The fox is determined to get foxy.. er, foxier

Because I am foxy at any size, an opinion confirmed by my mate and kits on a regular basis. This said, this summer could not have been called a good beach season by any stretch. At my starting weight (240 pounds on a 5'5 1/2" frame) I was in danger of a rescue squad rolling me back into the water with a concerned news crew standing by to report on the salvation of a beached whale. By next summer I plan to march a svelte 135 pounds in a skimpy bikini onto the sands and pass out dirty looks to adolescent boys who declare me serious MILF material. Ah, bon temps. I am now on the path with a proud 30 pounds under, or more accurately, off my belt, and I will offer my experiences and views on my weight loss, nutrition, and fitness efforts now and in future.

First off, the FOOD PLAN:
1. No "diet foods". I tried Slimfast, but decided it was a bit silly to attempt to change my eating habits using a diet that I would have no reason to stick with after I lost the weight. Likewise with Jenny Craig, South Beach, Nutrisystem, etc. I like to cook and am not a fan of prepackaged foods, which are usually lacking in flavor, texture, and creativity. I like to know what goes into my food and I want it processed as little as possible so I can experience the naturally good flavors, and I want to eat the type of food I'll eat for the rest of my life, even after I reach my weight goals. This meant I had to change my entire attitude toward food and, for weight loss, simply modify the calories by eating smaller portions. With this in mind, we invested in smaller plates, a kitchen scale, and measuring cups and spoons.
2. Absolutely no high fructose corn syrup. It's not coincidence that obesity in the US ballooned following the introduction of HFCS as a replacement for more expensive sugars in processed foods. Our bodies are completely clueless as to how to deal with this unnatural sweetener and therefore it's processed into fat much more easily than any other sugar -and- is the last type of sugar to be converted to energy for our muscles. This stuff is poison and the FDA really needs to get aggressive about getting it out of our food supply if they're serious about lowering the epidemic of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease that's killing so many Americans. Eliminating it from our diet required becoming super food detectives, armed with magnifying glasses to read the miniscule ingredient list print on food packages. You would be amazed where they sneak it in: breads, dressing, sauces, many low fat and fat free foods, snacks, and of course, sodas and fruit drinks. If you're going to have something sweet, check for real sugar or an artificial sweetener like Splenda if you want the no extra calorie option.
3. Eat low fat. There's a reason why this is a 'duh' part of the food plan, but most Americans ignore those nutrition labels even if they grab the item labeled 'low fat' or 'reduced fat' from the shelf. Turn the package over and find that nutrition facts box before you put it in your cart. You want 30% or less of the calories to come from fat. Of course, most of the time you'll have total calories and grams of fat, meaning you have to do some math. Each gram of fat has 9 calories, so a fast way to estimate fat calorie content is to multiply the grams of fat by 10, then multiply that number by 3. If that figure is higher than the total calories, that food is over the 30% ideal. If you're a calorie counter, you can also figure your total daily fat allowance. For example, in a 2000 calorie diet, you can have 600 calories from fat, or 67 grams of fat for the day. I'm not that into counting, so I just make sure everything I buy falls under the 30%, with the exception of a few items like cheese and olive oil, which I use sparingly.
4. Eat high fiber. Another 'duh' item, but the American diet is sorely lacking in fiber. Both soluble (starchy) and insoluble (non-starchy) fiber are important for digestion, prevention of GI cancers, and balanced blood sugar levels throughout the day that can help you avoid binge eating and energy crashes. Since I'm going for weight loss and I love whole foods, I tend to have mostly insoluble fiber in my diet, coming from lots of vegetables and whole grains. I have IBS, which can be exacerbated by high amounts of insoluble fiber, so I compensate by taking a soluble fiber supplement (in my case, Benefiber) about 20 minutes before each meal and have most of my vegetables cooked rather than raw.
