This is how I eat for life:

 

I have two eggs for breakfast nearly every day:

 

-Mediterranean scrambled eggs with shrimp, spinach, kalamata olives and Italian herbs

-Bacon and caramelized onion scrambled eggs with chives

-Frittatas with lots of veggies and mushrooms and a bit of cheese, especially gouda

-Ham bites with American cheese mixed into scrambled eggs

-Bacon and over easy eggs with whole wheat toast and all-fruit spread

-Italian egg sandwiches with marinara, garlic and parmesan on whole-grain toasted baguette slices

Ham, egg and cheese on toasted mini-croissants

Scrambled eggs with enchilada sauce, diced green chilies and cheddar cheese on corn tortillas

 

With a little pre-prep work, I usually have breakfast ready within fifteen minutes and there is no limit to the tasty combinations you can make with eggs. Experiment to find what you like best. I always split a banana, orange or apple (or whatever fresh fruit is in the house) with my husband as "garnish" on the plate along with whatever egg dish I make. I rarely have juice or milk to drink with breakfast, or only in very limited portions. If not eggs, I make oatmeal loaded with fruit and nuts and cinnamon topped with milk, or if really rushed for time, a whole-grain cold cereal (with little added sugar, check the label) with low fat milk or soy or almond milk.

 

I eat fruit or vegetables at every meal, every day. If you do nothing else, adding vegetables and fruit to your diet will help tremendously. If you don’t like many fruit or veggies, eat lots of the ones you do like and at least try new ones, you might be surprised that your tastes have changed since childhood. At dinner, I always make a vegetable or two and a salad or broth-based soup. I serve salad or soup before the entrée, which reduces appetite and the tendency to wolf down the entire meal. I make different salads, not just leafy green salads. I add things like pickles, olives, roasted red peppers, pickled jalapenos, hard-boiled eggs, black pepper and artichoke hearts to salads. I also add a bit of cheese (shaved parmesan or Romano and feta are good choices, since a little goes a long way) or bacon bits for even more flavor.

 

More salad/veggie/fruit ideas:

 

-Veggies and French onion dip made with low-fat sour cream

-Chopped salad with warm bacon Dijon dressing using veggies left over from dipping

-Cucumber salad with Italian dressing, fresh cracked black pepper and feta cheese crumbles

-Spinach salad with bacon bits, hard-boiled egg slices and shaved parmesan

-Strawberry spinach salad with Asian-inspired dressing

-Mixed baby greens and apple or pear chunks with dried cranberries and shaved Romano cheese

-Cucumber, celery and green apple chopped salad with raspberry vinaigrette

-Citrus salad with orange, grapefruit, blood (or Cara Cara) orange, tangelo and mandarin with honey cinnamon dressing

-Cucumber, tomato, basil and fresh mozzarella salad with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and black pepper dressing

 

Make salads combining vegetables and fruit you really like and try new combinations.

 

I make meatless dinners once or twice a week. I substitute mushrooms or beans with lots of herbs and spices, and the meat is never missed:

 

-Pizzas on whole-wheat pitas (the Greek kind) with sautéed mushrooms and garlic topped with fresh mozzarella cheese slices (I use store-bought pizza sauce or make my own with tomato sauce, a bit of tomato paste and Italian seasoning)

-Creamy mushroom risotto

-Bean tostadas with lots of lettuce, tomatoes and guacamole on top

-Homemade mushroom gravy over whole-grain pasta or mashed potatoes (leave the skin on, please) is a favorite

-Baked potatoes topped with lots of steamed broccoli and cheese sauce (American cheese and a bit of milk, melted and blended together with a bit of salsa)

 

Sometimes dinner is simply a rich, hearty soup:

 

-Bean soup with ham

-French onion soup

-Chicken tortilla soup

-Broccoli and cheese soup

-Cream of mushroom

-Creamy potato and shrimp soup

 

I love making a big batch of soup or chili on Sunday while watching football, then getting several meals (dinners or lunches) out of it for the week. Serve with a big salad and a small portion of hearty, crusty bread, preferably whole-grain.

 

I eat fruit or veggies for most snacks, every day:

 

-Apples with peanut butter

-Celery with cream cheese

-Red peppers with hummus

-Carrots with French onion dip

-Strawberries dipped in yogurt or coated with balsamic vinegar and a tiny bit of sugar

-Grilled pineapple slices

-Frozen grapes

-Small bowl of canned fruit (in juice), drained and sprinkled with cinnamon

 

If I must have dessert (and I do!), I eat a piece of fruit or one piece of really great dark chocolate. I shop sales and buy tons of whatever fruit is on sale and in season and we eat that all week.

 

I make a menu for the week, make a list, and grocery shop from the list for meals, then stop at the store mid-week to purchase produce that just went on sale or anything I missed earlier in the week. By planning meals and snacks, I eliminate the need to eat out or eat junk.

