BEFORE



AFTER



THE most important tool in losing weight is keeping a food diary--writing down EVERYTHING you eat--even when you go off the diet. can't be bothered writing down what and how much you are eating?? Then, obviously, you DON'T want to lose weight!

IF you keep your weight off for 5 or more years you will not regain it all if you do gain weight again.

Yes, it's semantics BUT it is an attitude. You don't want to lose weight--when you lose something you want to find it (and you usually do)--you want to get rid of weight.

It makes no difference when you consume your calories--yes, even eating before you go to sleep--it is the total amount of calories you take in within a 24 hour period!! (I am living proof of that--I do the majority of my eating at night.)

The best, safest weight loss will be an average of 1-1 and 1/2 pounds a week.

It is harder to keep the weight off then to take it off.

Weigh only ONCE a week--the same day, same time, same scale. At the same time take your measurements--women, especially, will have weeks where they lose inches instead of pounds.

How long have you been fat? (Yes, fat, not overweight--even obese is too nice sounding!) How about giving that amount of time to getting it off??

Yes, the more exercise you do the faster the weight will come off BUT I am not an exerciser and have gotten and kept my weight off without exercising.

Start a diet on Saturday--not Monday or January first or after you pig out.

There is NO excuse for going off your diet--you can go to parties, eat out, travel, do whatever and stick to it.

IF you go off your diet it is not the end of the world--get back on it the very next day or when you are finished binging.

Know yourself--I can handle not having any cookies better than I can eating just one or two.

Don't reward yourself with food--buy a book, get a new piece of clothes, go to a movie.

Eat like a thin person--leave something on your plate (and I don't mean the fork!)--put the utensil down between bites--the food will still be there--eat from a plate not a jar, box or package--don't eat everything in 5 minutes--take at least a half hour--don't eat from someone else's plate--dont' eat between meals--don't eat alone always eat in front of someone--no 'sneak' eating.

So you eat when you are sad, mad, glad, feeling guilty, feeling alone, at a happy occasion, at a funeral--go have sex instead (unless, like me, you get hungry afterward LOL) or read a book or plant a flower--stop turning to food for everything.

Want to lose weight?? START NOW!!! Write down what you are eating. Your first and only goal right now is to get rid of the first 5 pounds or go down one size.

You can do it IF YOU WANT TO--and if I can help don't hesitate to ask.

Comments:

the text is bang on, Martin, but those photos are not good promo... look what they say is, "if you lose weight you will get old" !!!is that the message you want to sell?

comment by clovis on Apr 4, 2008 1:23 AM ()

Sorry, I look a lot hunkier, sexy and hot in the after pictures than I do in the before--plus I am 30 years older in the after but because fat makes me look older the age difference doesn't look that great--in other before and after pictures i post the age difference will be slight and you will see that thinner I am hotter!!!

reply by greatmartin on Apr 4, 2008 8:59 AM ()

so now you are a diet guru.
I do not keep count for I cannot count.

comment by fredo on Apr 3, 2008 9:14 AM ()

I've been one since 1967--seriously there is NOTHING you can tell me about dieting and/or nutrition that I don't already know and/or have tried--you 'natural skinnies' wouldn't understand that!!!

reply by greatmartin on Apr 3, 2008 3:47 PM ()

You're pictures inspire me, martin. I'm one of those "middle" people, never really fat, never really thin. I don't want to be a size 5, I'm 5'9" and big boned. I'd be happy with a 12. Right now, I'm down to a 16 and shrinking from eating right and exercise. I know that I can stay with this. Sugar is off the menu for me as well as bleached flour, rice, etc. If I stay true, I know that I can make it all the way. There's nothing easy about this. I think when I quit smoking 28 years ago it was easier. Thanks for keeping us all inspired those of us who are fighting.

I started writing it all down about 6 weeks ago, now I keep a diary of the carbs and calories as well.

by writing everything down do you also mean how many calories each item was? I have started doing some of things already. I leave food on my plate or I only have one serving, where I would normally have 2 or 3. I am staying away from sweets. any advice you can give me I appreciate. I have so far lost 11 pounds!