plan v – eat what you craVe and lose weight!

Why plan v?  What is plan v? V stands for many things, but the first
word that comes to my mind is vitality, which means liveliness and
don’t we all want to feel lively?  I know I do.

How do we get that feeling?  First and foremost I would have to say
to start the day feeling grateful for what you already have, then
continue to give thanks all day long, as many times as you remember
to do so.  Even if it means being thankful for waking up to a sunny day
or finding a parking space when the lot appears to be full!

For a less abstract way to go about your day, I would suggest eating
what you crave!  I do just that every single day and  feel satisfied
and energetic, never obsessing about food, never feeling deprived and
not bothering with calorie counting or weighing my food or myself!

I am not model thin either, but I am happy being slim enough!  I like
my size and therefore I suggest beginning by picking a size you want
to be and keeping this knowledge to yourself.!  Your size is no one else’s
business, especially those closest to you.  Now be honest with yourself
and select a size that is comfortable, not one where you have to starve
and deprive yourself to stay there.  I am talking about creating a life
of ease, instead of dis-ease!

If you are wanting to lose weight AND maintain that weight, I suggest
finding a pair of pants one size smaller than you are right now (don’t
worry you will get to your desired size, but no need to overwhelm
yourself) and trying these on every few days and you will find them
fitting soon if you follow plan v.  When those pants fit, if you are still
desiring to lose weight, find the next size down, and keep trying them
on every couple of days or so, and you will find them fitting soon!

Now for the nuts and bolts of the plan.  I did say that you can eat what
you crave and the only caveat is creating some structure in your day,
so that you keep on track.  In fact, I have found that I am happiest in
my “eating” life when I know there is some structure in place.  I suggest
eating 3 times a day and eliminate snacking.  Simply put, this plan is
for those who want to enjoy a good meal, then keep your lips zipped
to food until the next good meal!  It does take some discipline in the
beginning, but the reward of eating what you crave daily will be
incentive enough to do that.

Now begin today eating what you crave!  If you are reading this in the
afternoon, plan what you would like to have for dinner based on what
s0unds good.  Then, stop at the store to gather ingredients or go to a
restaurant to get take out, or maybe even a dinner out would be nice!
If you are at home, check your cabinets and fridge to see what you
already have and build a meal from that - one that sounds good.  Part
of this plan involves cultivating a love for fresh fruits and vegetables!
We really need the vitamins and fiber and they are just so delicious, so
keep that in mind and start buying whatever looks good and fresh at
the store, then incorporating them into your daily meals!

Whatever you have decided to eat, put it on a plate and eat the whole
thing!  Enjoy every bite!  Then stop!  I have to have a piece of dessert
after dinner.  This is non-negotiable!  So, I have my dinner, then a piece
of dessert and those who know me can attest to its generous size!  After
dinner and dessert, I stop.  No more bites of anything!  Just water with
lemon, preferably or some hot tea.  I drink lots of hot tea, all year around.
This is just very comforting and good for you, as tea is full of antioxidants.
I have another secret which I will divulge later to help you lose weight and
keep you healthy, but to continue with weight loss, you may be thinking
“how am I going to lose weight?”  You do have to use some common sense
when it comes to eating.  If you are craving a plate of pasta for dinner, have
a full bowl of pasta, but leave off the bread and butter.  I promise you won’t
miss it if you let yourself have what it is you truly want.  Maybe what you
want is the bread and butter, so have it and eat a salad and grilled fish or
chicken.  The key is skimping or eliminating what you don’t want and eating
what you do want!  It takes some practice to do this.  We are not used to
eating this way.  All the diets say you can’t have dessert or pasta or pizza,
but this is not a diet, it is simply a new way of life that affirms what you want.
When you have what you want, it is easy to let go of the junk that just adds
extra weight we don’t need to carry.

I also call this plan “freedom within limits”.  You are free to choose what you
want to eat, but you must eat at a mealtime, make a satisfying portion, eat
all of it, then STOP.  No snacking between meals, unless you want a sort of
planned snack as a mealtime.  Or cut up a bowl full of raw vegetables and
have at it!  You just need some structure to ensure you won’t snack the
whole afternoon or evening away!  And if potato chips are your downfall,
keep them out of sight until you can build the discipline not to grab a handful
or two when you walk into the house or kitchen!  Breaking this one habit alone
would probably cut out enough calories in a year, so that you could eat
whatever you crave at meals and your excess weight would drop right off
without doing anything else.

I have two more secrets up my sleeve.  The first is to walk every day that you
can or get on the elliptical or treadmill for 30 minutes if the weather isn’t
cooperating.  Just getting some form of movement everyday is essential to
feeling vibrant and looking good!  Do what you love, because it won’t be
a burden.  I enjoy walking when the weather is nice, but I also will put on some
music and dance in the house!  So what!  I also enjoy the elliptical machine, while
watching my favorite food network show, Barefoot Contessa!  Keep it fun for you
and it won’t be a chore.

The second and essential secret to staying slender and healthy and vibrant is
drinking a can or two of Verve a day!  What is Verve?  It is an “insanely healthy
energy” drink  made by the Vemma Nutrition Company.  I love drinking 1-2
sugar free Verve drinks a day and find that my metabolism and energy level,
as well as my immune system are given a healthy boost every day!!!!

Good luck with plan v!  Please feel free to email me with any questions about
Verve – especially how to order it!  I would also love to help you tailor plan v
to fit your individual lifestyle.  You can reach me at debbiebrodsky@charter.net.
Hope to hear from you!!!  Remember to eat what you crave and leave off the rest!