Losing weight without losing your wallet

With the begining of a New Year, everybody makes resolutions to change various behaviors, and weight loss is one of the top. End result is a round of new"diet" foods and exercise products hitting the store shelve and advertisements. The big 3 weight loss programs also run more commercials pronising how they have been some famous spokespersons answer at long last, and so the idea comes through that weight loss means parting with extra dollars. Yesterday i heard someone tell me that they would lose weight, but they just cannot afford diet food.
(Breakfast-Pumpkin Banana Oats topped with crasins, almonds, coconut, flax, pepitas , goji berries and olive oil with yogert on the side)

Guess what ? Neither can I. But you want to know the good news ? You do not have to buy diet food or join a program to lose weight. You can do it completely on your own, eating real food hat is afforable. That is exactly what the three of us have been doing. While we follow the Weight Watchers Flex plan and Core plan( almost), we do it without meetings of any kind. As a family, some may say , we form our own support group, but the truth of the matter is , no program, support system, coach, mentor or TV Camera is going to be the one who chooses what you put into your mouth or refuse. Nor are they going to be the ones that strap on the gym shoes and get your butt moving. Both of those things are very much individual, personal works that MUST be motivated by a true desire to change your life, born of a point in time where you are done with the old you. Till you hit that point, no program on earth will work, and once you hit that place you really do not need it.

(Lunch-Homemade Hummus, carrots, celery and apples with yogert)


Motivation aside, lets talk about food. There are 100 Calorie packs, Lean Cusines, Heathy Choice , Slim Fast and so on what nots lining the shelves that seem like a smart way to eat. Not so- most are not real food in the least. Most , while calorie controled, contain high levels of sodium and chemical preservatives that may actually work against your weight loss efforts. While portion controlled, most contain such tiny portions that you are left hungry, and as a result you will snack yourself into a weight gain. Real food is not difficult to measure, does not contain junk additives and satisfies your body. That is , after all, the real reason we get hungry.
(dinner-Chicken sausage in jarred Marinara sauce over couscous and a salad)

I am posting pictures of three of the meals I have eaten over the last 24 hours just to show how filling a diet of real food can be. Filling , affordable and containing actual nutrients to fuel my body. I use fresh fruit and veggies for snacks as well as fat free cheese, limit starches to whole grain and exercise with what I can at home. It is affordable, family friendly , mostly shelf stable and nutritious. Weight loss does not mean special foods and special membership fees. It simply means reaching a point where you really want to change your life and then just do it.