5. Practice portion control. Easy way to do this is to divide your dinner plate into fourths in your mind. Your lean protein would take up one fourth, your pasta, rice, or potato another fourth, and the remaining half is for veggies. Use smaller plates to limit how much you pile on. I measure everything for a week every few months to make sure I'm using correct serving proportions, but usually I eyeball it and estimate. Four ounces of a lean protein is about the size of a deck of cards, for example, and a cup is about the size of my fist. I also pay attention to the portion size recommendations on the nutrition facts, especially when it comes to snacks. I never grab the whole bag of pretzels; instead, I measure out the 10 sticks that comprise one 100 calorie serving and only take those with me.
6. Eat three meals and two snacks. Eating several meals keeps you from getting hungry or low on energy, which helps you avoid cravings and binge eating. It also programs your body to metabolize what you eat in an efficient manner, rather than sending it into a roller coaster of feast and famine that will program it to hold onto as many calories as possible to protect against starvation. Make sure you eat breakfast, even if you're not a morning person. After a couple of weeks of eating breakfast, you'll find your metabolism will be in much better balance and you'll never skip breakfast again. Think of breakfast as setting the groundwork for the rest of your day. Include some fiber, such as cereal, toast, or a low fat muffin, some fruit for carbohydrate, and lean protein like lowfat or nonfat dairy or an egg.
7. Trade soda for water and coffee for tea. Even diet soda isn't really good for you. It artificially stimulates appetite, putting you at risk for overeating. Regular soda is just wrong altogether, being full of HFCS and therefore just empty calories. I know, I didn't like water at first either, but I made a commitment to it and I was surprised that it took less than a week for my palate to change so that I truly enjoy drinking water now. Two liters is a minimum for daily intake. I average three to four liters by always having my water bottle in reach. Once you've experienced proper hydration you'll be amazed at how great you feel. As for the coffee and tea thing, while both have caffeine, tea has a lot more in health benefits to offer than coffee does. Tea is high in antioxidents and contains ECGC, which has been found to boost metabolism and fat burning. Green tea is the best option for getting these benefits and isn't as bitter as black tea.
8. Counting calories isn't as important as making calories count. This is the attitude adjustment about food that is the real key to long term success. Initially, yes, you want to carefully measure and count your daily calorie intake so you can adjust your ideas of portion size and menu planning, and yes, calories are important for weight loss, but even more important is changing how you view food. Anything that goes into your mouth you should think about. What is this doing for my body? Is it providing protein, fiber, carbohydrate, vitamins, minerals? Is it overloading my fat and sugar needs? If so, and if I am eating it only for indulgence, how much do I want to have to satisfy my pleasure? It's okay to have a piece of candy or an alcoholic drink just to indulge every once in a while, but do you really need to polish off a bag of kisses or a six pack of beer, or can you satisfy that desire for food pleasure with a chocolate meringue or a really good microbrew light beer? And when you indulge, make it the best quality you can. Skip the can of Coors or bag of Doritos for something more gourmet and you'll need less of it to enjoy it.

To get back to the personal experience, in my case, I'm eating 1200-1500 calories per day split up on average with a 300 calorie breakfast, 100 calorie morning snack, 200 calorie lunch, 100 calorie afternoon snack, and 500 to 600 calorie dinner, with sometimes a 100 calorie dessert. I drink about 3 or 4 liters of water every day, 3 to 4 cups of green tea, and 1 to 2 cups of chamomile, anise, peppermint, or other herbal tea. I take 2 teaspoons of Benefiber 3 times a day. I eat 4 to 6 ounces of lean protein, 2 to 3 servings of nonfat dairy, and 4 to 5 servings of whole grains every day. I'm also taking a prenatal multivitamin, 1000 mg of calcium (with vitamin D), a glucosimine and condroitin blend for my joint pain, and chromium picolinate, which helps regulate sugar and fat metabolism. After 10 weeks on this my palate and appetite have completely adjusted and I have no problems seeing this as the way I'll eat for the rest of my life. The fox eats well! Tomorrow, the fitness plan.