier to stick with. There are apps for your smartphone which allow you to asses point values on the go. The easiest thing for me to do is say okay I get 20 points a day and if I divide that into three meals it's about 6.5 points per meal. If I use less points for breakfast I can an a point or two to lunch and dinner.

My meal ideas:

Breakfast:
Coffee approx 1-2 points
Banana lrg 2 points
Oatmeal low sugar 4 points
Wheat toast with tsp. peanut butter 3 points

Lunch:
Roasted veggies 1-2 points (depending on oil)
Brown rice 1/2 cup 2 points
Veggie sandwich: Lettuce, tomato, hummus, cucumber, red onion, bell pepper, sprouts approx 5 points.
Giant salad with non fat or low fat dressing; loaded with all the veggies and 1/2 beans for protein!!! My FAV
Tofu or Bocca patty sandwiches

Dinner:
Roasted veggies with Tofu
Bean salad; black eyed peas, cilantro, lemon, tomato, red onion, chili powder, cumin, celery salt
Stir fried veggies over brown rice; onion, garlic, mushrooms, and kale are one of my favorites, delicious and incredibly healthy.
Black bean tostadas
Vegetable fajitas just be sure to use corn or wheat tortillas
Vegetable Kabobs