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Saturday, November 10, 2012

Lifesize - the un-diet

Some time ago, I got the Lifesize Weight Loss Kit for review ... and then life got more complicated.

Back then, my husband had just gone into the hospital, and I expected that he would be out soon. Instead of using the kit for weight loss, I was thinking it would be a good tool for figuring out how much food I needed to stuff into him so he could gain back some of the weight he lost.

Many weeks later, he's still in the hospital, and it's going to be a long time before I'll be able to stuff him. And there sits the kit... waiting for me to review it.

The idea behind the kit is that you don't need to count calories obsessively - you eat reasonable portions of food based on some broad categories. It's all about portion control and eating the right proportions of foods and still having the option for some treats.

Some years ago, I lost quite a bit of weight by paying attention to portions. I ate what I wanted. If I wanted ice cream, I ate it. If I wanted salad, I ate it. If I wanted to splurge now and then, I did. But I kept the portions reasonable. I had a scoop of ice cream, and not a pint.

It was sort of a hodge-podge system, but it worked for me.

The Lifesize system is similar, but with a little more organization and a little more measuring. You see, there are measuring cups provided, so you know exactly how much rice is a reasonable serving. A handy chart explains how to use the system. If you're eating pasta as a meal, you're allowed more than if it's a side dish.

There are also DVDs for more in-depth information.

It all makes perfect sense. And I suspect that after using the system for a while, it becomes easier to judge if that restaurant portion is too much or just enough.

What I think is pretty cool is that the system isn't restrictive. You want ice cream, you can have it. You just need to cut back on something else. Want an extra helping of snacks or meat? You can, if you adjust elsewhere. You're supposed to eat a certain number of servings per day, and of course it's best if you eat a balanced diet, but you can mix and match to fit how you eat.

I like that. I don't think most people eat perfectly balanced meals every day. I know I don't. I might grab some leftover chicken for a quick lunch, which makes a pretty unbalanced meal. But if you look at the day, there might be a whole lot of vegetables later. It might be better, healthwise, if every bite was balanced, but that's not particularly realistic.

And it's not much fun, either.

I'd rather have a diet plan that adjusts to the way I eat instead of a plan that makes me wrap my lifestyle around its rules. I'm more likely to follow it, and I'm more likely to be happy with it. And that means I'm more likely to stick with it.

I'll admit that with my husband in the hospital, my eating habits have gotten a little less healthy. Salad and I are not the good friends we used to be. Snacks and I have cuddled up on the couch a few too many times. It happens. I will repent soon.

And as soon as I can feed my husband again, I'm gonna see if I can Lifesize him UP. And at the same time, I'll fine-tune my eating to be a little more healthy. Because I'll admit that I need some fine-tuning and maybe a little trimming as well. Might as well get us both in shape at the same time, right?

The only thing that I object to (slightly) with the Lifesize kit is the stand that the measuring cups fit into. I get it. You're supposed to keep it on your counter where it's handy for you to use. Seeing it every day will make you more likely to use it. It make sense.

But my counter space is limited. Very, very limited. No big deal though. The stand isn't necessary for using the kit. It's easy enough to hide the stand and stash the cups.