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| Written by Kimberly Hartke of HartkeisOnline.com |
 Guest Blog Post by Kimberly Hartke of HartkeisOnline.com.
I started a weight loss effort this time of year, one of the few New Year's resolutions in my life that bore fruit. It was January 2004. My husband and I just returned from Miami, where we had decided to lose weight. Looking at all those beautiful people on South Beach, in their string bikinis and perfect bodies must have gotten to us. Keith told me, "If you'll cook it, I'll eat it."A few months earlier, a photo of a svelte bride, flanked by two of her already married, and pleasingly plump girlfriends (one of them me) had pricked my conscience about my weight. But, I had tried and failed sooo many times. I knew lots of things that didn't work--skipping meals, sodas instead of food, meal replacement bars and drinks, bouillon broth meals, food combining, cookie diets. I had deprived and starved myself to thinness a number of times, only to have the weight creep back on, once I went back to my normal eating patterns. But. This time was different. Our weight loss became medically necessary. I was suffering from chronic knee pain, and Keith had just been diagnosed with high blood pressure and pre-diabetes. We were resolved, and took the matter very seriously--like it was life and death. A found a diet book that helped us, for which we are eternally grateful. We have achieved lasting weight loss by making significant and lasting changes to our eating habits. Inspired by the South Beach Diet, by cardiologist, Dr. Arthur Agatston, we now avoid high glycemic foods (starchy carbs) and have added more healthy fat to our diet. My husband says the secret to our success is the "principle of substitution." Yes, we gave up certain foods, some of them our "favorites," but we were able to do so by finding a satisfying substitute. We cleared out our pantry. We only allowed foods in the house that were on our diet. We stopped buying processed convenience foods. We nixed the take-out pizza and chinese food. No more drive thru, fast food meals. I started cooking every meal from scratch, using fresh produce, with meat or fish. Our meals were simple, nothing fancy or complicated. At the same time, we added back into our diet foods that were previously "forbidden" such as eggs and red meat, between meal snacks, and fat in the form of olive oil, nuts and avocado. We discovered the health benefits of grassfed beef and bison and wild-caught fish. We also adapted a new fitness regime. We started doing cardio and strength training at a local gym several days a week. Keith lost 30 lbs, I lost 20, within 3 months. We have kept it off for going on 7 years. I now believe that there are a number of keys to successful weight loss. First, get serious about it, make changes like your life depends on it. Second, eat more meals at home, learning to enjoy the art of cooking. Third, take more responsibility for your food choices-- carefully source your food, and read ingredients labels. Fourth, keep your blood sugar on an even keel with balanced meals, moderate portions and by employing healthy snacks. And finally, increase your activity level to boost your metabolism and get your body burning more energy. Kimberly Hartke is publicist for the Weston A. Price Foundation, a nutrition education non-profit. Her foray into a healthier lifestyle began with her weight loss efforts. Her blog, Hartkeisonline.com brings the many voices of the local foods movement to the rest of the world, via the internet. Kimberly is the Global Advertising Sales Director for Realfoodmedia.com a group of 100 food bloggers who focus on green living, home cooking, and natural parenting. |
Comments
And, yes, stress raises cortisol and can interfere w/ weight loss. Walking and eating right for your type can help you manage that. All the best to you.
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