We're All on a Diet

It was bound to happen sooner or later. I just didn't think it would involve the whole family. For six years, I refused to go on any diet even though I knew I had put on twenty pounds since my knee injury. 

It took a wake-up call about Greg to reform me.

Tank has been on a special diet for years. With all the tumors he's collected, we deliberately feed him a diet high in fat and protein to slow down cancer cells. (Cancer feeds more aggressively on carbs.) 

Then it was Iko, diagnosed with advanced arthritis so early in life. The only thing that will help him now is losing some significant weight. 

Maggie came to us fat, and she's a thief too, so we're always trying to thwart her food-stealing ways. Nana is a growing puppy. She uses up more calories than the entire US Olympic gymnastic team. 

But it was Greg who changed my ways when his doctors said his sugar was dangerously high. I couldn't monitor his diet when he was in east Texas, but I could certainly change our menus when he was with me.

It's only been a few weeks, but all of us are seeing changes. I've dropped ten pounds. Greg has lost a whopping 22 pounds. Tank has gained one pound. (Yay!) Iko and Maggie are both looking slimmer. 

Has it been easy?

Ha! Not for me. I don't think Maggie and Iko are too happy either. But my jeans are getting baggy and my hourglass figure has returned.

I haven't gone on any special diet to lose weight. Because of Greg, I stopped using sugar in my recipes. I gave up desserts and drastically curbed (but not eliminated) carbs like pasta and bread. If I eat a late lunch, which happens on certain days when I go to yoga, I'll skip dinner and have a little air-popped popcorn.

I miss desserts. I won't lie. But I'd like to get back into fighting weight before I indulge in sweets again. The holidays are around the corner, so I REALLY need to lose the extra weight by then. That pecan pie is calling me! If I continue to be good that should happen in the next few weeks anyway.

Yoga has helped too. After an hour of sweating, I feel ten pounds lighter! It motivates me to stay on course.

Have you been on a diet? Is there anything that's helped you stay on target? 

***

On a cheerier note, Mike Keyton has had his surgery and is on the road to recovery. Welcome home, Mike! One day at a time, okay?


Comments

B.E. Sanderson saidā€¦
Other than the see-food diet, no. Seriously, though, I do go through periods where I try to eat healthier. (We're not getting any younger.) But then I slip and buy ice cream or Cheetos... I have a seriously lack of willpower. Good for you that your willpower is holding up. Congratulations on those ten pounds. That's awesome!
James Garcia Jr saidā€¦
Hi, Maria. Congratulations to everyone on getting healthier.
For me, I want to be able to eat or drink what I want, so I know I have to burn it off. Depending on the day of the week, I do 45 to 90 minutes on the treadmill. I also have reduced my portions. I managed to lose the pesky 10 pounds that made putting on my work slacks a bit trying to say the least. *laughs* I ran all summer - no matter how hot it got (Treadmill is in the garage). So glad it's cooling off. :)

-Jimmy
Stacy McKitrick saidā€¦
Yeah, it took my husband's diabetes diagnosis to make me change the way I ate (and the food I bought) and I lost 50 lbs. That was in 2001/2.

Since then, my husband is now off the meds. We still have weight to lose, but we exercise regularly.

I always hated using the word diet. I call them lifestyle changes, because I can't go back to the way I ate before. Not unless I want those 50 lbs back (and I don't!).
My husband and I joined Weight Watchers last year. I lost about thirty pounds; he lost about fifty. It's not so much about going on a diet as making healthy changes to your lifestyle. It also helped to do it together. That said, I let my membership lapse, so I need to be more vigilant about eating more fruits and vegetables and getting enough exercise.
Rula Sinara saidā€¦
Low carb and low to no sugar is the only way I ever lose weight. I get off track at times, but when the will power returns, it's the only way that works with me. May the force be with you! ;)

And welcome back, Mike!
Barbara Ann Wright saidā€¦
I've been on diets before, but because of health problems, I have to be careful. I need to get back on the stick, but it's hard when I'm in the middle of a book. When I'm working hard, I eat poorly. :(
Maria Zannini saidā€¦
BE: I think what's helped me is that I did everything in moderation.

Just got back from my physical, and apparently my doc approves. I got an "atta girl" from her.
Maria Zannini saidā€¦
Jimmy: You look plenty healthy to me. You're a demon on that treadmill. But you're still young. My bad habits didn't catch up to me until I hit 50.
Maria Zannini saidā€¦
Stacy: Isn't it ironic that we won't do for ourselves, but if someone we love is at risk, we pull out all the stops?

We can be silly humans.
Maria Zannini saidā€¦
Sandra: I can't believe you guys lost so much weight. You look pretty darn skinny in your photos.

You're right about doing things together too. I think once he moves back in with me, it'll be easier to cook healthy for both of us.
Maria Zannini saidā€¦
Rula: It was so good to hear from Mike! Poor guy has been through the wringer.

