Greetings,
Each week I will post a video which highlights some of the points that we have been discussing. Remember I did NOT invent the 5 Rules for Healthy Living.
The Rules are the simple truths that billions of healthy people have been observing from the beginning of time.
Video 1
The key takeaways from this video in particular, are PORTION CONTROL and frequent SNACKS.
They phrase the concept as "eating frequently" but the point remains the same;
HUNGER IS UNDEFEATED AGAINST WILL POWER".
Healthy people actually eat more REAL food than unhealthy people; they just don't surround themselves with a bunch of TREATS (even though they also enjoy occasional TREATS).
During her weight loss period, this woman ate so much that she even created her own COOKBOOK. Do you know how much you have to eat and drink to create a COOKBOOK? A WHOLE LOT!!!!
Also, by her own admission, she is not some amazing extraordinary person with super will power and self control.
People; if you don't believe anything that I am telling you please trust me when I say that your being healthy does not mean that you have to starve yourself, give up the foods that you enjoy or spend hours on the treadmill.
Being healthy simply requires that you elevate your food awareness to about the same level as your personal hygiene awareness.
I know that sounds like a weird comparison, but it is the best example that I can think of.
Preparing your snacks in the morning or the night before takes about the same amount of energy as bathing. It is not hard; its a habit; either you do it or you don't. You hop into the shower as part of your daily ROUTINE; and if you are like me you take a shower BEFORE you begin to smell. You already can predict with nearly 100% certainty that if you don't bath you will stink. The same is true for snacks. You know that there is a 100% chance that you will get hungry; so the question is; will you snack on junk or wholesome goodness that you prepare earlier.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edHxMqFsLDA&list=PL8FF428D60E6E38F7&index=22&feature=plpp_video
Video 2
During the introduction, they made two IMPORTANT points that are critical to the Rules.
1) THERE ARE NO BAD FOODS;
It is really about how you prepare them and the portion size.
2) DON'T THINK OF CHEESE AS A FOOD; the suggested thinking about it as a condiment.
That is the EXACT point I am making with the 3 Food Groups: MEALS, SNACKS and TREATS.
As long as you understand that it is a TREAT they you are fine. You don't want to eat TREATS thinking that they are MEALS or SNACKS. It is IMPOSSIBLE to SNACK on CHEESE.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/47901459#47614129
Video 3:
Notice that she SURROUNDED herself with an ABUNDANCE of SNACKS.
HUNGER IS UNDEFEATED AGAINST WILL POWER!!!!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/47901459#47539018
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Monday, June 18, 2012
Dumb Diet Advice
Greetings,
Below I have listed some of the dumbest diet advice that I have encountered during my research:
Eat Slowly
http://www.mydailymoment.com/diet_and_fitness/all_diet_tips/slow_and_steady_wins_the_diet_race.php
Liquid Diet:
"After revealing slimmer curves during the "American Idol" finale, Chaka Khan admitted that she dropped several dress sizes through a four-month liquid diet. She said she had to lose the weight because of Type 2 diabetes and hypertension. Khan in 2008, left, and performing on day three of the Lovebox Festival at Victoria Park, June 17, 2012 in London, England"
http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/slideshow/chaka-khan-weight-loss-3094935
6 Weeks to OMG
If this guy can make on TV, I know I should be able to!
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/48132912#48132912
3 Habits to Lose Weight
Never trust a diet that ask you to do more than healthy people. You might say, "Well you are asking me to weight my food." Fari point, but actually I am asking you to train your eyes and body to what a normal healthy people should look and feel like. Afterwards, like billions of healthy people; you can get rid of the scale and just use your eyes.
In theory, tracking your food will promote better eating; just like driving 100mph will get you to work faster. How many people with a bad relationship with food can suddenly start writing down every single thing they eat.
http://todayhealth.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/13/12726359-want-to-lose-weight-adopt-these-3-habits?lite
Below I have listed some of the dumbest diet advice that I have encountered during my research:
Eat Slowly
http://www.mydailymoment.com/diet_and_fitness/all_diet_tips/slow_and_steady_wins_the_diet_race.php
Liquid Diet:
"After revealing slimmer curves during the "American Idol" finale, Chaka Khan admitted that she dropped several dress sizes through a four-month liquid diet. She said she had to lose the weight because of Type 2 diabetes and hypertension. Khan in 2008, left, and performing on day three of the Lovebox Festival at Victoria Park, June 17, 2012 in London, England"
http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/slideshow/chaka-khan-weight-loss-3094935
6 Weeks to OMG
If this guy can make on TV, I know I should be able to!
