I’ve been overweight for seventeen years. At my heaviest, I was 315 pounds. I’ve tried the shakes, the supplements, and the diets, but nothing lasted for more than a few months. Even when I could see the results, I would stumble, regaining every pound and a few tag-a-longs. However, it’s a new year and I’m optimistic that this will be the year that I lose one hundred pounds. That’s my goal, a hundred pounds by this time next year. Honestly, fifty pounds would make a huge difference on my joints. I’ve never been skinny, so I’ll still have curves and body issues that nature and childbirth have bestowed upon me.
Speaking of curves, have you seen the commercials with Kirstie Alley promoting Jenny Craig and the meal plans? She looks fabulous and I admit that she inspires me, but those meal plans aren’t realistic on my budget. Not to mention, Jenny would have to cater for my family of five. So, I’m left to do battle in my kitchen. For me, meal planning is the hardest part of any weight loss regime. Did I mention that I don’t like to cook? If it takes more than thirty minutes, then you can bet it was store bought. There are so many better cooks in the world than I. Suzanne Somers’ has some great Somersize recipes. Dr. Atkins has some tasty low carb-no carb recipes. Then, there are the Hellers who have recipes for the carb addict. At some point, I will be using multiple recipes from each of their books to satisfy my picky eaters.
A couple of years ago, I followed Suzanne’s recipes and lost thirty pounds. She made it so simple because the lists of foods that are good for you was there for me to take to the market. She not only showed you what you could eat, but she also had a list of foods to avoid. These were placed on the fridge as a reminder. Furthermore, she breaks her plan up into a couple of levels and gives you examples of meals to eat at those levels. The idea is that you lose weight by controlling your insulin levels.
Over the years, some of what I’ve learned has stuck, like occasionally eating whole wheat pasta or bread instead of the flour based brands. Although my husband and I enjoy the flavor, simply mentioning spaghetti with wheat noodles will have my children pleading to go to Grandma’s for dinner. Satisfying everyone can be tricky, that is why it’s important for me to plan and prepare some meals in advance. I found a recipe for Crockpot meatballs that I can’t wait to try because my Crockpot is my kitchen mate. I, also, want to look into Freezer Cooking because I don’t want to plan and cook just to throw everything away.