I'm blogging at www.melaniedorsey.com . Please join me there.

Apr 23, 2009

Healthy Eating & Weight Loss


Bella~Mella reporting on weight loss...





You may have noticed in my sidebar that I have an article slated to appear in August on the Proverbs 31 online section "Every Day Life." I wrote this article last spring and submitted it to P31. The article is entitled, "The Summer of My Blueberry Cobbler."



(Hello! Anyone else remember the book, "The Summer of My German Soldier"? I read it in middle school.)




Now my article has nothing to do with a German soldier but everything to do with blueberry cobbler!



You'll have to read it to find out why.



January 2008 I figured out an eating plan that was do~able, pain~free and helped me lose 16 pounds. I have kept off the weight and since recently removing sugar and chips from my diet, I have lost 6 more pounds!


So I thought I'd share with you some of my healthy snacks and tips that have worked for me.



Snacks~


1/4 cup of raw nuts


1/2 cup of Greek yogurt with a swirl of honey (Delicious! Really.)


frozen blueberries, thawed slightly, with a swirl of real whipped cream (To me Land O Lakes is the best and I get it in a 3 pack at Sam's. I know it has a little sugar but it's minimal.)


Cucumbers sliced lengthwise, sea salted, dipped in hummus (I like Sabra classic hummus.)
What I like for breakfast~


Whole grain waffle or 1/2 of a sourdough English muffin toasted with a tablespoon of natural peanut butter and sliced bananas (Favorite English Muffin - Bays sourdough)


My homemade smoothie with blueberries


1 fried egg (Spray the pan.) on 1 piece of toast


2 eggs fried, no bread


1 piece of Ezekial bread, toasted with a bit of butter.



The lunch that helped me lose weight last year~


1/2 sandwich, 9 baked tostitos with fresh salsa (I saved the other 1/2 portion of tostitos for an afternoon snack.) I rarely deviated from this lunch. My variety came at dinner time.



Tips for dinner~


Biggest portion came from vegetables or a salad


Smallest portion came from carbs like 1/2 baked potato


Meat portion was less than veggies but slightly more than the carb


Portion control. Portion control. Portion control.



Other strategies that helped me~


Food journal ~ which I had never before been successful in keeping but this time I went over 30 days and I credit that a great deal to my success. I kept a daily calorie count.



Prayer ~ Before I decided on how to lose weight, I prayed that God would direct me to a plan that would work for me. He did.



My watchword ~ "Consistency over time pays off."



What I didn't do~



Beat myself up if I didn't stick to my plan each day


Talk about it incessantly


Give myself a deadline


Exercise strenuously & a lot (I did walk but my focus was on the eating plan.)


Look for my article in August. I have the "backstory," the reasoning behind the title and more tips!



Now...what is your #1 tip for managing your weight?

12 comments:

  1. Wow, that is exciting. I lost 10 lbs last yr by walking alot...and gained 10 lbs by stopping walking alot.

    I need to exercise more & eat less. Those are "simple" things to do to lose weight. It's not some fancy diet or health club.

    ReplyDelete
  2. What an accomplishment for you. I admire everyone that does what you do. I have a plan that works for me. I am a very disciplined eater and that works for me. I have stayed the same size for the last seven years. I do love exercize and not everyone wants to hear that. So, I do not tell people that. Thanks for sharing. I like the blueberries and whipped cream idea.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Having been severely overweight I now use portion control and try very hard to leave the chips alone...I do however use the plan of not denying myself something, so if i want ice cream i have 4 spoonfuls and am good, i have satisified that craving.

    I also try to choose healthy stuff, and i love hummus it is the best with blue tortilla chips or triscuits or on a bagel with provolone and tomatoe.

    i can't wait to read your article.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Melanie~ Thanks for these awesome tips.

    I just watched the Homemakers show today and you and Alisa did GREAT! And you looked great, too - so your portion control and low sugar intake are really paying off! ;-)

    Congratulations again on the birth of this new ministry. I'm so excited for you and Alisa. In about a month, I'll have more time to read blogs, and I plan on getting acquainted with hers then.

    Blessings to you...
    Jennifer

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wow, Melanie!! You did look great in real life!!

    Your tips are all so encouraging. I'm working on healthy choices right now. I can't wait to read the article!!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Can't wait to read your article. Blueberry cobbler is one of my favorite things to make and OD on, so I was naturally drawn to the title. LOL Let us know when it was out.

    I am not doing so well in the weight control deepartment, but I do know what works. PORTION CONTROL!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Weight management is a life-long endeavor for me. Your tips are encouraging. I've been focused on just doing the right things lately and avoiding the temptation to shoot the scales to smithereens. Patience is not a strong point for me. You are leading by example. Thanks BellaMella.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I am horrible at managing my weight. I want to eat what I want. But as I get older I am having to think about this all a little more. I am learning to be better about portion control and thankful my tastebuds have matured and I now enjoy vegetables.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thanks for the comment and the "dieting".. advice.. I have a one year old.. and still have some "baby weight" to loose!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Thank you for this post. This is something I've been working on. I want to eat healthy and lose a few pounds. I know it's true that portion control is the key. Yet, I've seemed to lack the discipline lately.

    You're post inspired me to "get on the ball." You make it sound so easy...with all your great tips. Love some of your meal/snack ideas. I kept your advise in mind when I was at the grocery store yesterday. :)

    Looking forward to your upcoming article.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Good choice on that. Sabra Hummus is the best commercial Hummus I know.

    ReplyDelete
  12. i thank god for sharing your testimony i have also struggled in the weight dept, but god has really gotten my attention in this area, so i have started to put forth an effort to turn things around and be a better steward over my body which is the temple of the holy ghost. i solicit prayers from all the ladies of proverbs 31 ministries and all of the readers. the book of james states "if there be any sick among you, let him call for the elders of the church, and the prayer of faith will raise him. so ladies pls remember to touch and agree with me in your quiet time with god concerning this weight issue, cause i know that god is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we can ask or think. be blessed

    ReplyDelete