Re: carbs and sugar
That was my catchall too. I think the longer I lived apart from Greg the more lax I became in my eating habits.
Maria Zannini saidā€¦
Barbara: When I'm working hard I forget to eat! LOL!

Just goes to show I'm obviously not working hard enough. :)

I have to be careful when I cook for Greg. His health issues have certain limitations that I have to cook around. Nothing that lots of veggies and quinoa won't solve though.
Jackie saidā€¦
Not exactly dieting in our household but yes we do limit sweets, at least we both do now that my husband can no longer "waste" money going to DQ&convenience store 3 or more times a day for soda/ice cream/candy bars and etc, I personally do not crave sweets anymore except a rare stop for a chocolate milk shake in summer and 1 soda a day for the "caffeine kick" since cannot tolerate coffee.

On rare occasions will bake something super sweet, recently in fact and it was too much for me so will not be doing that again until Thanksgiving and Christmas and then it will be probably 1 pie each holiday meal for the three of us to share.

Maria glad to hear you and Greg are taking it seriously, it is never too late in life to eat more healthy that is for sure!
Cate Masters saidā€¦
Diets only make me think more about food! So I try to focus on working off extra pounds instead. And chasing my grandboys helps a lot. :) Good to hear you're feeling better! One tip: I'll never buy another exercise video again after finding an entire 60-minute video on YouTube of a DVD I'd bought. And tons of others, from dance to yoga to kettlebells to whatever strikes your fancy.
Exercise is a constant for me but it's harder to keep the weight off each year. I try to keep portions small and eat fresh fruits and veggies a lot. Congrats on your weight loss.
Jenny Schwartz saidā€¦
Sugar is sneaky. And I truly believe it's addictive. Once I stop eating it, I don't crave it. But stopping eating it, yowsa! Congrats on the healthy eating, Maria, and seeing results so fast.

Now I have to get back into the not-sugar-everyday groove.
Anonymous saidā€¦
I've dieted and I think they are evil. CHANGING habits is the only way to go and moderation is key. That being said, I've got a three-day cleanse coming up followed by doing the Diabetic Care again to get back on track.

My co-workers are evil. They've twisted my arm for Limited Edition Oreo taste tests and have moved on to Limited Edition chip taste tests. Evil, I tell you! All this processed temptation is on the counter behind my desk. It's a plot!

LOL, but seriously, I have fallen off the high of completing that program earlier this year so must tackle it again.

Great news that you all are seeing results! Long live the sexy bodies ;)

PS: Great news about Mike too. Continued thoughts for a speedy recovery winging their way to him.
Shelley Munro saidā€¦
That's great going, Maria. Dieting is never easy. I'd put on quite a bit of weight during holidays. All my clothes were straining and I decided I needed to do something. Mr. Munro heard about a diet called The Fast Diet or 5.2 diet (if you Google) Two days a week you limit your calorie intake to 500 calories. (600 for a man). For the rest of the week eat normally and have the odd treat.

I've lost weight, my jeans are baggy and I find the diet very manageable. So much so, that I'll probably continue and let it become a life style thing.
Maria Zannini saidā€¦
Jackie: You know, historically, I've never been a big sweet eater, but Greg kind of got me used to desserts.

Illness and injury has a way of changing lifestyles too. What I thought was a minor sprain of my knee turned out to be a permanent disability. It's better, but I'll never be able to do the things I used to.
Maria Zannini saidā€¦
Cate: I've been locating specific exercises on YouTube, but I never tried searching for whole videos.

Thanks for the tip!
Maria Zannini saidā€¦
Susan:
Re: activity level
I think that was why I gained weight. I spent more than a year in a brace or with severely limited mobility, but my eating habits didn't change.

You can't have one without the other. :sigh:
Maria Zannini saidā€¦
Jenny: True! And sugar is in nearly every processed food. I've been trying to eat whole foods on this diet. Nothing out of a can unless I canned it myself.
Maria Zannini saidā€¦
Raelyn:
Re: He sounds tired, but still feisty. :)

Re: diets
One of my fondest memories is the time Greg took me to IHOP for breakfast. We were about 18 to 20 at the time.

We filled up the ENTIRE table with food. And we ate it all. LOL! The waitress couldn't believe it.

Back then, of course, we could eat all day and never gain weight. Greg used to do 100 mile bike rides, and my metabolism was so high I burned off every calorie without trying.

Ah, the good old days.
Maria Zannini saidā€¦
Shelley: Every picture I've ever seen of you, you've been thin as a rail. I should have your problem. LOL.

I'd heard of that "fast" diet. I'll have to see if Greg is interested cuz I hate to suffer alone. :)
Mike Keyton saidā€¦
Three words: Hospital food makes you fat. Bugger. That's five.
Jayne saidā€¦
Wow, well done all of you for sticking to it and having good things to report. I weighed myself today, actually, and was totally saddened. The clues were there. I couldn't fit into my fave jeans. So now I need to either diet or find time to exercise... Phooey. :(