For about three weeks now, on weekdays, I’ve been making a change in what I eat. Instead of getting my breakfast and lunch foods at local eateries I’ve been bringing oatmeal (sweetened only with raisins) and Progresso soup. Progresso offers a nice variety of low-calory soups (100 calories per serving, two servings per can) and I’ve found it doesn’t feel so much like dieting to go this route for my lunches.

For the most part I’ve dropped fruit juices from my diet. Instead I try to eat fresh fruit. When it comes to beverages, now I’m mostly drinking water and sometimes milk.

I’ve basically dropped red meat or meat that has been fried. So I’m eating chicken or fish that is boiled, broiled or baked.

On the weekend or when we go out to eat with friends I allow myself to splurge a little on something that is forbidden.

So far I haven’t actually missed the red meat all that much. I am sure at some point I’m going to want a hamburger or some ribs … but it’s been surprisingly easy to say no to these things. I haven’t had them for awhile now. I have craved fried chicken or General Tzo’s chicken.

The hard part for me is that I have a wicked sweet tooth, and that’s where I like to cheat a little when I can. A glass of cranberry juice really hits the spot with me. I also have a thing for peanut butter and honey sandwiches. It’s probably better NOT to buy icecream - because if it’s in the freezer I’m going to indulge.

One thing I have so far refused to give up is bread. I like bread and was kind of annoyed at the whole South Beach diet craze that hit some years ago. However, I haven’t had a slice of pizza in three weeks. That’s really saying something. For awhile, pizza was what I had for lunch every day.

Close to the beginning of making these changes I weighed myself and figured out how much weight I’d like to lose. Since the initial weigh-in, I haven’t weighed myself at all. I figure once a month has passed I’ll check my weight, just to see if what I’m doing is making any difference in that area. The point of my efforts right now is to make some significant lifestyle changes in a way that works for me. Previously I was very spontaneous about what I ate and all of these changes are calculated to get some control over certain aspects of what I eat.  Weight-loss is important but I have to believe that will happen naturally if I’m eating the right things and mostly avoiding the wrong things.

One other area that I want to change … I tend to eat my meals from late morning to late evening. I need to start eating breakfast early in the day and try not to eat too much in the hours just before I go to bed. That’s not something I’ve managed to alter yet - but I will get around to it. Probably sooner rather than later.