Cross-posted from Eat4Today
The Hacker's Diet (by John Walker) is a great tool -- it's written for people like me who are concerned about weight management but don't want to make that project THE focus of my life. (Bizarrely, I started a health-care blog & it DID become the focus of my life but, that's a whole different story)
From The Hacker's Diet:
This book isn't written for people who are or wish to become obsessed with their health. I consider weight control and fitness like any other aspect of life that's important enough to do, but hardly my reason for being. It's like balancing the checkbook, going grocery shopping, or getting the car tuned up. The goal is to get the job done, and done right, as quickly as possible and with the minimum effort.
That quote is deceptive -- we remember the minimal and tend to forget the effort bit. But for those of us with a weight problem that effort -- however minimal is the critical bit. Because those of us with weight issues WILL gain weight if we don't take steps (every single day) to control it.
We all know how to lose weight (Eat fewer calories than you burn.) But today let's share tips or plans for maintaining a healthy weight.
Moving Weighted Averages
Aside from loving the way Walker's described the weight issue, I've come to rely on his concept of weight-watching. He points out that our weight can vary wildly from once day to the next. And that our weight on any given day isn't the important weight. He's developed tools for tracking a Moving Weighted Average (follow the link to read about the development of that concept) which show us our average weight over the last 14 days (weighted so more recent weight has more impact than the oldest weight.) Now when I track my weight using moving weighted averages, I know what my TRUE weight is.
So I've been keeping my body's checkbook balanced with the Online Tools he developed earlier in the year. But he's got the tools in a variety of other formats as well.
How do you fit healthy-living into your hectic life? How do you keep (or plan to keep) your body's checkbook balanced?