The Manual

Once more, I'm going to start all over again... and this time, I'm going to make it!

Obey my Weight Watchers plan. Weight Watchers always did the trick for me, as I get to eat enough, I get to eat healthy, and no sort of food is forbidden. I might join a Weight Watchers weekly meeting again, but so far, I know I can do it on my own.

Count points and write down everything. EVERYTHING which passes my lovely lips! I've made a fancy little Excel sheet to serve as my food diary.

Eat 5 servings of vegetable and fruit each day. No big deal for me, as I LOVE the fresh things. I will, however, stick more to the veggie side and avoid eating too much fruit sugar.

Drink 2 litres of water each day. No big deal either. Will add some fruit and herb tea for a difference.

Have breakfast. This sounds a little difficult first --- my sleeping schedule differs a lot from my work schedule! However if I don't have enough time to have breakfast at home I will take my cereals and fruit with me to work.

Bring my own lunch to work. I'm going to avoid the lunch at my workplace at all cost. I can't control how much calories and fat is in this food. If I still have to eat at my work's cafeteria once in a while, I'm going to chose a piece of grilled meet or fish and some salad.

Stock the freezer with pre-cooked portion-sized meals. This will help me a lot after work, when I come home hungry as a bear, to avoid the usual McDonald's drive through and Ben & Jerry's shopping.

Cook meals Weight Watchers style. No big deal either. I have a whole rack of their cookbooks and love their simple, delicious, balanced meals. If it wouldn't be for chopping the veggies!

Eat slowly. Enjoy food. Chew. No distractions when eating! No newspaper, no girlie magazine, no TV, no internet, no nothing. Chew slowly. Savour the taste. Swallow first, then take another mouthful.

No stress eating. No pressure eating. No comfort eating. This is probably going to be the hardest part, especially as I work in healthcare and there's usually sweets and cakes from the patients' families EVERYWHERE. I'm a BIG emotional eater, I take comfort in chocolate when I'm stressed/depressed/sad/under pressure. I will need to develop more detailed strategies for this point.

Eat moderate. Chocolate is allowed. But only one or two pieces, not the whole bar! Cake is allowed. But just one piece, not half of the cake! Ice cream is allowed. But just one scoop, not the whole container!

Exercise 4 times a week. I LOVE sports, and I'm a very outdoorsy girl. I will need to get some regularity to my workout schedule (and some goals maybe?) and workout even when I'm stressed and tired from work. I tend to be lazy, stay at home, curl up in my bed when I come home tired, even though I KNOW that a short run in fresh air will make me feel a lot better.

Further suggestions are appreciated!

I KNOW I CAN DO IT!