The Snack-Factor Diet

I recently read The Snack-Factor Diet by Keri Glassman. She argues that the key to weight loss is snacking to keep ones energy up and ones metabolism high. On the whole it was an OK book. Although it's more of an eating plan than a 'diet'. But of course, what you eat doesn't affect your metabolism - one of the many metabolism myths.  I greatly disapprove of her opinion that dieters should not eat fruit for the first month of the diet, to lose the taste for sweetness. I think that's just plain stupid. She was also quick to recommend the snack bars that her company produces. I did like that she said that if you stray from the diet each meal is a chance to start over again. I don't think she broke any new ground with her book, but there was some solid advice there.

Thanksgiving is tomorrow. I plan on indulging, but not over-indulging. Wish me luck!

On the Road Again

Maintaining ends so quickly and then it's time to lose again. My next goal is to hit 179 by Valentine's Day. That means I'll have lost 120 pounds and, according to my BMI, no longer be obese. I'll be overweight. Woo-hoo!

This cycle I'm going to have to lose over Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's. Yikes!

As always, here is a photo tour of my journey so far:

Vindication!

Many of the diet and heath books I have read (with one exception) have a similar comment. They all say that you shouldn't weigh yourself very much when you're trying to lose weight. Some have said once a week, some have said once a month, one even said never.

I've never followed that. I like to weigh myself every day. OK, I weigh myself a compulsive three times a day. I do it when I wake up, after my workout, and just before I go to bed. The one that 'counts' is the after workout weight.

I do it because I like to know what's going on. I like to see the rewards and consequences right away. I think that it keeps me more in touch with my intake and helps me squelch possible binges if I know that I am going to have to hop on the scale that night. And I have been vindicated!

The University of Minnesota did a study that showed that people who are trying to either lose or maintain their weight do better if they weigh themselves daily. Here is the link.

I love being right.