The Plan (The CliffsNotes Version)

I figured we finally needed one good post that would be a quick answer to my most commonly received question: "What are you guys DOING to lose weight?!" I already gave a good overview in my April 2010 post entitled "A Day In The Life", but figured I'd make this one plainer and simpler, reference it in the very top post on the blog at all times for easy find-ability, and keep it updated with any new tips and tricks we stumble upon.

Last Updated: 1/8/2011

------------------------------

Here's a quick version of the science behind losing weight:
In order to lose an average 1 pound per week, you need to figure out how many calories your body burns naturally over the course of a day, then subtract 500 calories per day. You can do this by decreasing your caloric intake, or by increasing your daily activity to burn more calories. There's a handy calculator linked in the sidebar below to help figure out these numbers.

------------------------------

Here's a snapshot of what we eat and do each day:

• 7:30am - Wake Up

• 8:00am - Breakfast
~ 1/2 cup "quick" oatmeal with Splenda & cinnamon
[140 calories, 2.5 grams fat total]
~ 0.75 oz. raisins, mixed into our oatmeal
[65 calories, no fat]
~ 1/2 cup egg substitute, fried or scrambled
[60 calories, no fat]
~ 6 oz. non-fat yogurt
[90 calories, no fat]
~ large cup of coffee with Splenda & powdered "light" creamer
[20 calories for the creamer, no fat]

• 11:00am - Snack
~ 10 mini pretzels
[55 calories, 0.5 grams fat]
~ 6 almonds
[41 calories, 3.5 grams fat]
~ 0.75 oz. raisins
[65 calories, no fat]

• 1:30pm - Lunch
~ 1 serving of any lunch recipe (see sidebar below)
[average 175 calories, 1.5 grams fat]
~ large salad with lettuce, cabbage, cucumber, etc.
[calories and fat are negligible]
~ 2 tbsp. fat-free Italian dressing
[20 calories, no fat]

• 3:00pm - Snack
~ 1 medium apple or orange
[65 calories, no fat]

• 6:00pm - Dinner
~ 1 serving of chicken chili (see sidebar below)
[250 calories, 0.5 grams fat]
~ large serving non-starchy vegetables (broccoli, spinach, cauliflower)
[average 90 calories, no fat]

• 6:30pm - Dessert
~ 1 oats & chocolate fiber bar
[140 calories, 4 grams fat]
~ 1 small cup sugar-free pudding
[80 calories, 1.5 grams fat]

• 11:00pm - Bedtime!

DAILY TOTALS:
1356 calories
14 grams fat

As you may notice, we typically never have time to feel hungry, since we're eating every 2 1/2 - 3 hours! :) We do try to stop eating by at least 7pm, as don't want to go to bed with a whole lot processing around in our bellies.

------------------------------

Other tips and tricks that we live by:
• Drink lots of water! A good rule that we found is: take your body weight, divide in half, and try to drink that many ounces of water each day. I also count things like coffee, tea, and Crystal Light-type drink mixes into my water count. We try to avoid any drinks with calories, such as soda, alcohol, etc.
• Exercise! When we can, we do try to fit in at least a little exercise each day, usually 30 minutes or so. We have a low-impact Gazelle machine, and Dee also likes the Core Rhythms dance fitness DVD system.

------------------------------

That's all I've got on the brain for now, but I'll be adding to and editing this post periodically to keep it up to date with the latest stuff we've found to help shed some extra pounds!

--Jay :)