Simple Weight Loss and Weight Maintenance

I don’t know about you, dear readers, but I am afflicted with the typical american weight gain.  I know losing about thirty pounds would not only put me back into the lithe body of my youth but also improve my health and energy. 

But dieting is too damn hard!  It is the antithesis of simplicity.  It requires spending a great deal of time thinking about what you eat, why you eat it, how much you eat, how many calories, fat, carbs, protein , etc are involved in whatever you put in your mouth.  I give up. I refuse to diet and I don’t think it works anyway.  Let’s face it, America has been collectively on a diet for over twenty years, yet we get fatter and fatter. 

I think a simpler alternative is just eating right.  Lately, I have reworked my eating to include as much fresh fruit and vegetables a day, limit sodas to at least 1 or less a day, limit sugar, eat lean meats and fish no bigger than the size of my palm and if I can’t skip the snacks, snack from a choice of fruit and raw nuts or freshly popped popcorn with no salt. Finally, drink lots and lots of water.

And then there is exericise.  I refuse to join a gym. I see gyms as an opportunity to spend an hour exercising, get in my car again and drive home.  I may sound cheap but I simply cannot see paying for this pleasure. 

As an alternative, we spend a great deal of time on the lake accomplishing two things at once.  We get exercise and we spend quality time together as a family.  The boat isn’t all that simple nor is it terribly environmental but I try to offset it with extremely limited driving, we spend most of our time on the boat anchored and swimming rather than driving, and all of the other environmental things we do to reach a more green status.  I am now walking my big giant dog at least three times a week and doing strength training exercises a la pilates type restistance training that uses your body.  

By doing these things, I have not lost any weight but I have lost a whole size!  I have not joined a gym, I have not purchased exercise equipment that will likely sit unused, I have not purchased anything new, I have not even really had to go out of my way.  Eating good healthy food, drinking lots of water, and getting fun exercise in the form of swimming, walking, and resistance training can only be a good thing.

A difficult path

Moving has been on my mind lately.  Our close friends and neighbors have sold their house and have bought a beautiful house in a new neighborhood.  I am happy for them.  Their new house is beautiful.  In fact, their house is so beautiful that I am fighting the urge to buy one for myself.

Living simply is not easy.  Even those with the best intentions find ourselves, sometimes, caught in the subconscious competitive urge to have more and better.  I am having that problem today.

I know we won’t move.  I cannot justify buying a house that costs nearly double the one I own.  But still.  The urge is there. 

I think it is time to think my needs – do I have enough to meet my needs?  The answer is yes.  Do I have enough to meet a few wants?  Absolutely.  Then I have enough.