* Disclaimer (my 2nd one of the day)
I'm a nerd. I confess. I love spreadsheets and research and reading non fiction books. Two years back I read everything I could get my hands on about personal finance. 2008 was all about healthy eating. I learned so much and created a plan that is a combination off all the advice, research I could find on the subject of effective and long term weight loss. My Mom and best friend are now on it. My Mom is down 25 lbs out of 100, and my best friend is down 8 so far out of 60.
This is a plan for pre-menopausal or post menopausal women (those 35 or older) and it's all about healthy balanced eating. Dr. Oz and the Biggest Loser trainers were probably my biggest resource but I read many books on the subject. I also had a one time meeting with a nutritionist (which cost me more than I care to admit) who stressed that it takes THREE YEARS for your body to stabilze to the point where it isn't always fighting to get back to where you were. THREE YEARS is such a long time! Yet in 3 years I'll be 40. I can take three years now to be at my goal weight the rest of my life.
While losing the weight, I ate in a day.
2 starches *
1 dairy
2 proteins
2 fat
2 fruit
3 veggies
1 treat (under 150 calories, 2 gr fat and 25 gram carbs)
It's the treat I look forward to at the end of every day. My treat is what keeps me motivated and not feeling deprived.
Right now my three favorite treats which are allowed are:
A Healthy Choice pudding cup
Any flavor low fat frozen yogurt (125 gr or 1/2 a cup)
A 'skinny cow' Yum yum.
one 500 mg calcium & one 1000 UI Vitamin D with breakfast
and
one 'One a Day for Women' at dinner
and
Eight glasses of water, or herbal tea, or crystal light.
Plus a diet cola if I want one, and two cups of coffee with splenda if I need it.
Now that I am on maintenance, I eat, in a day
3 starches
3 proteins
2 fats
3 dairy
4 veggies
3 fruits
1 treat
8 glasses of water, green tea or crystal light
1 'one a day' vitamin for women at one meal
1 500 mg calcium & 1 1000 UI Vitamin D at another meal
(I also have 2 cups of coffee a day)
Hints for success:
- weigh and measure everything every time. You need a good food scale and some measuring cups & spoons for this plan to work.
- If I know I am having pasta for dinner and 1/2 a cup just won't do it, I'll save my carbs for dinner and eat all three servings at one meal (1 1/2 cups)
- I have low blood sugar so I take 200 mcg of chromium an hour before each meal. This has been hugely benefitial in regulating blood sugar for those who are hypoglysemic. (not needed if you don't have blood sugar issues)
- Don't try and skip the treat to save calories. It's all about the balance.
- If you mess up and have a bad day, don't eat less the next day, just get right back on the plan.
- The slower it comes off, the more likely it will stay off. I lost 1-2 lbs a week on average. Some weeks it was nothing but I kept eating this way and it came off.
- Have one cheat meal per week. One meal, not one day. Eat what you like, what you've been craving. It will often jump start more weight loss when your body gets the message it doesn't have to go into starvation mode.
- The first two weeks are the hardest in terms of hunger. I can honestly say after the first 2 weeks, I've hardly felt any hunger at all.
- This isn't a diet. It's a Healthy Eating Plan to last the rest of your life.
- Good luck for those who want to try it and I would be more than happy to answer any specific questions. I am thrilled my mom and best friend are on it and are finding so much success to so I very happy to be a resource for anyone who wants to ask questions.
I also tried to walk 30 min a day .. but only managed to do it about 2-5 times a week. I tried running but it made me too hungry.
* one starch =one slice of bread, 1 sm potato, 1/2 cup of pasta, 1/2 cup of rice, 1/2 a pita, 6 inch tortilla. 1/2 cup beans
one dairy = , 1 cup of milk or soy milk, 1 oz of cheese ~ any kind, 1 cup cottage cheese, 1 cup sugar free yogurt
one protein = 4 oz of any meat or 2 eggs or 1 cup of cottage cheese
fat = 1 tsp of oil, tsp of salad dressing, 1 tsp of margarine or butter or 1 tsp of mayo
fruit = a cup of anything, or one piece of fruit ~ 1 apple, 1 pear, 1 nectarine or
half a banana
veggie = a cup of any veggie
The Healthy Living Plan (warning ... long)
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