I can empathize. Coca Cola and sparkling water almost did me in. Indeed, I looked quite like a Perrier bottle when I found myself forty pounds over-weight at forty. A frightening fact presented itself when I calculated that I had only to have over-eaten a mere twelve calories every day of my life to achieve this well-larded condition. Clearly, the small things can really add up over time. Obviously, calories are the main issue, however, they are not the only one. The demons of insatiability which overwhelm self-control are not so immediately obvious. For instance, did you ever consider the consequences of the insideous bubbles in beverages which chronically enlarge the stomach: Subsequently one needs to eat ever more to feel satisfied. THEY blame salt and sugar and carbos, and rightfully so, but t is bubles which really blow things out of proportion. Here are my keys to being satisfied with a little less. The only things I have given up pretty much entirely are bubbles. That's why I call it the Bubble-free diet. This will be explained in slightly more detail in my forthcoming Kindle ebook How to Survive your Mouth.
- - Charles Wehrenberg - -
Determining the number of calories that you actually need is the trick. It's a very personal number. A calorie is a measure of heat energy, a pound of human fat containing approximately 4000 such calories. While the body needs protein and soluble fiber (think lean meat, quinoa and squash) precisely where you get the required number of calories is less important than keeping a reasonable mix and keeping track of how much you eat. Remember, whatever your weight, you are successful: You have become the caloric sum of your actions. If you are overweight, there is only eating right or continued overeating. When you think about it, actually eating for whom you want to be can't be dieting at all. It is simply eating right. The mental gymnastics required to achieve this blessed realization are a bit beyond my intentions here, so let's move on.
OK, all you really have to do is to decide whom you want to be in pounds and to assess honestly who you are on a daily basis. Just how many calories do you need? You've answered the tough question that being honestly saying what do you want to weigh in pounds. Action defines the person metabolically. Are you sedentary, meaning that you mostly sit around while awake? Are you moderately active, meaning you are on your feet a lot and moving around constantly whileawake? Or are you very active meaning that you are on your feet all day, moving fast and carrying something heavy around at least eight hours a day, everyday, like a farm worker or a professional athelete?