How I Lost 15 Pounds and Keep It Off

People seem to be really interested in how I lost 15 pounds and have kept it off.  Even my doctor.  I just had my annual physical, and she wanted to know how I did it, although I think she was more concerned that I wasn't doing some drastic, off-the-wall diet. 

This is what I do, 90-95% of the time.  The other 5-10%  of the time, I eat whatever I want, in moderation.  It's been surprisingly easy to stick to, because I know I can eat what I want sometimes.  Nothing is forbidden.  Plus I feel great and look better. 

·        Eat plain oatmeal for breakfast, with ½ pat of real butter.  I use those individual packets, regular flavor (if you want to call that a flavor), cooked with water.  

·        Eat fresh fruits and vegetables every day, several servings.

·        Eat mostly fish and chicken; avoid red meat.

·        Avoid processed foods.  This includes most canned, bottled, and packaged items except those that contain one simple ingredient like rice or noodles. 

·        No fast food.

·        No sodas, including diet ones.  Drink mostly water.

·        Eat 5 or 6 times a day to keep from getting ravenous between meals.

·        Eat sweets and desserts only occasionally.

 I love sweets.  Here's something that satisfies my sweet tooth, plus it's delicious and easy.

Cassie's Smoothie Recipe 

Ingredients:

A cup or so of frozen fruit (peaches, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, mango, etc.)

½ to 1 fresh banana

¼ -1/2 cup orange juice

1 8-oz yoghurt, regular, nonfat or low fat.   I’m partial to the HEB brand peach-mango flavor.

Let the frozen fruit thaw on a plate for 5 or 10 minutes.  Then put all the ingredients in a blender and blend.  You may have to stop and mix it a few times, because of the frozen fruit.  You don’t need to add ice.  It comes out thick and creamy and frosty.  If you need sweetener, add a bit of sugar or Splenda.

Enjoy!  I have one of these almost every night, usually as dinner.  Later I might need a snack to stave off hunger, depending on how late I have the smoothie.

A few months ago I wrote in more detail about my eating plan in two blogs posted in March.  If you want to know more, they are entitled "On Jemileh and My So-Called Diet" and "FAQ's About My So-Called Diet."