I’ve lost half my bodyweight so for the rest of my life I will eat a very health-supporting diet to maintain it. Thanks to the BodyBugg, I know that my basic daily metabolism rate is only around 1450 to 1500 calories a day if I don’t do a workout. That would be a day of poking around the house and generally working at my desk. I saw my daily calorie burn drop nearly two years ago when I began working at home and I was no longer walking to the bus or train, walking to and from my office, and walking all over downtown Chicago.
I know I have very little latitude in how much I can eat in a typical day and maintain my weight. I don’t really mind; I chose my daily diet by what makes me feel great. I’ve learned from experience that how I eat determines how I feel throughout the day. I’ve gone long enough with a diet of clean whole foods now that if I take an indulgence I can actually feel shaky or even lethargic from as little as just one doughnut! Whole milk tastes like sucking down a stick of butter!
I keep it very simple day to day and vary my diet only for special occasion meals out. My breakfast is some combination of a greens and protein drink, poached egg whites, and a half cup of plain brown rice. I know the value of whole grains but breakfast carbs are triggers for me. Brown rice gets the job done. I steam up a whole cup (dry measure) and portion it out into four containers. I warm it up in the microwave. I know that a high-quality whole grain cereal or sprouted whole grain English muffins would be a good choice, but I tend to want to overeat those so I will not keep a whole package of anything like that in the house.
Lunch and dinner generally include a big salad of lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, and celery. I eat servings of broccoli and Brussels sprouts every day, either stir fried without oil or roasted. I also like steamed string beans or French green beans. I eat chicken breast or lean beef at either lunch or dinner, usually not both. I’ll have a protein drink to be sure my base intake is sufficient. I often have turkey burgers or 97% lean ground sirloin in the freezer.
I flavor my food with sweet onions, diced tomatoes, fresh garlic, lemon and lime juices, balsamic and wine vinegars, and low-sodium soy sauce. I love to use basil, rosemary, thyme, ginger, and tarragon. I have a mister to add a very light spray of olive oil to roasted vegetables if I want them to crisp up a bit in the oven. I use a steamer, an egg cooker that poaches and boils, a wok, and a George Foreman grill. I had a small crock pot but it died. I need to get a new one!
I have not attempted to lose more weight because I felt I would have to run my daily calorie intake too low or add an amount of exercise that would be too much. Either way, it would not be sustainable and the weight would come back. I would not be surprised if I put weight back on if I stop the daily kettlebell swings routine in February. Still, I am liking the routine enough to want to do it several times a week, on-going so we’ll see.
Clean, simple, whole, and fresh! It’s what makes me feel great! Of course, anybody can say they have a diet that “works.” The real issue is if it works for YOU and if you can follow it consistently. In my upcoming book, 100 Lbs Off, I will describe an approach I’ve developed for using experience to guide you to naturally sustainable habits that are unique to you.