 

I get roasted chicken or turkey breast from the store and turn it into quick dinners:

 

-Potato-topped pot pie full of veggies

-Enchilada casserole with canned black beans and diced green chiles and corn tortillas topped with Cheddar cheese

-Burrito casserole with beans and cheese

-Quick chicken stew with peas, carrots, mushrooms and potatoes

-Dinner-sized salad with diced chicken breast

-Chicken salad with halved red grapes and chopped fresh spinach mixed in

-Chicken taco salad (sauté onion, garlic, & jalapenos, then add shredded chicken, chili powder, ground cumin and a bit of water, then cook down until water is saucy) with lettuce and tomatoes and refried beans and guacamole and a bit of low-fat sour cream

 

I frequently grill marinated lean meat (flank steak, pork tenderloin, bone-in chicken breasts, salmon, shrimp) and lots of veggies on skewers, and that's dinner. No starch necessary.

 

I make one or two seafood-based meals a week, usually shrimp or salmon or white fish. Fish and seafood cook quickly and are great time-savers for fast meals after a long day.

 

I use a lot of herbs and spices. When food is really flavorful, you need to eat less of it to feel satisfied.

I have a list of meals I make frequently and try a new dish or two each week, getting recipes from eatingwell.com or foodnetwork.com and adding them to the list if they turn out well and are easy and quick.

 

When I find a recipe I want to try that is not-so-healthy, I halve the amount of meat and/or starch, then at least double the amount of veggies. I also try to find an acceptable whole-grain alternative for starches or a lean alternative for fatty cuts of meat.

 

I buy red or white or yellow or fingerling or new or sweet potatoes instead of russet potatoes, and limit portions.

 

I eat one piece of dark chocolate every day, sometimes as a snack, sometimes for dessert, but I always take the time to really savor it.

 

I have a glass of wine, usually red, every day, while I'm cooking dinner or with dinner, and really savor it.

I try to eat a small portion (1/4 cup or less) of nuts every day.
 

I never eat anything (or much of anything) that doesn't taste really good. It's not worth it. Life is too short and calories are too hard to burn.

 

I eat three meals and at least two snacks every day. I try to never let myself get so hungry that I feel the need to overeat or eat too fast.

 

I have a “binge” day once a month or so, when I eat and drink whatever I want and don’t worry about it, usually on a Saturday. Some people say this actually stimulates the metabolism.

 

I limit alcohol and if I drink socially, try to have a full glass of water between drinks.

 

I drink water.  Lots of water.  Every day.  No soda, juice or shakes.  Water is life.

 

I cook and bake occasionally with heavy cream, butter, bacon fat, lard and olive oil. I eat full-fat cheese and natural ice cream (Breyer's) and gelato fairly frequently. I eat bacon, fast-food cheeseburgers (singles without the bottom bun) and pizza. Fat is flavor, but I strictly limit portions of this stuff or eat it infrequently. I stay away from fried food everywhere and processed crap at the grocery store like cookies, crackers, chips, white bread, cake and pastries. If you must, make snacks and desserts at home, not from a box, and at least you’ll know what's in them. I modify ingredients to make these treats a bit healthier without sacrificing flavor. For example, I always use a combination of whole-grain (oat, brown rice, whole wheat and soy) flours in brownies, banana bread and corn bread. This flour can be mixed ahead of time and stored in the freezer. Nobody has ever noticed!

 

On fitness:

 

I weigh myself every day and log my weight and body fat percentage. This provides immediate feedback on what I ate the day before and gives me a really good idea of how I'm trending each week. This is where I disagree with weekly or monthly weigh-ins, especially for maintenance. How can you possibly expect to control something when you don’t even know what the basic numbers are? It’s like trying to pay bills when nobody knows what the checking account balance is. I can easily gain three to five pounds in a week. Why wait to notice that and make corrections?

 

I log what I put into my mouth. Everything counts, even vitamins and gum.

 

I log all of my exercise. Everything counts, including the fifty jumping jacks I did in the bathroom at the office.

 

Keeping one log with all three of these items is easiest. I get notebooks small enough to fit in my purse.

 

I squeeze in “exercise” whenever and wherever possible. I do leg lifts or stretch my arms while I'm watching television. I do jumping jacks in the bathroom at work. I fidget while I'm waiting in line at the grocery store. I tap my toes or heels while sitting at my desk (I'm doing it now).

 

I will be providing recipes for many of these meal ideas, and will also blog about any new tricks I learn to get and/or stay lean.

 

The most recent science on weight loss is coming out against the prevailing “wisdom” that if you eat less and exercise more, you will lose weight. New evidence is showing that added sugar consumption is the number one predictor of obesity as well as diabetes, heart disease and many cancers. I am especially fond of nutritional advice from Dr. Andrew Weil (drweil.com), Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen (realage.com), as well as Jorge Cruise (jorgecruise.com or bellyfatcure.com).