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/48132912#48132912
3 Habits to Lose Weight
Never trust a diet that ask you to do more than healthy people. You might say, "Well you are asking me to weight my food." Fari point, but actually I am asking you to train your eyes and body to what a normal healthy people should look and feel like. Afterwards, like billions of healthy people; you can get rid of the scale and just use your eyes.
In theory, tracking your food will promote better eating; just like driving 100mph will get you to work faster. How many people with a bad relationship with food can suddenly start writing down every single thing they eat.
http://todayhealth.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/13/12726359-want-to-lose-weight-adopt-these-3-habits?lite
Video & Article Blog
Greetings,
Below are a view videos that I found interesting. In many cases they also illustrate all that is wrong with the typical American's relationship with food.
Videos of National Interest:
Flavoring Added to OJ:
There is no doubt in my mind that they are adding sugar to OJ.
http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/flavoring-found-orange-juice-recipe-15192987
Study names Top Five Unhealthy Kids Meals:
http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nbc-news/47776843
Videos of Personal Interest:
Healthy Lifestyle Helps Fight Cancer:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/47901459#47809172
Articles of National Interest:
Bloomberg Fight Against Soda
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/47901459#47643482
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/47901459#47638720
Morning Joe
It is about HABIT formation!!! I have not invented anything.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/47901459#47549238
Articles of Personal Interest:
Popcorn is a Dieter's Best Friend:
http://todayhealth.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/23/10833588-popcorn-as-healthy-as-veggies-depends-how-you-pop-it
Below are a view videos that I found interesting. In many cases they also illustrate all that is wrong with the typical American's relationship with food.
Videos of National Interest:
Flavoring Added to OJ:
There is no doubt in my mind that they are adding sugar to OJ.
http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/flavoring-found-orange-juice-recipe-15192987
Study names Top Five Unhealthy Kids Meals:
http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nbc-news/47776843
Videos of Personal Interest:
Healthy Lifestyle Helps Fight Cancer:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/47901459#47809172
Articles of National Interest:
Bloomberg Fight Against Soda
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/47901459#47643482
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/47901459#47638720
Morning Joe
It is about HABIT formation!!! I have not invented anything.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/47901459#47549238
Articles of Personal Interest:
Popcorn is a Dieter's Best Friend:
http://todayhealth.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/23/10833588-popcorn-as-healthy-as-veggies-depends-how-you-pop-it
Post 6 | Adopting Good Habits vs Relying on Self Control
Greetings,
It was under the most unlikely circumstances that I stumbled into the realization that my adopting a few simple habits was far more effective in bringing about a change of behavior than my relying on self control could ever be.
Everybody that knows me knows that I could never manage to show-up to appointments on-time. I was never way too late, but definitely usually much more than fashionably late. The problem was so persistent, that during a family gathering; after being late yet again; I instructed my everybody to deliberately tell me that future events began at least 30 minutes to 1 hour in advance; that way I would have a better chance of making it to the event on time.
Not only did being late piss off friends and family, but it hurt my wallet as well. I have had to pay additional fees to rebook international flights, once I was stranded in Paris overnight (ok that was not the end of the world), and I have even been late to more than one job interview. I believe that I would have been late to my own wedding if it were not for my best man and a six 6''4' father-in-law who tracked wild game for fun on the rugged Ethiopian plains.
Fast forwarding to now.
To make ends meet during graduate school, I landed the perfect nighttime security desk job at my university campus. The job was perfect in every way possible except the minimum wage pay and the absents of any benefits. I didn't complain though, because, all I had to do was not fall asleep while sitting quietly by myself at a front lobby desk from 12 midnight until 9am. Hence I was basically being paid to study.
The only stipulations were that the company had a zero tolerance for tardiness, officers (that is what we industry folk call security guards) also were expected to arrive looking very professional and no one was allowed to leave their post except for a few scheduled bathroom breaks. Given that I have the bladder of a 2 year old; you can guess which rule I managed to routinely break.
With a wife, a young son and the expenses of grad school, I could not afford to lose this job. This was the only job in the world that gave me the opportunity to work full-time and study at the same time. This job was like graduate student manor from heaven.
At that moment I decided that I would NEVER be late; and that I would NEVER show up with an untidy uniform.
