Monday, March 25, 2013

D.I.Y. (DO IT YOURSELF)



I've been in the weight loss 'game' for a while now.  Every so often I am amazed with the information that I stumble across.  I titled the blog D.I.Y. because I believe one of the most important factors of weight loss is your diet.

I'd be lying if I said I ate perfectly every single day.   I strive to stay in the middle of the road and make conscientious decisions as much as possible.  However, I have been surprised recently by some of the diet blunders I have made.  I walked to a nearby Chinese restaurant a few weeks ago for lunch.  The cuisine, (if you call it that) is Mall Food Court Chinese food at best.  But... how can you go wrong with string beans?  Well, you can go very wrong with string beans if you deep fry them.  I ordered my food and was waiting for fresh green beans since they didn't have any prepared.  I was taken completely off guard when I saw the cook dump the beans into a metal basket and then lower into a vat of hot oil.  I always thought the beans were blanched or parboiled, then sauteed with a little bit of oil and garlic.  I'd gone to this restaurant a few times without realizing the mode of preparation for my veggies.  Had I taken the time to prepare my lunch before heading into work that morning I wouldn't have ended up with those greasy, yet yummy beans in my styrofoam compartment plate. It's completely unrealistic to say that you'll never eat out.  But, if you have any control over the matter....D.I.Y!!!

When you prepare your own meals you have total control over the amount of fat, sugar, and salt that goes into them.  You get to choose whether the food is baked, broiled, stir fried or sauteed.  Nine out of 10 times some of the best tasting foods have a 'secret' ingredient that is heavy on: sodium, sugar or fat.

By taking a hands on approach on what you eat, there is little room to no room for miscellaneous calories sneaking onto your plate.  If you're wondering why you're not losing as much weight as you think you should be, perhaps you should inquire how some of your favorite foods are prepared.  There very well could be some hidden 'additives' in the foods that you enjoy on a regular basis.  A pinch of sugar here or there... a heaping spoonful of bacon grease in your veggies...or in my case - straight up deep frying string beans.  All of these things could be silent factors that are hindering your progress.

If at all possible, Do It Yourself.  It does a body good....

2 comments:

  1. You're right on point! I find that when I leave lunch "up to chance" I set myself up. These days my sis have a lunch pot luck- which saves our waistlines and our wallets :)

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    1. LOL... too many times I have ended my day with the 'stupid face' because I had to try to figure out how to offset all those calories I ate during the day. That's why I'm trying to stick to journaling my meals as much as possible. It keeps me honest.

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