Losing the “Holiday Weight” in Ajijic, Lake Chapala, Mexico

There are many diets out there that profess they will help us lose the weight we have put on over the holidays or, for that matter, any gained weight we might wish to lose for a multitude of reasons including quitting smoking.

I have been on most of them from Fit for Life, to the Grapefruit Diet, the Cabbage Soup Diet, the Atkins Diet and countless others including the infamous Drinking Man’s Diet.

I have had varying success with all of these programs but, for me, the best way to lose weight is to reduce bad carbohydratess and exercise more.

When I was younger and needed to lose a few pounds it was as simple as “no bread, no potatoes, no goodies”.

Today it is much the same. Cutting sugar out of your diet will make a huge difference very quickly and you will lose weight which also lowers your risk of heart attack due to high blood pressure, your cholesterol and your blood sugar levels. All of this is very beneficial to your health and well being.

Of course, you will look better and feel better too.

Everyone is different and everyone loses weight differently. Some people like the prepared meals brought to your door as in Jenny Craig or Nutri Systems while others prefer to cook their own food.

Weight Watchers seems to have the best rate of non drop outs and they have a new points plus program which seems to be very effective. You can join Weight Watchers right here in Ajijic, Lake Chapala where they have weekly meetings on Thursdays at 10:00 am at La Nueva Posada. You can also join online for free at the moment but you will not have the benefit of a support group and weekly weigh-ins.

The Mediterranean Diet is very popular as it is a program of lots of fish, fruits and vegetables which, of course, is going to work.

You have to embark on a program that suits you and leaves you feeling satisfied or you will feel deprived and sooner or later binge eat which defeats the whole purpose.

I find it very difficult to live without bread but by simply changing to whole or multi grain products and limiting myself to only eating bread once or twice a week I have reduced my sugar intake immeasurably.

Cutting out potatoes and rice will also reduce needless carbohydrates. If you do crave a baked potato just don’t have any protein with it. For example for lunch have a rib eye and salad and for dinner have a baked potato with a little butter and vegetables.

This is part of the Fit for Life philosophy which says that combining starch and protein will slow down your body’s digestion process and cause you to put on fat.

I have selected Splenda as my sugar substitute of choice. We also buy the Splenda for baking. “It tastes like sugar because it is made from sugar.” I have done intensive online research and it clearly states that to date there is no negative data from trials with Splenda nor is there any known link to cancer.

It is not so much “What diet am I going to go on?” but rather “How can I effectively change my lifestyle to accomplish my goal of a healthier weight?”

Exercise is also an extremely important piece of the equation to a healthier and happier lifestyle. If you even so much as go for a 30-45 minute walk 3 times a week you be very pleasantly surprised at how good you feel and how fast the unwanted weight falls off. Put the leash on your dogs and go for a walk. Your animals will be happier and healthier too.

Also there are a few good gyms in Ajijic, Lake Chapala, where you can hire a personal trainer to help you get fit.

So select a program that is going to work for you which could be as simple as less red meat, more fish, fruits and vegetables, less fat and sugar and more good fats and whole grains and you are well off to the races as it were.

Always talk to your doctor before commencing any diet and exercise program.

Good luck and buen provecho and as Nike is fond of saying “Just Do It”.