Naturally, I knew that having to leave for work at 11am was a "lateness disaster" waiting to happen. My history of being late only made matters worst. If I was going to keep this job, I needed to make what I thought were going to be drastic changes and I needed to make them quickly. In the past, I tried making promises to myself to always wake up a bit early, or pretend that the event started early; I even tried setting my watch forward. None of these things worked.
So finally, I thought to myself; if what I have been doing in the past wasn't working, isn't it time to try something new? With my family's livelihood at stake; I did just that; I tried something new.
The first thing I did was to spend 15 minutes the day before preparing everything that I needed for work. I allocated a special suitcase that only housed the personal items that I needed to bring to work. After packing it, I placed that suitcase in the car so that I didn't forget it the next morning.
I reserved a special hanger, within a special area of my closet to house my uniform, black socks and black shoes. After washing them, I also made sure to iron my uniform immediately and then place it right back onto the same special hanger in the same closet. The night before, I even put my wallet in the uniform pants, placed my belt on the hanger and tucked my keys and socks into my shoes. I basically took 10 to 15 minutes to go into fireman mode.
Having showered and shaved the night before, all I had to do is roll out of bed; throw my uniform on and head out of the door. Till this day, I have NEVER arrived late to my post.
Management has told me on more than one occasion that I am one of the company's most valued security guards I mean officers.
Being stationed at a dormitory lobby with no access to food (except a vending machine) also meant that I either had to brown bag my meals and snacks or order take out from the local fast food restaurants and gorge on overpriced vending machine snacks.
With a wage barely over 8 dollars per hour; it would only take a few deliveries to eat up (pun intended) my entire check! Ironically however, more often than not; I would find mountains of Domino's, McDonald's and other fast food boxes in the garbage as evidence of what the other guards consume during the shifts before mine.
Preparing my meals for the security job was the first time that I routinely began thinking about everything that I was going to eat the next day. At first I just prepared my meals. Four hours in, I would find myself sneaking to the vending machine to get my fix.
But over time, I also began preparing healthy snacks. I guess, mentally after, preparing a wholesome meal, it seems a bit wierd to not plan to eat a few nice snacks. I mean what type of person would willing place themselve in an environment (which they have some control over) where the only snack options are sodas, chips, cookies and candy (DON'T ANSWER THAT!)
Seriously, I began to notice that after a few weeks of eating only leftover dinners and the snacks that I tweaked a bit; I was losing a noticeable amount of weight.
Around the same time, I heard a lady on CNN promoting a portion control diet which instructed dietors to eat whatever they wanted also long as it was no more than "8 ounces every three hours"; This got me to thinking about my portion sizes. Before, the only time I thought about portion sizes was at the Burger King drive thru, "Um should I have the quarter pounder or triple whopper."
This lead to me undergoing a monumental experiment on myself; that changed my life forever.
I decided that because I would normally have two meals at work; and given the fact that I couldn't leave my desk; I would only prepare 16 ounces of food. I bought a food scale and simple place my containors on the scale instead of just the table. Easy enough.
Having failed at so many diets in the past however, I learned that HUNGER WAS UNDEFEATED AGAINST WILL POWER; so I had the good enough sense to pack loads of small snacks (and a few treats). Also I never went to work without my bringing my training wheels either (see previous blog post). I was all set.
I began the initial steps of eating healthy and I was never late again.
So let's think about it for a second. I didn't will myself to not be late. I didn't go to work empty handed and will myself not to order pizza and burgers or hit the vending machine. I didn't undergo any therapy sessions to deal with my tendency to be late.
I simply adopted a PROACTIVE habit which was STRONGER than my current bad habit while MAINTAINING a strong DESIRE to change.
Let me repeat that; I SIMPLY ADOPTED A PROACTIVE HABIT WHICH WAS STRONGER THAN MY CURRENT BAD HABIT WHILE MAINTAINING A STRONG DESIRE TO CHANGE.
My proactive habit coupled with my sincere desire to feed my family made it conducive for me to change.
You can do the same thing. Instead of simply trying to stop doing something; replace that action with a stronger and more positive action.
That is the ESSENCE of the 5 Rules for Healthy Living. I know that at first weighing your food can be a tedious; but you need to spend 60 days getting into the habit of visually matching what you eat with an exactly correct portion size.
Why do I always have to eat two vegetables? And what happens if I put syrup and cheese on my vegetables? That is no good right? Again, you need to get into the habit of buying more produce than anything else in the grocery store.
I know at first it can be painful to prepare a bunch of small snacks; but you need to get in the habit of thinking about what you are going to eat before you are placed in a situation to fail.
