And So It Starts

I've done quite a bit of dieting throughout my life - some successful - some not so successful.  And I find that it is time to try once again to trim down a bit.  But why a blog this time? I've kept journals on my computer for a while.  I have one that chronicles the places I've visited and one that lists hikes I've taken.  But, when it comes to dieting, the old "food journal" has never quite done it for me.  In fact, the more focus I've put on what I eat, the worse it becomes.  So, you might think that a blog of dieting would work against me.  But, I'm giving it a try.  Having it sort of "public" adds a bit of accountability to the process that may in fact be helpful.

I know about calories.  I know about metabolism.  I know just about all the "facts" that you need to know to understand dieting.  The problems not the knowing.  The problem is the doing.  Other vices can be given up completely.  When you give up smoking, you don't smoke anymore.  When you give up drinking, you can choose to give it up altogether.  But if I was to just give up eating - well, that wouldn't work.  So with dieting moderation is essential- and truly the crux of the problem.

I'm lousy at diets that give you menus to follow.  The reason is really simple. You read these meal menus and they sound great.  You go out and buy the food to prepare them, but of course, you have to buy more food than needed to prepare each meal.  And then....you have left over ingredients to either rot in the fridge until you discard them or to tempt you to eat what you shouldn't.  Truth be told, we eat in "spurts".  We buy some great looking grapes and eat them frequently until they are gone.  We don't eat ten grapes one day, 6 strawberries the next and a medium apple the next.  We buy grapes by the pound and strawberries by the quart and we eat them.

So, my goal for this dieting attempt to to eat healthier and hopefully reduce by 15-20 pounds during 2011.  I have a family history of Type 2 Diabetes.  I'd like to delay my own onset of this as long as possible.
The best diet advice I've read of late suggested picking three things to focus on and to try to follow these each day.  My three things are:  increase my daily servings of fruit by one/day; no eating after dinner; and walk my dog daily.  I'm sort of cheating because I already walk my dog pretty close to daily, but some early success may be helpful.