Monday, September 09, 2013

Don't Get Fat Plan

Honestly I wish I had a better name for what I'm about to write about... but I don't

When Charity was 28 weeks pregnant with Sophie I did the worse thing a dad could do; I went on a diet.  Up till that point I had eaten everything with Charity during her whole pregnancy.  I walked into the bathroom one night, weighed myself and realized I was up to 177 pounds (the most I've ever weighed in my life).  I walked out of the bathroom, told her I was going to the gym and started what I called my Don't Get Fat Plan.

The don't get fat plan has three major foundations to make it successful, and I'm about to share all my secrets with you:

1) Portion Control
This is number one for a reason.  Most people don't have self control when it comes to eating.  I can say that because I lost self control for eating in my life and I still struggle with it.  I love to eat a huge dinner with a few sodas and then pack in the dessert but it's not helpful.

The key to keeping at your ideal weight (in my plan) is to have portion control.  You can eat a footlong subway, but you don't need to the whole sandwich.  Next time you're eating a meal and your stomach signals your brain that its full listen.  Stop eating and don't worry about wasting the rest of the food, you can save it for later.

2) Eat at Set Times 
This is number two for a reason.  I have five set times in the day I eat my meals.  They are usually at: 8am, 10am, 12pm, 3pm and 5:30pm.  I can't always eat at these set times but I do my best to eat within 30 minutes of each time.  I eat a normal breakfast, have a healthy snack at 10am, eat a normal lunch, have another healthy snack in the afternoon and then eat a smaller dinner.  Dinner is the culprit for me to overeat at; so you gotta be ready to say no!

Here are some ideas for breakfast:
Home-made smoothie, bowl of oatmeal with fresh fruit, waffles with honey, pancakes with mixed berries or bacon and eggs.

Snack options:
Banana (my favorite), dried mangos, raw almonds, apple, apple with peanut butter or chips and salsa.

3) Work Out
I put this last on the list for a reason.  I don't get to the gym five times a week.  I don't do cross fit (although I'd like to try it) and the reality is I'm a dad!  I wish I could get to the gym three times a week but most often its 1 or 2 times max.  I get there for about 60 minutes, do some cardio, work out and do some more cardio.  I don't lag around.  I don't stare in the mirror.  I go to work out.

There you have the basics of my Don't Get Fat Plan.

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