Jan. 2 - Lisa's Musings on Every Day Life

If you want to be successful on the first day of a diet become a reporter and write a column about it for the local paper.

Since I spent part of New Year's Day at a brunch where a good number of the people there had read about the Great Diet of 2010, I got lots of support.

I'm not sure if they agreed I had, indeed, gotten fat -- after all, many of them have known me for years -- or if they were being helpful. I want to believe that they'd been in my boat because everyone had terrific suggestions for me.

And, let me tell you, there were more than a few eyes roving toward my plate after I had gone through the buffet line.

I even had offers to smack food out of my hand if I was seen eating something I shouldn't.

Now these are true friends.

Only real friends are brave enough to offer to take food out of a dieting person's hand. Someone could get bitten that way.

And, I'm pleased to report that the first official (two) days of this new adventure haven't been so bad. Sure, I was tempted to head upstairs at the brunch to check out the dessert table, but I didn't.

Even though I "saved" calories for a taste of a sweet treat. I mean, come on, Paul Cousins had made his famous tart. How could I not want a mouthful (or four) of that?

The good news was, by the time I'd finished my very small plate of food, I was told that the tart was gone. Without that temptation, and with a full tummy, it was almost easy to pass on dessert.

So here's a few things I've learned in the early stages of the Great Diet of 2010.

A diet diary is a handy tool and when combined with a comprehensive calorie counter, you really think about everything that crosses your lips.

Eat sitting down, you feel full faster.

Don't deprive yourself of a taste of something that you really, really want to eat. Moderation, moderation, moderation, not starvation.

Spreading out those smaller meals and supplementing them with two healthy snacks kills the constantly grumbling stomach.

Water is a good thing.

Finding recipes for healthy, low calorie foods is fun; and finding out that they actually taste pretty good is even better.

But you're not going to find me doing counter top push-ups while I'm cooking; telephone thigh trimmers while I'm talking to you on the phone, or squats while I'm brushing my teeth.

There's a time for exercising and there's a time for doing other things.

Never the twain shall meet.