Weird, old tip...

Sorry, I couldn't resist!  If you're one of my FB friends, you're probably aware that I've started a new "diet" and exercise regimen.  (I'm reticent to call it a "diet" because diets are something you go off eventually; what I'm doing is changing--or really just modifying--my eating habits. For the last few months, I've been putting in an extra effort to eat better, mostly because the first month after we bought the new house, we ate a steady diet of fast food. Even trying to make the best choices possible, it wasn't a pretty sight!) Of course, since I'm cutting calories, I wanted to make sure I was still getting the right balance of good fats (yes, there is such a thing), protein, and the right kind of carbs. That last one is a kicker. On the one hand, there's the glycemic index (which is more important to people prone to diabetes than me--that's one thing that doesn't run in my family) and on the other hand there's the "eat lots of whole grains" (which are high in the kinds of carbs that can cause a glycemic spike). I'm taking the middle ground: eat on the lower end of the "high side" (because that's where whole oats and brown rice fall--but white rice and white bread are a *lot* higher!)  Now, what would have been really nice would have been if the professional nutritionist I saw when I had gestational diabetes would have actually explained this to me. All she said was that I should start drinking my coffee black and cut down to 1% milk--neither of which happened. (Fortunately, I did manage to keep that under control and there were on complications as a result; I developed the condition fairly late in my pregnancy and it's one of those things that--they tell me--goes away after delivery).  But back to the present.  This year, I turned 45. It was only a little scary at first. Then I started thinking about the next five years and the five years after that and looking in the mirror...and yeah. I also know that heart problems run in my family like crazy, which is why I'd been trying to generally clean up my dietary act over the last couple of years--not enough to loose weight, but enough to ensure that at my last check up, my cholesterol and blood pressure were still right where they should be. (Go me!  I was honestly surprised; I expected the doc to come back with a long lecture about heart health).  Two things I will never do, however: eat margarine again, or consume artificial sweeteners. I've switched over to raw honey for everything but my coffee and the occasional (and occasionally necessary) cup of hot cocoa (home made, of course!) because it's at least got a little food value (where as white sugar is nothing but calories).  And I'm exercising (although the pool is playing havoc with my hair color! I'm going to get the roots professionally done this week--some things are just easier to have someone else do--and I'll stay out of the pool for a week or so after re-coloring--instead, I'll hit the gym/weight room. I'm not thrilled about treadmills and the like, but I love weight lifting. Yes. Really. Once upon a time, I was in pretty good shape. If only I hadn't listened to everyone who told me I was fat, I *might* not be quite where I am now, because after you hear how fat you are for so long, you kinda just absorb the message and stop caring. At least that's what happened to me. I weighed about 110 lbs and stood 5 feet tall and I was *convinced* I was obese. I wasn't thin, but I was *wasn't* fat.  Ohhh to be that weight again....but my goals aren't that lofty.  I'm shooting for about 135, which is just a little over the "ideal weight" for a woman my age/height/build. We'll see how it goes--and how I look/feel--as I get closer and modify that goal as needed.) Oh and the title of my post? I'm sure you've seen those "weird old tip" adverts (truthfully, they drive me batty). Well, here's my "weird old tip" for losing weight: eat good food in moderation. Good foods are a combination of the foods that are good for you and the foods that you love (or healthy variations there-of). Also, drink lots of water, and get in an hour of exercise everyday--housework and walking the dog totally count! Basically, that's everything my grandmother taught me--no need to pay some guy a jillion dollars a month after sitting through his inane video (which I've never managed to do)--and there are no magic pills or silver bullets, no miracle "cures" for being overweight. It takes patience, hard work, and a lot of self-love because feeling guilty over a slice of cake or an ice cream cone will only make getting back on the bandwagon harder.  Do you love ranch dressing? I sure do. And ranch has totally skewed my fat intake every time I have a salad. I *loathe* "Low-Fat Ranch". I don't know how they make it, but it always tastes icky (and low fat is often even worse for one's health than regular fat).  There *had* to be a way to eat the one true indulgence that I eat every day (or every other day, anyway) without totally skewing my fat intake (and really, though none of the oils in my ranch are "bad" they're not "good" either). So I went looking on line and this is what I found: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/06/homemade-ranch-dressing/ This is the base recipe: 1 clove (to 2 Cloves) Garlic Salt To Taste1/4 cup Italian Flat-leaf Parsley2 Tablespoons Fresh Chives1 cup (Real) Mayonnaise1/2 cup Sour Cream Buttermilk (as Needed To Desired Consistency) I switched out the mayo (which I'm not too keen on anyway, although homemade mayo is pretty good--and basically, I like controlling what goes into what I'm eating) AND the sour cream for 0% Fage Greek Yogurt. I chose Fage because it and Oikos had the only ingredient list I didn't need a dictionary to understand, but only Fage came in a 0% milk-fat option. I used the 2% milk we always have in the house for the milk--final ration ended up being almost half and half yogurt to milk, but you could make it however you wanted. Hubby chopped the herbs. I wanted 2 cloves of garlic and he just sort of eyeballed the parsley (which is very good for you, by the way) and chives, but it came out tasting *really* great and almost exactly like the stuff from the bottle. Obviously, you could easily sub low-fat mayo and sour cream if you don't want to go all in (or all out?) on fat. (Or make your own mayo--remember, egg yolks ARE good for you! That's where all the omega-3's are.) Next time:More house pics! The place is coming along beautifully. Oh, and if you haven't signed up for my newsletter, *now* is the time. After a painfully long hiatus, I'm coming back with something very special at the end of the week--a hot scene from my WIP (Derrik and Palo)!  If you like sexy, sweet, BDSM, this one is definitely for you. Helen Pattskyn, Fantasy Artist, Gay Romance Author