I did consciously do one (very) small thing today that is consistent with my belief that I’m changing my lifestyle, not dieting.  My computer notified me that the batteries in my mouse were “critical” (and I said, “yes they are critical!”).  I was about to send an e-mail to my department secretary to ask her to go through whatever bureaucratic channels she has to go through to obtain two AA batteries.  But, my department office is 33 steps (literally; I counted) away from my office.  So, instead of sending the e-mail, I got up out of my chair, walked to the office and asked the secretary f-2-f.  I know; not a big deal.  But, I firmly believe that it all adds up.

Well, obviously not.  There’s very little agreement as to what constitutes “eating right” and even disagreement about what’s proper exercise.  So, for today, I’ll just write about what I’ve come to believe are basic principles of eating right THAT WORK FOR ME.  I capitalized that last bit because I do think losing weight happens differently for different people.  My working list of principles for eating right involves two things: HOW to eat and WHAT to eat.

HOW TO EAT:

• The first meal of the day is the most important – this one’s always tough for me to implement; but a nutritious and hearty “breakfast” is really important.
• 5 small meals instead of 3 large ones – the idea of breakfast, lunch, dinner is a social construct; it’s just one of those things we’ve always done.
• Drink lots (8 glasses, 64 oz.?) of water – I’ve actually read some stuff refuting the need to drink water to lose weight, but it definitely can’t hurt.  I suck at drinking water; I hate it.
• Don’t eat anything within 2-3 hours of going to sleep – there’s actually no evidence that I’ve found to support this one; for me this is more mental than anything.  I’m able to sleep better and I feel better in the a.m. if I follow this principle.
• Don’t eat until you’re stuffed; eat until satisfied and wait…you’ll feel full before you know it.
• Eat slowly; you’ll fill up faster.
• Make the little, easy substitutions (e.g. skim milk in coffee, sugar substitutes in coffee, low-fat dressings, etc.)
• Vary your foods; don’t let your body get too comfortable – again, no evidence behind this one, but I have found that this works for me, especially to get through those plateau periods.

WHAT TO EAT:

• AVOID trans-fatty acids and partly hydrogenated fats (“bad fats”)
• AVOID “bad carbs” like sugar (especially simple sugars such as high fructose corn syrup) and white flour
• EAT MORE “good carbs” like fruits, vegetables, legumes and unrefined grains such as whole wheat flour and brown rice (unlimited salad vegetables.

So, that’s my starting point.  I’ll probably add more principles as I learn along this journey.

In other words, schools are held accountable to their states for demonstrating consistent improvement in student achievement (measured by state tests). Schools and students are “measured” regularly and those that fail to make adequate (yearly) progress are punished formally.  Often, the informal punishment is worse than formal sanctions.  The local newspapers publish the list of “failing” schools.  Residents and parents complain.  Etc.  It’s a nightmare for any school leader.

You see, it’s a lot like Weight Watchers.  Sure, the basic nutritional aspects of WW are based on sound principles for weight loss.  However, for many, having to weigh in weekly is a tremendous motivator.  In fact, on the WW website, it says, “Many people find the accountability of being weighed by another person helpful to their weight-loss efforts and the structure of going to a Weight Watchers meeting each week is a way to keep commitment strong.”

I’ve done many of the major commercial (and non-commercial) diets in the past.  The ones that worked best were the ones where I had to go “public” with my progress; i.e. where I had to weigh in with someone other than myself.  In other words, I’ve been most likely to lose weight when I feel accountable to someone other than myself.  Thus, this blog is born.

For now, it’s just me.  But, I’m hoping to add additional authors; others who want to go public with their weight loss trials and tribulations.  They may be educators; they may not.  We’ll see.  Should be quite a journey.