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I am not fat.  I am not horribly overweight.  But I could use to lose 10 pounds.  Again.  I lost it the first time when I went off to college.  Ten pounds seemed to just melt off.  I was emptying my student checking account at the local boutiques so I did not have enough money for food…but I looked good.

I lost that 10 pounds again during the divorce years.  I was too stressed out to eat.  Food sat in the refrigerator so long it turned bad. 

Now I have to face the ugly truth.  I need to modify my diet and my exercise schedule to melt off that 10 pounds again.  I call my plan…

 Sus’s Ten Commandments of Dieting:

1.   I will not eat starchy carbs.

I will not eat rice, potatoes, pasta or bread during the week.  Once on the weekend I will eat one starchy carb, just to treat myself.

2.   I will not eat foods that have no-- or almost no-- nutritional value.

The list of nonfoods includes donuts, candy bars, sodas, cupcakes, etc.

 3.   I will not eat red meat or meat products.

Off my list are beef, pork and lamb…are too dense to eat on my diet.  Also off the list are hot dogs, sausages and mystery meat fillings.

4.   I will not eat large portions.

It is tough to limit my intake of certain favorite foods.  I love barbeque potato chips but I really can’t eat just one…or 10.

5.   I will not eat after 7 p.m.

It’s tough to stop eating in the evening, but it makes a difference.

6.   I will get at least three walks or sessions on the treadmill each week.

Aerobics are essential to getting that weight off.

7.   I will work out my upper body two to three times a week.

It is important to work your upper torso as well as the lower one.

8.   I will not buy larger size clothes.

There is no way I am going to give in to this.

9.  I am not going to stop dieting after I lose the first five pounds.

I am guilty of this.  Five pounds lost does not equate to 10 pounds lost.

10.  I am not going to depend on packaged or canned food.

I will not stop eating fresh food just because packaged or canned food is easier.  My food needs to be brightly colored…reds, yellows, greens, blues and oranges.

In my dieting history, I flunked a diet program or two.  I figure that I have lost these 10 pounds about 10 times in my life, so I have actually lost 100 pounds so far in my lifetime.   

Any diet plan can work if you are dedicated to your success and willing to stay with it as a lifelong plan.  For me, that means fewer caramel apples, less movie popcorn and smaller portions of cheese pizza.  I just have to start.

My diet start date is January 2.  I invite willing losers to join me. 

Susanne Katz is a divorce coach with Mt Vernon Counseling, coauthor of A Woman's Guide to Managing a Mid-Life Divorce, an arts and living columnist for Atlanta Jewish News.com.  She is also a regular on ShareWIK.com.

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