Pack Weight / Body Weight

So this year I have been focusing more on body weight instead of pack weight. I thought I would jot down some of my diet/weight loss tips:

Diet

• Don't eat after 10pm
• Focus on getting filled up with salad and vegetables
• Figure out a low calorie salad dressing solution, I use balsamic vinegar a lot, I also like cottage cheese with olive juice, but that is obviously a personal thing
• skip the snacks, I have to get in that mode where I know I am running a calorie deficit because I am hungry and a bit lightheaded. This usually happens in the afternoon and I hold out until I have an orange to help me make it to dinner.
• Don't eat simple carbs, and when I eat complex carbs it is always with some protien. for example, a whole wheat pita with hummus
• Try to switch to unadorned seafood, this will help in restaurants.
• Spread the calories out across three meals
• Have a sweet low cal snack at night after dinner, otherwise stay away from all sweets. This is to eliminate insulin swings in the day which create distracting feelings of hunger.
• You've got to get in the mental mode to stay on the diet. I don't starve myself, it is more a matter of avoiding overindulgence. i get in a bit of a defensive mindset that helps me stay on course
• Write my weight, sleep, exercise and food notes in a daily journal
• Work out in the mornings before breakfast. I have tried other times of the day, but can't be consistent, and I think that working out on a calorie deficit burns more calories
• Find some "go to" foods and have them at the ready. Mine are fat free cottage cheese, olives, spinach, wheat pitas, oranges, tomatoes, grape nuts, skim milk, egg whites, tuna, light ranch, spicey hummus, healthy choice fudge pops. Having these items around the house lets me mix and match with other foods the family is eating. For eample, if it is cornflake chicken night, I'll ask for a "non-corn flaked" portion and throw it on top of a spinach salad.

Exercise to come...