I dont need strict "diets" or complicated meal plans. Honestly, who has the time and motivation to stay with them long term anyway? (Congrats to the people who do - Because I definately dont!)

Personally, I dont think you have to deprive yourself to lose weight. It's all about moderation. Lifestyle changes and wise choices. Back to basics!

 

SO! First of all, I've cut back on calories. To begin with, that meant using the Weight Watchers Point system.  I think that if you have a reasonable knowledge of what's healthy and what's not, and can use your points wisely, then WW is really cool. I actually found it fun to do, and I got good results.

 

But then I got the Kickstart Plan out of New Idea Magazine, and decided to try that for a few weeks. I have insulin resistance, and was told that it could help balance it out.  The first phase is only 2 weeks, low cal, and low GI. A lot of soup, vegetables and nuts. It had a detox-effect. After 2 weeks on it my body had completely re-adjusted. "Bad" cravings had gone, and my body could only handle small portions of food. Fatty food made me want to puke. So I didnt eat it anymore. Which was great! 

 

Because of that, at the moment, I'm not even worrying about counting points, or calories. My body lets me know what I need. I know my limits.

 

I'm still trying to keep within the Low-GI aspect though, because it is supposed to help with regulating blood sugar levels. So I have a lots of salads, vegetables, fruit and lean protein. I only ever drink water. Around 2 litres a day. I've never actually liked coffee or soft drinks, so it's not like I was giving anything up. If I want chocolate, pizza, pasta, or alcohol I can have it, in moderation - Without beating myself up for having "bad" food!

 

In spite of what so many people keep telling me, I know that you can have your cake and lose weight too :P You just have to be smart about it.

 

At the moment, my daily menu goes something like this:

Breakfast: 2 slices of low GI Burgen toast with marmite

I dont have a morning snack - I'm so busy working that I dont get hungry or think about food.

Lunch varies. Salad with tuna, bacon, or chicken, or baked beans. Or a tortilla wrap. Or pasta. Sometime's it's just a yoghurt. I dont have any specific pre-determined meal.

Afternoon snack is around 4 pm, after work. Usually it's just a yoghurt, a handful of almonds or pistachios, or fruit. Occasionally I'll have a fruit smoothie or frozen yoghurt.

Dinner is whatever's on the menu. I still live at home, so I get what everyone else gets. My Mum is health-conscious though, so it's not a problem. Stir-fry, a pasta dish, whatever. It's all good. Now that we're getting into summer, it's mostly salad, grilled vegetables, and fish or chicken. Fresh food and Lean protein. Can't go wrong with that.

Most days I dont have dessert.  When I do, it's either a yoghurt, fruit, nuts or a little icecream. Some days, if I'm craving it, I'll have a chocolate biscuit, but we usually dont have them in the house.

When it comes down to it, it's not depriving, I never get hungry. and I lose weight! Can't complain about that! 

Oh, by the way; most weeks we have takeout one night - usually Saturday or Sunday.  I tend to get a wrap or sub from subway, or something from the McD's Salads Plus menu. But if I feel like a Filet O Fish or chicken burger, I'll have it. But no fries or soft drink. They're not even remotely healthy, and they make me feel like crap!