I remember many years of my life when I was always “starting over” on my “diet”. I would begin a 1000 calorie per day crazy starvation diet and be miserable for a few days and then cave to the cravings and hunger that haunted me day and night. I had never given up sugar and refined carbs, so with the drastic reduction of daily calories came intense hunger and cravings that were completely out of control. I had set myself up for failure over and over for more than fifty years.

I have learned a few things in this life-long journey to health. These are some things that work for me.

1-Make sure to eat enough calories to keep yourself satisfied. We strongly recommend setting a goal of losing one pound per week. While this is not what most of us want to do, it’s healthy and sustainable. You can go to the Calorie Counter Pro on the Home Page to calculate the calories required to do this.

2-Focus on the overall trend, not one weigh-in. There are so many factors  that affect a single time that we step on the scale. The amount of sodium that we have eaten, how regular our bowel movements are, the time of our last meal, medications, even the temperature of our environment can all affect that “magic moment”. If you focus on one weigh-in, it’s  easy to get discouraged  if that weigh-in is less than stellar. With discouragement comes the tendency to just give up and binge. Be realistic and remember where you started and look at how far you’ve come. In the beginning of your journey when your losses are small and have not accumulated very much, remember that you are laying a foundation for a grand project, a healthy you.

3-Avoid fads. Oh my goodness! I wish that I had a dollar for every fad diet that I was on before coming to David’s Way! Any and all of them worked for a little while but the reckoning day always came, and without fail, I gained back every ounce, plus some, that I lost on fad diets. Seek out a sustainable healthy lifestyle that you can assimilate into your daily life easily. Otherwise, the day to day stress of normal life will make you abandon the project. Don’t  even think about how bad it can get with extra stress. The fad diets keep you so unbalanced that extra stress is bound to bring on a major binge.

4-Know in the beginning that it’s going to get rough at times. People ask me how I quit eating sugar and I’m  truthful, very painfully at first. I tell them that for about 2 weeks or so, they may feel like they are going to lose their minds. We tend to use sugar and other refined carbs as tranquilizers and party drugs. When you think of them that way, it’s  easier to understand your misery when you first stop eating them.

5-Also know that just when you think that you can’t  stand  it  anymore, you will wake up one morning and BAM! You will be free of the monkey on your back. You simply won’t crave that garbage anymore. Hang in there, Baby.

6-Remember your motivation. When vanity fails you for a motivator, and it often does, think about the difference in aging healthy and aging sick. At 44 David began a second military career, training men half his age in physical fitness. At 62, I learned how to zipline, plunging off a 250 foot tower into nothingness and loved every minute of it. I have relatives who have been broken down since their 40’s from poor choices. Which way do you want it?

7- When you get off track, and you will, immediately correct your course. That’s pretty simple. It also imperative to living a healthy lifestyle. Perfection is not required. Diligence, however, is.

8-For the love of God, learn to cook! Spending all your time, money and calories at the drive-thru is a bad idea. Look at our recipes and just start cooking. You will save tons of money and calories and yes, occasionally  even some time. Since most people are sitting in the drive-thru, it’s not quick. Searing some dish and popping a potato in the microwave and heating a can of green beans can be much quicker.

9-With your doctor’s  permission, get some exercise!

10-Keep coming to David’s Way for encouraging, informative articles and luscious recipes. We answer questions and you have the unique perspective of both male and female input. We live this lifestyle and charge you nothing to learn from our experience. This website is completely FREE. Look at our Home Page to discover all the tools available  to you here. We update and write new articles almost daily and have followers worldwide. You are part of something big. Keep us informed on your progress. You are important to us. We are not doctor’s  and can’t  diagnose or cure any illness. We are here to help you on your journey to living a healthy life.

Enjoy!