Like a worn out recording, I say again, dieting is not exactly rocket science. I am a pretty simple guy who hates keeping track of numbers. I think healthy living boils down to a few simple rules when it comes to diet. And I do not believe those rules change all that much regardless of whether one wants to gain weight or lose weight.
Now do not mistake me for a Tom Venuto, or any other true diet guru – I am just some schmuck who wants to share what little I know. Please take it with a huge pillar of salt (unless you are on a low sodium diet).
With that caveat out of the way, here are my eight rules.
1. Water – Mayo Clinic states that we lose up to 11 cups of water a day through urine, sweat, bowel movements, etc. As a minimum that amount of fluids need to be replaced daily. To keep it simple, drink a cup of water every waking hour. All fluids count toward the total, so the orange juice, the milk, and the protein shakes can all count toward that one cup an hour goal. But alcohol and sodas do not count. In fact, put coffee on the do not count list. Lastly, during my last workout, I drink about a liter of water. I sweated up a storm. During workouts, drink as much as your body demands.
2. Meals – Eat a balanced meal, every meal. Again, I am not much into counting calories and grams. I figure if I have a quarter to third pound of quality protein plus the equivalent of a potato or a cup of rice plus some veggies on the side; I am good. Every meal, I want some color on my plate (and I’m not talking about ketchup or mustard). I like MyPryamid.gov advice to eat rainbow of foods.
3. The old saying was “eat breakfast like a king; lunch like a prince; and dinner like a commoner.” I like that thought, but not for me. I eat a high protein, high carbohydrate breakfast, a light lunch, and a moderately heavy, yet balanced dinner. I find that anything other than a light lunch puts me to sleep. Generally, about mid-afternoon, I will have a banana or a muffin.
4. High fructose corn syrup – As ubiquitous a sweetener as it is, I will label read until I find something without it. I have read that it is not a “bad” ingredient, but I just do not like it. It will always be a cheap, long lasting sweetener that manufacturers use instead of regular sugar to keep cost down and make the product last longer on the shelf. Fine for that, but not for my body.
5. Trans-fat. Do I need margarine or shortening in my blood vessels? Do you? I have enough trouble with high blood pressure. Read the labels and do everything humanly possible to keep it out of your body.
6. Juices – A true double edge sword. First, yes, juices count toward your fluid totals per day. But, it is a lot of calories and juices have a ton of fruit sugar in it. For those looking to gain weight, it is a twofer. It gives you a nutrient dense, calorically high source of fluids. For those looking to lose weight, it is a killer for exactly the same reasons. For latter, just drink water, avoid the juices and stick with whole fruit.
7. Milk – I love milk. Who needs protein shakes when you can have a tall glass of ice cold milk? There is nothing more refreshing after a hard workout. And at five bucks, or so, a gallon; the price is great. Low fat, no fat, full of fat – all varieties of milk will do you good. As an alternative, soy’s not bad either.
8. Multi-vitamin and mineral supplement – I am not big into supplements. I have used whey protein and creatine in the past; and have had good success with them. But at 49, getting bigger is not a priority with me. I think a balance diet that is high in protein and complex carbs with lots of fruits and veggies will do the trick. That said, a good multi-vitamin probably would not hurt. A basic “one a day” should be sufficient.
There you have it – my basic rules for dieting.
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