Anyone up to the challenge or at the very least investigating the different methods of losing weight know well that there are hundreds of different diets and variations. High protein, high carb, low carb, balanced, Mediterranean, pills, points systems, calorie counting, see food diet (wait that one makes you gain weight)... the list goes on and on.
Today, I'd like to think people are more health savvy and realize that diets do not really work for the long term goals of living a healthy life. It takes a lifestyle change. What does that really mean? "Lifestyle change" sounds so scary and burdensome! It really isn't. Only your brains addiction to sugar makes you feel that way.
Plain and simple...
I like it simple. I have always done my best to look at eating food as utility and not for pleasure. I am not saying that you do not get pleasure from eating... food tastes good! (well... most). I constantly remind myself that I am not eating for pleasure. When you seek out any activity whether it is eating, entertainment, work etc, expecting a pleasure response from the brain, you are most likely experiencing addiction to that activity. So I keep things very simple.
Here is a snapshot of what I have adopted. This method will not be for everyone. But it works for my body type, family health history, personality, my threshold for change and personal tastes. If this sounds good to you, your doctor or if your nutritionist agrees, give it a shot and see how well it works!
This method of weight loss works without exercise. I average 2-5 lbs a week. Whether you are male or female it does not matter. You should see similar results. However, I do recommend cardio as the benefits are huge for your heart health as well as increased endurance and additional weight loss.
If you decide to exercise or train with weights... please focus on your waistline measurements instead of weight as your key form of measuring success. If you are adding muscle while losing body fat, your scale may not show much movement. Losing the inches is the most important part of this process. Do not get too depressed if you hit a bump in the road yet you are still dropping inches and pant sizes!
There are 3 stages to move yourself to this lifestyle. This is a high protein / low carb strategy.
- Kickstart - up to 10lbs first week (Cleansing phase)
- Weight loss phase - avg. 2-5lbs per week
- Maintanance / Lifestyle Phase
For this first blog post I will be covering the kickstart phase. You are cleaning the crap out of your body... you will start losing fat towards the end of the 8 days... DO NOT GO BEYOND 8 DAYS... this is only getting your body ready to burn fat... and is not to be used as your primary method of weight loss.
Kickstart cleansing phase. 8 Days (most difficult part of the process... yet it is only 8 days)
This first phase will ween your addiction from sugar. All 8 days MUST contain/follow the following principles.
No sugar... No carbs... (with exceptions listed below) No sauces... keep it simple:
- Protein: Beef, Pork, Chicken, Fish - Eat as much of it as you like. (For fish be aware of any mercury level concerns)
- Green Vegetables: Lettuce, broccoli, green pepper, green onions, cucumbers etc. - Consume as much as you want. No color vegetables or root vegetables. (you will get these though in the weight-loss phase)
- Fruits: 3 small oranges or 3 cups of cantaloupe or 3 cups of grapefruit per day. Note: consume only one set of 3 per day... or mix and match so you are getting 3 servings and not 9 servings of fruit. DO NOT IGNORE THE FRUIT your brain needs some carbs to function properly.
- Eggs: You can have up to 3 eggs a day (Optional)
- Fats: 1 tablespoon Smart Balance Light margarine or butter spread.
- Salt: 1 tablespoon of Morton's Light salt per day (this can be bought at any grocery store. It contains 50% less sodium than regular table salt) Make sure it is Morton's Light and not regular table salt or you will be consuming too much. I sprinkle it on my meat and vegetables...
- Dressings: Balsamic vinegar and olive oil
- Water consumption: Half of your bodyweight in ounces... Yeah I know... it sounds like a lot but you need to make sure you are flushing your system frequently to keep your organs healthy and remove wastes. As an example: if you are 250lbs then drink 125 ounces of water a day. Drinking the water IS VERY IMPORTANT! Also note that your water consumption will decrease as you lose weight. Remember to keep the ratio.
- You can drink diet clear sodas (up to 16 ounces per day) That is a personal choice of yours depending on how you feel about consuming aspartame. Diet clear sodas are: Cream, Orange, Sprite, 7 UP, Ginger ale. NO colas or others of darker consistencies.
Some will say this is boring... reality check... anyone who tries to convince you that a jumpstart period is fun is trying to sell you something. Cleanses are to be tolerated. Even so being able to eat as much protein and veggies listed above is not too bad... but note the plainness of the food. Cheating by adding your favorite dressings, adding sauces or elements that introduce sugar will be detrimental to the jump start process. It will get better in the next phase. And throughout all of these phases you will NOT feel hungry.
That is it for for the first phase. Stay tuned for my next post with the weight-loss phase of the diet.