Sonja and Swordfish at Smithsonian Art Museum in Washington, D.C.

What is it about fish?  If I’m up a few pounds, all I do is eat grilled fish that night, along with some vegetables (preferably thermic vegetables). The next day, I’m back down on the scale.  It’s magical.  That’s why I weigh myself every morning; and one way I have maintained a 50 pound weight loss since 2001. 

Why does it work?

1)  Fish is easier to digest than other meats, i.e., beef, pork, chicken, etc. 

2)  Fish is a protein, not a carbohydrate, so it doesn’t cause an insulin spike when eaten. (the theory behind the high protein/low carb diets).

3) Fish is super low in fat.

Sonja, fly fishing for Brook Trout in Colorado

4)  Fish is extremely low in calories, yet satisfying.  Just look at these calorie counts of some of my favorites (no breading, not fried):

    a)  Alaskan King Crab Legs, 3 oz. = 109 calories 

    b)  Flounder, 4 oz. = 132 calories

    c)  Mahi Mahi, 3 oz. = 90 calories

    d) Salmon, 3 oz. = 160 calories

    e) Talapia, 3 oz. = 110 calories

    f) Tuna, canned, in water, 3 oz. = 109 calories  

When I was a little girl, I didn’t like fish, but now I love it! I used to disguise the taste of fish, but now I love it grilled, and find that, along with chicken, it is my favorite form of protein.  I love Mahi-Mahi sandwiches, prefer grilled fish tacos, get excited when my husband decides to grill fish on the grill, and give a nod of approval when I see fish skewers on the menu at restaurants.  

Fish helps me live the thin lifestyle, and maintain a 50-pound weight loss, so fish is my friend — and, as I said before — fish is definitely “magical!”

Sonja in Maui, Hawaii

There is a huge increase in advertising for weight loss, fitness clubs, diet products and deliver-straight-to-your-door diet food this time of year. Why? Because people are motivated with new year’s resolutions to once and for all lose weight, get in shape and most importantly — open their wallets and spend money on this multi-billion-dollar industry.  How do I know? Because I’ve spent thousands of dollars on diet plans and diet foods, and probably lost the weight equivalent to at least two human beings in the process.

Now, since losing 50 pounds in 2001, I simply “Live Thin,” and stay the same weight. It’s much cheaper, more sane, and my clothes are all the same size in my closet.  However, if you have read my “Living Thin” blogs, you know that I don’t care how people lose weight, I think it’s more about living the thin lifestyle when you reach your “Happy Weight,” that’s the most important thing of all.

Here are some of my favorite blogs of the year, and some that you may find helpful if you are making a New Year’s Resolution to lose weight:

Life After Dieting; What Now, That the Pounds Are Gone?  For ideas on how to keep that hard-earned weight loss off once it’s gone.

Diet Redemption: Red Dead or Not, You Always Get Another Chance, if you are discouraged from past dieting failures.

Yo-Yo Dieting; Stop the Insanity! if you want to get off that particular treadmill this year.

Breaking the Deprivation / Binge Cycle – sometimes a set-up during strict dieting.

And finally, always remember: Nothing Tastes as Good as Thin Feels.  That says it all!

Have a wonderful new year, my friends!

Take care, and live well,

Sonja Rose

Take the Focus Off the Turkey

Thanksgiving Day doesn’t have to be all about eating — does it?  Would you like to avoid feeling like a beached whale every Thanksgiving?  Or avoid gaining 5-10 pounds, simply because of one eating-focused holiday?  Here’s how:

1)  Think about other things that day besides the Thanksgiving Day meal.  Concentrate on connecting with your family and friends through conversation, or, look at fun websites, get on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Flickr, LinkedIn or YouTube.

2)  Take a walk, a hike, ride your bike,or do the treadmill — anything for 20-30 minutes.  You’ll feel great, look good and digest your food better.

3)  Go to a Thanksgiving Day Buffet instead of making dinner at home.  It’s less stressful (no shopping, no cooking, no clean-up), and then you don’t have days and days of leftovers.  I ate at Mimi’s Cafe one Thanksgiving when we moved to another state in the middle of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend and became a believer; I realized it was much less expensive than buying food at the grocery store,  plus, their food was delicious — and, we even had enough leftovers for another meal.

4)  Wait to have seconds — make that your next meal instead.

Sonja, Turtle Bay, Oahu, Hawaii

5)  Concentrate on the vegetables that are being served and munch on those instead of the creamy casseroles laden with fat and calories, and the rich desserts.  Your body will thank you.

6)  Bake the turkey.  Don’t fry the turkey in hot oil.  I have had deep-fried turkey (at buffets and potlucks); it was always dry and chewy, not moist, lean, low-fat and delicious like baked.  Why are people doing this to Thanksgiving turkeys?  Deep-frying turkey adds fat and calories; and, if you really want to cut down on fat, pull off the skin (and choose white meat over dark).

7)  Remember, this is not your last meal.  You will get more food later.  It is not necessary to overeat.

8)  Don’t keep eating an item if you don’t really like it.  This sounds obvious, but sometimes people will eat food just because it’s on their plate — and they don’t even really like it!  Your stomach has finite space – be picky! Only eat it if it’s really, really, tasty to you.  Remember, when you have reached full, food doesn’t taste as good anymore anyway.

9)  Take small portions.  There is no reason to stack your plate full of food, just because it’s Thanksgiving Day.  If that is what you’ve always done in the past, remember that you are now “Living the Thin Lifestyle,” and those days are over — thank goodness!

10)  Go to a movie, or shopping, or something to get out of the house. These days, zoos, museums, many other places, are open so you can take advantage of staying active and taking the focus off food.

The best part?

You will wake up after Thanksgiving, still be able to wear all your clothes, and all the food will be a distant memory, and you will remember: “Nothing Tastes as Good as Thin Feels”

Good luck!