The DIY Diet

For the first three months of the DIY Diet, I cruised along, losing 10 pounds per month.

I was thrilled, my diabetes doctor was happy, it was easier for me to walk, my clothes were getting too big for my new body, and everything looked rosy in my world.

I was following my diet and keeping a daily diary of my calorie intake. I was doing everything right.

Then the dreaded thing happened. I hopped on the scale one Tuesday morning and the scale read the same weight as it did the previous Tuesday morning.

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You don’t have to announce to anyone and everyone that you are "on a diet".

Well, maybe that isn’t entirely true. You will probably have to share the information with the person or people with whom you share living quarters since they will notice some differences in your eating pattern. And, if you have medical issues of some kind, you’ll likely want to discuss your plans with your doctor.

No one else needs to know, especially no one at your office.

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Nothing worthwhile is ever easy.

It’s an old saying and it is right.

It isn’t easy to modify your eating habits. It involves determination, knowledge, and setbacks.

The past weekend is an example. It was an intense one for me. My niece was here from Denver to convert my computer system from an old PC to a shiny, new Mac; my nephew and his wife were here from Chicago spending time at my brother’s home. At lunch my brother and sister-in-law brought over food for all of them and us from the Cheesecake Factory.

In the midst of all of this, I learned that two relatives had died with funerals on Monday and Tuesday. Eating according to my diet plan was difficult at best and I have to admit, I had setbacks. I refused to beat myself up over them, however. I accepted the fact that I was eating more than my goal 1600 calories and would return to my goal calorie level eating as quickly as I could.

On Saturday and Sunday I did all right, except for eating a piece of cheesecake. On Monday I followed my diet plan. On Tuesday I ate too many high calorie foods because they were in front of me at a beautiful funeral buffet prepared for the family at my cousin’s home. As I selected foods that I knew were taking me over my goal calorie level, I made selections from a base of knowledge I’ve gained designing my own diet.

A month ago I would not have been tempted by the variety of delicious high-calorie foods but right now I’m going through what I call my "biorhythmic lows". It happens every quarter. I can concentrate intensely on something for about three months, then I lose my focus for about a week. After that I’m able to get back to my former level of concentration and move on. It’s as if I need this period of relaxation in order to refuel my determination batteries. If you go through similar periods, don’t give up. We’re focusing on a long-term weight-loss goal. And, we’re going to achieve our goal.