Time to learn my own “Keys to Living Light”!

October 2, 2018, it happened. I turned 60. It really didn’t bother me in the least. I feel great, and age is just a number. What I didn’t expect though, was how that “number” on the scale would change! I’ve never really worried too much about my weight. I am active and blessed with the “Marohn” metabolism, as my sister-in-laws lovingly refer to my family’s ability to eat healthy amounts of food and not gain but a few pounds here and there. I really think the Marohn metabolism is more about our inability to sit than anything else! We were brought up to work and be busy. Sitting and relaxing was never really in the picture. I’m sure that is why to this day, I feel “guilty” about sitting to read a book.

That is another issue to discuss in the future, Namely, how to relax and de-stress….

In the meantime, my weight. I am in the habit of weighing myself every day. This is good for some, not for others. For me, it helps me to gauge how things are going. As I watched my weight gradually creep up in the past months, I had lots of excuses. It’s muscle, it’s fluid, it’s the time of day, the scale the… “O my gosh, it’s being 60!”

I know how to help people lose weight. I have been doing it for 35 years. I also just completed on intense training from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in Adult Weight Management. But…what do I do???

I came up with a plan for myself and to my suprise I am staying with it. It is not hard, I don’t feel deprived or hungry, and it’s working!! The weight is going down.

I love to exercise, and do it daily. As I already discussed, I can’t sit down. So I worked on my diet . Here’s a quick summary of my plan. Be advised though, every one is unique and requires an individual plan. That’s what I do in my business, “Keys to Living Light.” I begin with an extensive questionnaire, and tailor a plan for each individual. But, for now let’s look at my plan.

1. Sugar: I love sweets, and have a difficult time stopping at one small serving. So knowing this about myself, I switched to one or two pieces of dark chocolate after a meal. I savor it and then done!

2. Snacks: I get hungry often. In fact, my blood sugar does go down sometimes between meals. So my new best friends are lightly salted almonds. I can’t do raw almonds, and many of the flavored variety are too salty and make my fingers a mess. So a handful (28) are my snack of choice. They satisfy me because of the protein and fiber they contain.

3. Vegetables: I include a green salad every day. Preferably an entree salad with dressing on the side for one meal each day. When I go out to eat, the only section on the menu I read is “salads”. Watch out though, many have tons of calories! Grilled vs fried meat is a must. Keep cheese to a minimum. Dressing always on the side. Dip fork in dressing, then salad. “Works like a charm!” as one of my patients told me after I suggested it to him!

My “go to” salad at home is a grilled piece of chicken or fish on a bed of greens. Voila, an entree salad!

So that’s it! Nothing earth shattering. But it works for me. There are

times I deviate a bit, but I get right back to it.

I feel sooo much better, and I don’t dread getting on the scale anymore.

Maybe I’m set until 70 hits…!