A Simple Diet
Basically, you will have one meal a day. This is a common diet for people who are in great shape and wish a very low percentage of body fat. I follow my own model though.
I want to emphasize as I do elsewhere, that I am not an
expert on diet, but I do read, and I come from a family
that has the tendency to be rather barrel shaped as we age. I seem to have kept myself at a reasonable weight if I try and I am now over 65 and see my activity declining.
Now, this low body fat is the result of a fair amount of exercise, as diet alone will result in losing muscle mass long before you start losing fat. However, it may also get you to a goal weight with moderate exercise. You must do Something!..For those who have little opportunity or are unable to exercise, you will have to find something. Simple movement is good. Move in your bed. Get up an down. Roll around...anything, but move your muscles.
Leslie Sansone has a regimen on DVD and on TV that you can follow. Her program is low impact and has movements that many can use even if other forms of exercise are not possible. I have been around people who simply cannot exercise who have just moved easily with the program who have quickly improved to the point that they are able to join the full programs in the simplest forms. There are also simple chair exercises that you can find on line. You Tube might be a good source for this or ask a physical therapist.
People who fail at diets often do something so drastic that they cannot keep up the program. You are always craving something that is forbidden to you. Well, in this diet, nothing is forbidden to you. However, YOU should take responsibility for making good choices, and reading labels on food. Of course you must always avoid Saturated fats, Hydrogenated oils and fats, and anything that is artificial. High Fructose Corn Syrup is not going to kill you in small amounts, but you really should limit the intake. Sugar should be kept to a minimum along with most ARTIFICIAL sweeteners. Again, sugar consumption will not kill you, but it should be kept to a minimum. With me, I can cut out sugar completely for a time, but all I need is one little dose, and the floodgates open up and I cannot stop.
You have to eat anything you want in order to keep from terrible cravings. Remember that one meal that is not on your diet is not going to spoil the weight loss, as long as you return to your regimen immediately.
So, here is what you should try. Buy a small set of plates. The huge Dinner Plates are too big for normal meals. The bread and butter and salad plates are too small and are discouraging. The size between is a luncheon plate. Just the right size. Don't buy a small plate and load it up till it is dripping off the sides of the plate either.
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A word about portion size. Mounds of vegetables and a cup or so of starch...potato, pasta, rice... As for meat, if you need it or want it, about three ounces is all you need for the entire day. That is about the size of a deck of cards.(If you want no meat in your diet, replace with legumes and whole grain for the protein) I figure it out by either weighing out the portions into little bags for the freezer or if I buy a one pound package of hamburger(as an example) I divide the package into five equal portions.
With our very "American" idea of portion size, it is harder these days to buy chicken breasts. I buy one of the economy packages of breasts and find that they are the size of Pterodactyl breasts. Just where are they getting these Jules Verne chickens?! Anyway, they often have lots of rib meat, unappetizing bits and a bit of fat on them. I trim the breasts of the rib meat etc. and simmer them to make chicken broth and use my fingers to separate the meat from the trimmings and broth. I just scoop a handful of frozen or fresh veggies, celery and onion into the broth, cook them and add a bit of rice, potato or pasta precooked into it at the end.
The breasts are cut into two or three pieces and bagged separately depending on their size. I can bake one or two at a time.[for two days or slice one for a chicken sandwich or chicken salad] I can pound one flat and fry or make Parmesan from one.
[Pound flat between waxed paper squares, dip in flour, dip in egg [salted and peppered], dip in Parmesan, into egg again, then in home made bread crumbs and set on a wire rack to dry. Fry in a bit of oil or butter(Yes, you need a tablespoon of fat every day for good brain function but that means good fats.) top with Mozzarella and bake for a while till the temperature is 165F. top with sauce and serve with pasta.[just a bit of pasta because of the breading and one of these suckers can be the size of your luncheon plate.] You can also just squeeze a wedge of lemon(and capers) over the fried cutlet and eat with a bit of rice(that is with or without Parmesan). Sauteed mushrooms are good with this and a mound of peas or broccoli.]
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Think of your day as one meal. You will have an appetizer in the late morning, a good lunch late in the day, and your healthy dessert in the evening.
Of course you are not getting up in the morning and having a plate of potato skins or Mozzarella sticks. Many people have a light fruit offering as an appetizer or did when we were not so gluttonous as we are today. Try a little Greek yogurt or cottage cheese in the morning. Add a topping of fresh fruit, or a fruit compote with Splenda or with no sweetener.(I buy the big bags of frozen berries and thaw out a cup each day when I do not have fresh fruit in the pantry.) I like to make plain baked apples, a whole tray at a time and put them in the refrigerator to take out one by one. Add a few raisins, a couple of chopped dates(no sugar added) or a chopped fresh fig. After baking, sprinkle a little Stevia on it. Nestle an apple in a little mound of cottage cheese or yogurt....look at the yogurt label...no sugar please!
