Reorganize Your Eating Patterns And Move More

You’ve already signed the Contract with Myself, and you’re all fired up to make 2008 the year you lose those excess pounds and gain health and energy. Let’s take advantage of that enthusiasm and motivation! For the next four weeks, you’ve got a mission: Adopt the slimming habits outlined below. Don't worry. You don't have to make all these changes overnight. In fact, you shouldn't. Take your time—we're giving you four weeks to get started, and then you've got the whole year to perfect them.

• Weigh yourself once. Wouldn’t it be nice if you ate a little less, exercised a little more and the weight started peeling off tomorrow and just kept dropping steadily? Weight-loss veterans know it doesn’t work that way—the scale moves in fits and starts. It can take a while for the scale to move at all when you first start changing habits. So, spare yourself the emotional roller coaster of living by the numbers. Instead, weigh yourself the first day of the program, and then wait for at least four weeks to get back on the scale. By then, your body should be in weight-loss mode. Then, you’ll weigh in once a week to monitor your progress.

• Be more active. How active are you? Find out where you fall on The Best Life Activity Scale by clicking here. If you're at Level 0, 1 or 2, challenge yourself to move up to the next level this month. If, on the other hand, you’re at Level 3 or higher, and that’s truly the most exercise you can fit into your life right now, your goal is consistency. Make sure you’re meeting the criteria for your level each week without fail.

• Eat three meals and a snack or two every day. Setting up a consistent meal schedule trains your body to eat when you’re hungry, but not too hungry. Besides, skipping meals only sets you up for overeating and bingeing. For more on the slimming effects of three squares, read The Power of Three.

Unlike many diet plans, you’re not going to be told what to eat at each meal (except for breakfast, see below). Instead, you’ll be asked to simply organize your eating habits into three meals and one or two snacks. OK, “simply organize your eating habits” may not be so easy if you’re a constant nibbler, a starve-and-binger, or if you have other entrenched bad habits. But you can do this! For at least five days each week for the next four weeks, commit to eating breakfast, lunch and dinner each day. If you’re still hungry between meals, have a snack or two. Need some help with meal ideas? Click on the Menu Plans tab. And for examples of healthy snacks, check out Snack Time.

• Eat a “Best Life” breakfast. Bob’s Best Life Diet plan is filled with great-tasting and healthy breakfasts. You’ll find a sampling of these breakfasts by clicking the Menu Plans tab, above. For more examples, look in his book or join TheBestLife.com.

So, what does a Best Life breakfast look like? They are about 400 calories and consist of: 160 to 190 calories of high-fiber cereal or whole-grain bread or crackers; 100 calories of dairy or calcium-enriched soymilk; a piece of whole fruit or a cup of fruit, and about 90 calories of nuts or margarine (with no partially hydrogenated oil). If you’d like to have an egg, then have just 80 calories of cereal, bread or crackers.

• Stop eating two hours before bedtime. Nighttime nibbling is another hard habit to break, but if you’re an evening eater, this goal will result in immediate weight loss. Plus, it sets up a healthy chain reaction: You’ll wake up feeling hungry for breakfast (a great way to start your day), and then you’ll be on track to hit your three-meals-plus-a-snack goal.

• Drink six 8-ounce glasses of water daily. Being well hydrated is not only good for your health—it may help you lose weight. People tend to confuse thirst and hunger, and often grab a snack instead of a low-calorie or calorie-free drink. You could avoid a lot of unnecessary calories simply by staying on top of your liquid needs. Another perk of staying hydrated: More endurance when you’re exercising. Come back to this site in the next few weeks for tips on getting in those six glasses.

• Eliminate alcohol—for now. Alcohol doesn’t just loosen up social inhibitions—it can loosen up your resolve to eat moderate portions and choose healthy foods. It’s also loaded with calories. And, if you’re hung over, odds are you’re not going to be eager to exercise! Removing alcohol from your life for the next four weeks will prove to be an enlightening exercise. In fact, some of you will see an immediate slimming effect. Later in the program, you can bring alcohol back.

• Take a multi. Even on the most balanced diets, it’s hard to take in 100 percent of all the vitamins and other nutrients you need. It’s even tougher when you’re cutting calories to lose weight. So, for insurance, take a standard multi-vitamin/mineral tablet. (Later in this Challenge program, you’ll find out whether you need to take a calcium or omega-3 tablet—the only other supplements Bob recommends.)

• Evaluate your relationship with food. If you’re eating for any reason other than hunger, you’ll need to do some digging to figure out why, and find healthy ways to deal with these eating triggers. Many people eat for emotional reasons, such as stress or loneliness, but obviously, this will prevent you from reaching your weight-loss goals. Throughout this program, we’ll offer support on tackling emotional eating. Start now, with Bob’s Circle of Life exercise.