Do you give up when the going gets tough? When you are stressed out are you heading for the Star Bucks drive thru for the 3rd frappe of the day? That is just as bad as the multiple martini’s at five o’clock.

Life is busy! In fact it is too busy. This “busy-ness” will be the excuse that “I can’t eat right because _________ (fill in the blank).” You have a bad day on earth school, miss lunch, work overtime, and a family obligation. So you chuck the diet, skip the exercise and drive through the fast food place for a high fat and salt meal and plunk yourself down in front of the boob-tube. You zone out and don’t even remember what you ate and what it tasted like.

In a day like that, your eating plan was too difficult to follow. Why? Did you set yourself up for failure? We will have days that just go Kaboom! If every day is like that, that is a problem.

A “diet” can be too difficult. A “diet” can feel like deprivation. A “diet” can mean hours of “hunger”. So: “difficult, “deprivation” and “hunger” are quick paths to failure.

A “diet” can instill “fear”. You probably have “tried” diets and failed. “Diets” feel like a burden. Instead of  thinking “diet”, think “eating plan”. You have been on an “eating plan”. It might have been random and not healthy. Now you are choosing a healthy eating plan.

I can shop without a list. I spend a hundred dollars and get junk. Every time I take the time to plan out a menu, I spend about the same amount of money, but eat much better. So, I am asking you to change your random eating to a healthy eating plan. It will take a while to get used to, but worth it.

Are you used to convenience at all cost? Then pick an eating plan that is “convenient”. You might go with the Nutrisystem or Jenny Craig food plans. It is easy. Not cheap, but easy. Just make sure you have the food with you.

You want to diet on a budget. That means you have to plan. Plan all your meals, breakfast, lunch, dinners and snacks. Make your grocery list based on your menu. Buy from your grocery list. I plan a big shop every 2 weeks, when I get paid. I do a smaller shop for produce and dairy on the off week. I stock up on the freezer items. In the summer I belong to a CSA farm (consumer supported agriculture). I get tons of vegetables from June through Oct.

Plan you menu then work your plan. Mornings are not my best time so I make my lunch the night before. I keep nuts in my lunch bag for times when I just have to eat. I also bring a lot of water. You should see my lunch pail (LOL). I bring one container of water with 2-3 drops of Young Living Essential OilPeppermint. It is a great pick me up in the afternoon, instead of iced coffee with all the fixin’s. 

Here is an example of working your plan. Today I was off of my hospice job. In the last several weeks, I have gone out of town teaching, sandwiched between my regular work schedule. That means I haven’t had any time off. Today I was very very tired. I had a morning meeting followed by a client visit. I had some errands to do this afternoon and was about to run out without eating. I would have stopped at a fast food place. I am committed to eating healthy. So I stopped myself. I made a healthy lunch and ate it. Saved at least $5.00 to boot.

Weight loss is about commitment and adjusting your life style. It isn’t hard. It is small changes that you do every day.

You can do it! How? One Healthy Choice at a time. To get started, you can get your free “5 Tips for Successful Weight Loss” report. Go a head, it is free!

Blessings, Mary Pat

Mary Pat FitzGibbons RN MS writes on weight loss and other health issues facing Baby Boomer Women today.

PS: Don’t for get to join me in the 30 day blog challenge here: http://JeanetteCates.com/30days/