I know I am not alone in reading the daily food intake of models and other celebrities in fashion magazines, People Magazine and other publications certain that we are hungry to know exactly what these popular people consume from early morning to late night. It seems that most of what they consume is water and lots of it.

Recently, I read the daily intake, calorie by calorie, of a national newscaster who, along with her demanding job, has 3 young children and runs 3 miles a day. Her total calorie count for the day is…drum roll…1433 calories. WHAAAAAT?? How does the girl stand or speak? If that is honestly how she has to limit her diet to stay slim, even with that much activity, she should have her thyroid checked.  

Of course, the dietician, hired by the magazine, followed up with praise for her minimalist choices. As for me, I probably have 1400 delicious calories before noon and, thankfully, I am not obese, I have excellent cholesterol count, blood pressure levels and all my other good health measures are fine.

Every time I read those daily food diaries, it frightens me a bit, and fills me with guilt for a moment, as I compare what I eat in a day with the celebrity’s daily water, lentils, and lettuce! Then I remember that I am old enough to be the parent of most of those people and I’m doing okay, especially considering the wonderful, scrumptious food I look forward to, prepare and enjoy everyday, along with the great restaurant food I get excited about and eagerly anticipate.

Granted, I am blessed with better health than I probably deserve. Though I eat heartily, I do practice a few healthy habits, but nothing like the claims proudly put out there by these very fit people who also have personal chefs, trainers and others monitoring them.

My diet philosophy and habits keep me fairly fit and still be able to enjoy my food. A few of my healthy habits include:

• I eat some of EVERYthing, but not ALL of ANYthing. I always leave at least one bite of everything on my plate. Those leftover bites add up.
• Moderation is the key. I enjoy all food categories, but in moderation.
• I start the morning with a glass of water mixed with a teaspoon of honey, a tablespoon of vinegar and a little ginger. Why? I keep reading about the virtues of vinegar and figure I must need some.   The honey makes the “medicine” go down.
• My daily nutritional supplements include a high quality fish oil and a probiotic.
• I most often start the day with fruit of the current season. I’m really going to miss fresh local watermelon and blueberries as we head into fall.
• I eat multiple small meals instead of three big meals a day.
• I eat nutritional, high-protein nuts in place of chips for snacks and as a side with salads and sandwiches.
• I drink iced green tea with a little ginger and fruit instead of sodas.
• I eat fish twice a week even though I don’t love it.
• I choose ending a meal with a yummy dessert over starting it with a caloric alcoholic beverage. It’s not a good idea to have both.
• I walk 2.5 miles everyday, rain or shine. My son gave me a treadmill to make sure I keep up with that in bad weather (since I don’t exercise in public, other than walking).
• As much as possible and as time permits, I park far away in parking lots and if reasonable, I take the stairs instead of elevators.
• I’m doing my best to drink more water, which I will admit, was inspired by the celebrity food lists. Yes, I am one of the many who DO read those articles. 

In summary, I have my ways of watching my weight and staying healthy, but they do not include starving myself.

I

am happy to list what I do eat in a day, if anyone cared, but it could possibly take two blog posts to cover it all.   Right now, I’m diving into some caramel cake….for breakfast. All this food accountability made me hungry!

Tell Me: How do you maintain your weight or weight loss?