"Focus on the Healthy Stuff"
copyright 2002 by Greg Landry, M.S.
Last year, A lady called me about her frustrating
attempts at weight loss. She said she had gone from
diet to diet for over 25 years, only to end up
fatter and with a slower metabolism after each
"diet".
We talked for a long time, but the gist of it was
this; I told her to "dump the diets" and start
focusing on pursuing fitness and health. We talked
about a few fruits and vegetables she really liked.
We talked about all the benefits we get from fruits
and vegetables and how we forget how good they
really taste, because we're bombarded with fat-laden
foods day after day.
She mentioned that she reeeeeally liked tomatoes,
which also happens to be a favorite of mine. I mean
I'm a tomato fanatic. I absolutely love them!
We talked about her focusing her eating on some
fruits and vegetables she really liked and doing
some creative things with tomatoes. I also told her
to start walking EVERY morning - even if it was only
10 or 15 minutes some mornings, but to try to
get 30 to 45 minutes in every day. I also told her to
do a basic weight training program at home with
dumbells.
Well, I hadn't heard from her in nine months and she
called me last week. She's lost 48 pounds in nine
months. She said she focused on some fruits and
vegetables she likes, but went crazy with fresh
tomatoes. She used over 10 healthy recipes that use
lots of tomatoes. She even ate tomato hash browns
(without oil) and tomato sandwiches for breakfast
sometimes! She was so excited and said she has
never felt so good in her life!
Now, I'm NOT suggesting that you only eat one or
two foods, but I am suggesting that you find the
delicious fruits and vegetables that you like and a
few that you REALLY like, and focus on these
wonderful foods that God has given us. These are the
REAL, naturally low fat foods that we should
be eating! We've forgotten how good so many fruits
and veggies really taste - yes even without fat-laden
sauces, cheeses, butter, etc. I challenge you to
re-discover the delicious fruits and vegetables you
really like.
Cook a huge pot of several veggies you like. They'll
be available all week without alot of preparation
time when you're hungry. Maybe mix them with some brown
rice and squeeze some fresh lemon juice over them...
there's nothing better!
You can do the same with fruits. Make a big fruit
salad with three or four fruits you enjoy. Keep it
in the fridge for quick access when you're hungry.
Here are some of my favorites (and some resources):
1. Lemons are one of my favorites. You can do so
much with them. My kids love squeezing them for fresh
juice that we use for a variety of things.. salads,
vegetables, rice, to make salad dressings, lemon aid,
etc.
Check out http://www.sunkist.com for lots
of helpful info on using lemons.
Grow your own lemons and other citrus indoors or out
on true dwarf citrus trees. Call Four Winds Growers
for their catalog of dwarf citrus trees:
1-510-656-2591
2. Tomatoes are really high on my list - nutritious
and great for salads, sandwiches, vegetables, sauces,
etc. I put tomatoes on practically everything!
Call these companies for their catalogs of 100's of
varieties of tomato seeds you can grow at home, some
even indoors year-round:
Tomato Growers - 1-888-478-7333
Totally Tomatoes - 1-803-663-0016
3. Garlic is loaded with health benefits and can aid
your weight loss efforts by giving flavor to numerous
foods! Check out this garlic site:
http://www.GarlicFestival.com
What are your favorites? Tell us about it. Any
healthy resources you can share with our readers,
phone numbers? Web sites? Send them to:
Greg
Author and exercise physiologist, Greg Landry,
offers FREE weight loss success stories and his
"Fast, Healthy Weight Loss" newsletter at his site:
Fitness
copyright 2002 by Greg Landry, M.S.
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