My weight loss plan is pretty simple. I want to achieve a weight loss of about 2 pounds/week, which will place me at my target weight of 115 pounds sometime at the end of April 2001. The plan works like this:

1. Limit my daily calorie intake to 1200 calories
   • No low-carb diet for me, thank you. I am having success simply by doing it the 'old fashioned' way of strict calorie counting. During the week, I accomplish my intake by drinking Slimfast for breakfast and lunch while I am at work, sometimes having a light snack in the afternoons. When I come home, I have a small dinner of less than 300 calories, then use up the remaining couple hundred calories for late-night snacking. Though this parts from the documented Slimfast plan of "a sensible (evening) meal," it keeps me from getting so voraciously hungry at night that I start snacking indiscriminately.
     
   • During the weekends, I relax a little and simply try not to indulge. I really don't like to give off the impression to my boyfriend that I am "dieting" by drinking Slimfast while I am around him, so I simply eat small and sensible portions.
   
   
2. Drink plenty of water (64 ounces or more daily)
   • This is real simple to do by must keeping a water bottle at my desk and every 5 or 10 minutes or so taking a large swig. At home on the weekends, I am not quite so good about this, but I end up drinking a lot of decaffinated tea with my boyfriend while he is over.
   
   
3. Exercise and do weight training 3 or 4 times a week for at least 30 minutes
   • I attend a Tai Chi class once per week. The other times, I use exercise videos for aerobic and weight-training. Like my attitude with the Slimfast, I don't like anyone to know that I use the videos because it just screams "diet." I hope that as it gets warmer in the spring and summer, I can start doing outdoor things like hiking and biking, and if the money is there, perhaps horseback riding lessons. And outdoor stuff is just more fun and athletic.

1. I'm Single and Living Alone on the Weekdays
   This means that I have complete control over what I eat, rather than eating what my family eats or what my boyfriend cooks for the both of us. This also means that I can exercise to cheesy aerobic videos and no one will pass judgement.
   
   
2. I Love to Dance
   Since I was a child, I loved expressing myself through movement. I still love to dance in my studio. During the last month or so my boyfriend and I have joined a bi-weekly folk-dancing group, and I certainly work up a sweat then! It makes me feel better about my relaxation on the weekend.
   
   
3. I Don't Have Children
   • Although it is harsh to put it this way, many women gain weight after they have children. While I notice many women who have kids return close to their pre-pregnancy weight, I have noticed many who don't. Over 2/3rds of the weight-loss stories I have read on the internet are about women who gain 20 or 30 pounds after each child. And it really isn't much in their control. I know that if I had to look after the needs of an infant or child, watching what I eat and finding the time to exercise would be the last thing on my mind. I am happy not to have that be an obstacle for me.
   
   
4. I Don't Have Any Health Complications
   • Unlike many that struggle with their weight, I don't have to to worry about my insulin levels going wonky with all the sugar in the Slimfast drinks; and I don't have to worry about such conditions as hypothyroidism which grinds metabolism to a halt. For those of you that have to take this into account when selecting a diet, all the more support. I am skeptical of people who chose low-carb or no-carb diets or anyone of the fad diets without the direct advice of a health professional who can understand a person's specialized diet needs. Then again, I am not exactly the poster-child for balanced nutrition myself. My point is that fad diets are so restrictive that it is no wonder that they fail.

1. I Love Wine, Cheese, and Red Meat
   • I grew up in the midwest, and with that came the pleasure of knowing what a really good juicy hamburger or t-bone steak was like. I never developed a taste for fish or seafood. Yuck. I also love cheese, which I have had to severely restrict in order to maintain my 1200 cal/day limit. Thankfully there is such a thing as reduced-fat Mozarella, which with a toasted english muffin and a spoonful of tomato sauce can go a long way to satisfying a pizza craving. I also love wine, and though I don't have a lot of it at home, whenever I am at a social gathering and it is offered, I indulge in several glasses.
   
   
2. I Have a Boyfriend that Can Eat Anything (within Reason)
   • This is what got me into trouble in the first place. I was joining him for those 2 slices of melted-cheese on toast, having 1/2 pound hamburgers, and omlettes with the works whenever we ate together. That's how I gained 4-6 pounds in the 3 months since we started dating. While he is able to eat pretty much whatever suits him, I can't eat like him and maintain my weight. Since starting in January, I watch more carefully my portions. If he has a hamburger at a diner, I have a turkey club and eat only half. If he makes omlettes and hashbrowns, I will have a bowl of cereal and take 'tastes' off of his plate. Though I feel somewhat guilty for not enjoying his cooking at every opportunity, I have to insist on eating what I want and not finishing something that is on my plate if I didn't have the choice of selecting my portions in the first place. Still, I don't want to seem a picky eater or ungrateful when he spends good money on food that I won't eat. This is something I will have to work on, especially if we ever share an apartment together.
   
   
3. My Tastes are Limited
   • I don't like a lot of vegetables, and no fish, and generally anything that is a low-fat dairy product. While I don't think I will ever take a shine to fish, it is possible after months or years I may acquire a taste for sweet peppers and mushrooms.