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Baked Apples:
You can do traditional baked apples. Butter, cream, brown sugar, dried fruit, candied fruit. cinnamon, walnuts. But I am afraid that is not on your diet! First, it is always better if you leave the skin on any fruit that you consume, as long as the skin is clean and unblemished for the most part. However, it is much easier to eat if you peel them.
So, I peel half a dozen apples and cut them in half vertically. Core the apple and lay them core side up in a baking pan.(a melon-baller works well) Drizzle a little apple juice, cider or water over the apples and into the pan. Sprinkle them with cinnamon, or any blend of spices that you like. cover with foil or a pan cover. Sprinkle them with a small amount of Stevia and bake at 400 F till they are tender. I like to uncover them and leave them in the oven till the edges brown a bit.
You can also add raisins soaked to hydrate for an hour, chopped dried fruit or a cherry about half way through the baking time.
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Otherwise try a single slice of whole grain bread toasted with fruit on it for variety once or twice a week. Try baking a banana and using it as a spread or topping. Broil some pineapple and top with a few cherries...no syrup from the can please! You can buy dark cherries in jars from the dollar store.
About 2 PM, have your lunch. Have a real lunch. Have anything you want...but be realistic. If you want french fries, just have a few and drain them thoroughly with very little salt. Better to have baked fries if available.(I love to put a little salsa in the baked potato instead of more fattening options, even better if you make your own salsa.) Today I made Chicken Parmesan, home made, only a tiny amount of pasta, But I had some. Keep the cheese to a minimum in this as with all meals.
A note here...good choices...having anything you want does not mean chili or grilled cheese every day.
Have realistic meals with a vegetable, a minimal amount of starch and only the absolute minimum of Butter and other fats. Use your head. The object is to not feel deprived, not wallowing in the worst possible choices every day.
I like some soups at lunch...try to do your own if you can, but have what you want. I will have a hamburger with bread and a big mound of vegetables.. If I need cheese, I use something with tons of flavor. Aged Cheddar, Aged Provolone, Pepper cheese. Something with tons of flavor means you just need a sliver to be satisfied...AND DON'T DO IT EVERY DAY!
Have nice flavored herb teas or water all day and change flavors frequently. Stevia only please, and avoid that if you can.
You need, on average, about two liters of water a day. Tea and coffee do not count. Your urine should be a light yellow like lemonade. If it is colorless...too much water...if darker, not enough water.
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When weight lifters diet, they try to have the longest possible time from your last meal of the day till breakfast. You burn a lot of fat in that time period. Have the last meal early and the first late.)
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At a late supper time, have a big piece of fruit. An apple or three tangerines, a grapefruit etc. This is also the time to get a big mound of veggies and go to town.(a tiny amount of salt and pepper or cayenne instead of butter) Broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, zucchini or eggplant. you can also do them in balsamic vinegar and plenty of herbs and spices. Look up Caponata on line, but watch out for oil and sugar in them. Instead of sugar, roast the vegetables so you only get the natural sugars in the food. Mounds of green beans. Use canned veggies if you like, but NO ADDED SALT and do as much fresh as possible.
In fact you should restrict salt at all times. I cannot live without salt on a hamburger, but I rarely add it to anything else, especially canned food.
I have pizza quite often, but I do not do nearly as much cheese as I used to. I do a whole recipe of pizza dough, then I freeze 3/4 of it in small portions in zip lock bags. I also love pepperoni, but I slice it so thin that I can see through it. Fatty meats can be precooked in the oven and drained on paper towels before they go on the pizza. Chicken is good on pizza, especially with sliced mushrooms and broccoli or peas. Remember to dab off as much fat as possible before eating it.
Have all you want of fruit or veggies in the evening, just avoid sweeteners and syrups in the fruit. I find that one of those huge Granny Smith apples are fun to slice and eat slowly while I read or watch TV.
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Here is a good trick. Buy a muffin at the market. Your favorite. slice it up and lay it on a tray in the oven. Toast it slightly then turn the oven to warm and let it dry completely. Crush the dried muffin up like very large bread crumbs and sprinkle on your yogurt and fruit in the AM. Put it in a container to stay dry and spread it over the whole week.
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Another cheat is to put a cup of REAL rice in a pan. Add four cups of skim or low fat milk and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat and cook till the rice is nearly mushy. Add Stevia and dried or chopped fresh fruit at some point to cook into it. Chill and reheat or eat cold...a half a cup is more than enough. Top with cinnamon. Have this in the morning especially with fruit...BUT NOT EVERY MORNING?
