Mindful Eating

I hate to talk about dieting, but I gotta, just this once. I have lost 20lbs. in 69 days. (I gained three pounds over Thanksgiving, but lost it right afterwards).  The program I use is www.loseit.com and it really makes it simple. I am not hungry. Ever. Mostly because I eat a lot of protein and fiber-rich fruits and veggies, especially broccoli. I have learned a few tricks that I want to share.
1. Eat your breakfast late, but before 10am.
2. Skip lunch but eat dinner or second meal before 4pm. (I don't cook for Dave anymore, and he eats every two hours or so).
3. Eat nothing after that second meal.
I am allowed about 1300 calories a day but only eat about 600-700.  I weigh everything and sit down to eat each time.
For breakfast: 8 oz of 1% cottage cheese with sweetener and cinnamon is a lot of cottage cheese. Plus that apple and two fiber tabs and coffee or tea and I am full. 275 calories.
Or two eggs and a  medium pear, 283.
Or yoghurt and an medium apple, 205.
For my second meal, 4 oz of meat, chicken, roast pork or ham, and a veg like heaps of broccoli or a huge lettuce salad with low cal dressing on the side 350. I might have a pear with that or some nuts.
5 kalamata olives are 63 calories. 2tbs chopped walnuts are 100 calories.


Apples and pears are great because they are sweet, have a lot of fiber and a great to chew. The chew factor is important. And at my age, fiber pills are quite the helpful addition.
I don't really exercise,  unless you count walking the dogs.
It seems like I am eating nothing, especially compared to my previous habits. No more morning toast slathered with butter, topped off with ten sugar cookies. I really did eat that way. And popcorn with butter, and butter with butter. Just bad eating.
Last time I dieted for real was in 2002, and I took off 63 pounds and kept it off (mostly) for five years. Then I got lazy. That's all it was. Just not caring. Then my cousin and my sister were warned about diabetes and I took that as a warning to myself too. Now we are all being more conscious.
And adding to that, I realize that this has a lot to do with control, and while I am controlling myself, I am controlling my house, and the dawgs too. Getting organized, making a schedule, and finding a good routine have helped my outlook tremendously.
Now if I could just get the dawgs outta my bed.