I wasn't sure where to put this post (this one has been kicking around in my head for some time now). Figured this was as good a place as any!
Jim has NEVER EVER had a weight problem...until recently. In fact, in photos from his teens and 20's, he was rail thin! (kind of had the Robert Plant thing going on with his hair...long, blond curly locks that for some reason turned dark dark brown in his mid-20's - he'd been blonde from childhood up until then...weird huh?)
So wha happened to make him gain weight (we're talking about 20 lbs in the past 10-11 years or so, since I've known him)?
One reason is that he used to be very active - riding his mountain bike everywhere since there was several years where we didn't have a car at our disposal (if we wanted to drive somewhere on the weekend, we'd rent a car from Enterprise). Nowadays, with working full time and two music projects ongoing (part time bassist with an acoustic group in San Fran and full time with an R&B group in San Jose, plus networking and practicing at home) Jim hasn't been spending much time doing 'intentional exercise'. And no, he won't go with me to the gym in the early AM - his name might be Jim but he ain't into the 'gym' scene.
Another reason - his eating habits. I have a pretty busy schedule myself - work, gym, riding lessons/stable time, and Pilates and Yoga classes a couple evenings a week (whew!). So Jim was eating out quite a bit. And by 'eating out' - that generally meant McD's or Taco Bell. Plus the fact that there are a LOT of goodies like cookies, brownies, etc floating around the office (we both work for the same employer but in different divisions).
Of course I nagged him about his weight and health...but it took a blood test and getting a pretty stern note from the doc that he would have to start watching his cholestrol and fats and sodium and etc. if he wanted to be healthy into his 40s...he got the warning note in August and I told him I would help him.
Now remember...Jim has NEVER been on a 'diet' in his life. I knew that if I put him on some sort of 'rabbit food' regimen, he wouldn't stay on it for very long. So I needed to make this as painless as possible!
Okay - here's a synopsis - just made some tiny changes...
his OLD breakfast: Jim would usually go to the cafeteria at work and get pancake w/maple syrup and butter, along with hamsteak and a Milk Chug (12 oz 2% milk). Also in the morning, as a 'pick me up' (since neither one of us likes coffee) he'd walk over to Safeway and pick up a 16 oz Rockstar 'energy drink' which contains 220 calories and 54 grams of sugar!!
his NEW breakfast: Since I was already making breakfast for myself anyway, I started making him breakfast as well - 2 pieces of lean Jones ham (25 calories each), 2 eggs sunnyside up (cooked in butter flavored Pam), 2 slices of rye toast with some Smucker's sugar-free preserves, and a small glass of OJ to wash down his One-A-Day Men's multi. And OH yes...I got him off the REGULAR Rockstars and onto the Diet Rockstars, which have a mere 20 calories per can
his OLD lunch: Usually he'd go to either McD's or Taco Bell and get a value meal, or if he was in a 'pinch' he'd go to the cafeteria and order up a cheeseburger with seasoned curly fries and a Coke. Another old favorite was the #9 at Togo's (hot pastrami sandwich) with salt & vinegar chips and a soda.
NEW lunch: When I cook stuff for dinner I make sure there are leftovers for his lunches...he gets stuff like turkey meatloaf...lean steak...chicken breasts and rice...healthy casseroles like jambalaya, etc. I generally include a light yogurt for a snack and a diet Coke. On the days that he doesn't pack a lunch, he stays away from McD's and if he goes to Togo's he orders a #16 (the Italian), light on the cheese, no mayo, on whole-wheat bread, with baked Lays chips and iced tea. He works a physical job so he needs the energy and with a full tummy, it's easier for him to deal with the cookies and stuff that are like boobytraps around the place.
Old dinner - if I had a lesson or something...he'd go straight to McDs or Taco Bell after work.
Now for dinner I generally make something healthy - and at least a couple times a week he gets a nice salad with chicken breast.
SNACKIES around the house - he's a guy so he's gotta have his snackies.
Jello FF pudding (in the individual containers)
Cereal with skim milk (cereal choices like Wheaties, Cheerios, Wheat Chex)
Lean Cuisine Pizzas
Fruit
Homemade quesadillas made w/2% cheese, chicken, and fat-free tortillas
Leftovers
Now of course I don't expect him to be PERFECT. In fact I know that when he goes to rehearsals, he IS going to most likely be eating fast food. But at least he's not eating it every single DAY, and he does make better choices - his new 'better choice' for example is ordering a burrito at our local taqueria that consists of grilled, lean carne asada, rice, black beans and lots of salsa. That's MUCH healthier and more filling than, say, a Big Mac Extra value meal!
Results - he's lost 12 lbs pretty painlessly! Yay Jim!!! (as far as exercise...well...the weather still sucks here but he's got his bike in the garage all tuned up and ready to go as soon as it starts warming up...)
Helping my 'better half' to lose some L-Bs...
A couple of the guys he works with got him hooked on them...before that it was Red Bull. But you know, they just HAVE to be different. 
