Buds are blooming, sweaters are stashed, and calories are cut. It must be Spring!
This is the time of year when many of us realize that the pecan pie at Thanksgiving, pastries at Christmas and Chanukah, and Valentine’s Day chocolates are still appearing somewhere on our bodies. If even the thought of a pair of shorts or a bathing suit puts you in a cold sweat… this story is for you.
I am here to guide you to a diet that will help you shed pounds without feeling deprived. You won’t need to buy fancy products, your food won’t resemble cardboard, and you won’t feel like you need to lock yourself away until the calendar turns to June. This unique plan is called, “The CS Diet” and here are the rules:
- Be generous and donate 1-2 tablespoons of everything that would normally eat to an imaginary basket. In other words, take your normal portion and ditch 1-2 tablespoons of it.
- Make sure you eat a fruit and vegetable at every meal.
- Drink water or sparkling water at and between every meal. Shoot for no less than 8-10 cups a day, and even more if you are working out vigorously.
- Weigh yourself every Friday and Monday and chart your weight on graph paper. Be sure your present weight is at the top of the chart (on the vertical line) so that from today on, you’ll be charting numbers that go down.
- Have 2 snacks a day, if needed, between lunch and dinner and between dinner and bed. Choose your snack way before it’s time to eat it so that you’re not impulsively grabbing something when you are feeling starved.
- Do something to move your body every day. Choose an activity you’ll be able to do consistently and without dread. Walk your dog, dance in your kitchen, plant some flowers, or take a stroll at lunch with a co-worker. Just do something.
- Speak positively to yourself. Be your biggest fan. Remind yourself at every meal that you are in charge of every piece of food you put in your mouth. You choose food – it doesn’t choose you, so choose wisely.
- Don’t hang onto clothing that you wore in high school (unless you are in high school) if those sizes are unrealistic. If you have an article of clothing that’s a size smaller than you’re wearing now, hang it outside of your closet and try it on the last day of every month. Reward yourself with a new item (not a hot fudge sundae) when your clothing fits.
- Remember that your ‘goal’ weight is a better weight than you are today. Most importantly, make your goal to eat better and focus on what goes on your plate because that will predict what fits in your pants.
And last but not least, what does the “CS” in The CS Diet stand for? If you haven’t guess by now, it’s common sense: the only approach that will last.