The Waist Land Where June is The Cruelest Month

The Waist LandWhere June is The Cruelest Month

What did T.S. Elliot know? Despite all his satire and prophecy April isnt the cruelest month. June is. Summer is tough when you are obese.

Shorts, muscle shirts, swimsuits, and halter dresses do not flatter us. When spring gives way to a full blown summer of heat and humidity, it is not only giving up our winter protective clothing that is traumatic, but our legs chafe, our arms jiggle, our rolls sweat, we get red in the face upon exertion and we always hope we are not the biggest person in the room.

To those of you that took my New Years challenge to lose 10% of your weight in 2009; I hope it is going well. If you developed the discipline to moderate your food intake and increased your activity level back in January you have probably lost 20 pounds or so by now and cant wait to hop into those summer clothes.

For those of you that havent started a weight management program yet, get going. You will look better by the 4th of July and may start some fireworks of your own.

Five tips to a trimmer waist

1. When food shopping, only purchase items that will be eaten at a meal or a planned snack. If you find yourself considering a food item that is not a wise choice for you, think, “Im staying on track so Im putting it back!” When I was a waitress many years ago, the restaurant owner used to yell, ” We are here to feedem, not fattenem.” Keep that in mind while shopping.

2. Look at your serving size. Many of us are not very good at eyeballing portion sizes. Are you unwittingly pouring two cups of cereal in your bowl for breakfast? Get that measuring cup and scale out and test and readjust your serving sizes from time to time. Use a small bowl or plate rather than a large one.

3. Rethink having a “balanced” meal. Evaluate your nutritional needs for the day, rather than for each meal. You may be eating too many things at one meal, believing that each meal itself had to be balanced.

4. Learn to tolerate some hunger. You will be eating again in just a few hours, so train yourself to accept that feeling as normal.

5. Develop the mindset of an athlete in training. Athletes in training eat nutritiously and judiciously and exercise smartly and faithfully. Picture yourself as an athlete starting training camp and getting in shape. Get yourself in game shape over the next few months.