For years I have know that the secret to getting trim, fitting into your favourite clothes and general long term health is down to the food you eat. Not sure where my brother heard this but I got it off him:

Diet begins in the kitchen.

I honestly thought that the No-S Diet was the thing for me, but turns out it was only the start of the journey (or at least that is where I am right now). One of the biggest concepts that the No-S diet gave me was the no sugar and no snacking. Even though it did talk about being in the right mental state for things I lost my way.

A switch has been flipped in my brain this week. It wasn’t revolutionary but clearly I am someone who likes things framed in a certain way so that I can get onboard. The feel of hunger is ok. There is an abundance of calories waiting for me to consume just a few meters away from me. Clearly for much of my life to my detriment.

Diet is fundamentally a mental state.

Taking control of my food in my mid 40s is a little late but I can see how this might define the quality of my life in later years. I’m in the worst shape of my adult life at the moment (in my teens I had an obese phase), but the truth is the barrier to fix that is actually relatively low, I’ve just never been able to course correct since I got married — not blaming Yasmine, but it’s only natural that mealtimes and meals become more important when you become a couple.

So what’s the plan Batman?

Simples:

• Generally limit my carb intake. Maybe once a day at dinner.
• Breakfast is yogurt with different toppings (fruit, nuts, granola), to offer some variation).
• Lunch will be a pre-prepped salad (I have the containers so am ready to rock and roll on this).
• Dinner is whatever I want. No seconds.
• I don’t tend to drink sugary drinks, but orange juice and lemonade will be limited to a glass maybe on the weekends.
• Water and a slice of lemon is my new favourite thing.
• Beer consumption will also be limited (I do like a beer on a weekend though, so not going to stop myself from everything).
• Chocolate intake was also limited, but now that’s off the table, except on special occasions.
• The hardest one for me is salty snacks in the evening. This one is a conversation with the family to not bring this stuff into the house until I can break these cravings. Hopefully a month or so should do it. Maybe I get ahead of this and prep some carrots I can nibble on as a substitute.
• Also, do the Five Tibetans every day and lunges. In time I might supplement this with some weight training as well for chest and legs.