The food environment in America has become TOXIC. You can no longer GO THROUGH the motions. You must adopt a basic level of consciousness about what you eat and drink.
You don't have to take up yoga and fill your house with incense; but you need to increase your thinking regarding your eating rituals to about the same level of consciouses that you place on personal hygiene.
Food is not something that you should obsess about, but just like you wouldn't leave the house without at least showering, brushing your teeth and putting on deodorant (I hope); you shouldn't leave your house without at least a piece of fruit and/or other easy to prepare snacks.
Again, NONE of this advice will work if you don't have a SINCERE desire to change.
Happy eating,
It was under the most unlikely circumstances that I stumbled into the realization that my adopting a few simple habits was far more effective in bringing about a change of behavior than my relying on self control could ever be.
Everybody that knows me knows that I could never manage to show-up to appointments on-time. I was never way too late, but definitely usually much more than fashionably late. The problem was so persistent, that during a family gathering; after being late yet again; I instructed my everybody to deliberately tell me that future events began at least 30 minutes to 1 hour in advance; that way I would have a better chance of making it to the event on time.
Not only did being late piss off friends and family, but it hurt my wallet as well. I have had to pay additional fees to rebook international flights, once I was stranded in Paris overnight (ok that was not the end of the world), and I have even been late to more than one job interview. I believe that I would have been late to my own wedding if it were not for my best man and a six 6''4' father-in-law who tracked wild game for fun on the rugged Ethiopian plains.
Fast forwarding to now.
To make ends meet during graduate school, I landed the perfect nighttime security desk job at my university campus. The job was perfect in every way possible except the minimum wage pay and the absents of any benefits. I didn't complain though, because, all I had to do was not fall asleep while sitting quietly by myself at a front lobby desk from 12 midnight until 9am. Hence I was basically being paid to study.
The only stipulations were that the company had a zero tolerance for tardiness, officers (that is what we industry folk call security guards) also were expected to arrive looking very professional and no one was allowed to leave their post except for a few scheduled bathroom breaks. Given that I have the bladder of a 2 year old; you can guess which rule I managed to routinely break.
With a wife, a young son and the expenses of grad school, I could not afford to lose this job. This was the only job in the world that gave me the opportunity to work full-time and study at the same time. This job was like graduate student manor from heaven.
At that moment I decided that I would NEVER be late; and that I would NEVER show up with an untidy uniform.
Naturally, I knew that having to leave for work at 11am was a "lateness disaster" waiting to happen. My history of being late only made matters worst. If I was going to keep this job, I needed to make what I thought were going to be drastic changes and I needed to make them quickly. In the past, I tried making promises to myself to always wake up a bit early, or pretend that the event started early; I even tried setting my watch forward. None of these things worked.
So finally, I thought to myself; if what I have been doing in the past wasn't working, isn't it time to try something new? With my family's livelihood at stake; I did just that; I tried something new.
The first thing I did was to spend 15 minutes the day before preparing everything that I needed for work. I allocated a special suitcase that only housed the personal items that I needed to bring to work. After packing it, I placed that suitcase in the car so that I didn't forget it the next morning.
I reserved a special hanger, within a special area of my closet to house my uniform, black socks and black shoes. After washing them, I also made sure to iron my uniform immediately and then place it right back onto the same special hanger in the same closet. The night before, I even put my wallet in the uniform pants, placed my belt on the hanger and tucked my keys and socks into my shoes. I basically took 10 to 15 minutes to go into fireman mode.
Having showered and shaved the night before, all I had to do is roll out of bed; throw my uniform on and head out of the door. Till this day, I have NEVER arrived late to my post.
Management has told me on more than one occasion that I am one of the company's most valued security guards I mean officers.
Being stationed at a dormitory lobby with no access to food (except a vending machine) also meant that I either had to brown bag my meals and snacks or order take out from the local fast food restaurants and gorge on overpriced vending machine snacks.
With a wage barely over 8 dollars per hour; it would only take a few deliveries to eat up (pun intended) my entire check! Ironically however, more often than not; I would find mountains of Domino's, McDonald's and other fast food boxes in the garbage as evidence of what the other guards consume during the shifts before mine.
Preparing my meals for the security job was the first time that I routinely began thinking about everything that I was going to eat the next day. At first I just prepared my meals. Four hours in, I would find myself sneaking to the vending machine to get my fix.
But over time, I also began preparing healthy snacks. I guess, mentally after, preparing a wholesome meal, it seems a bit wierd to not plan to eat a few nice snacks. I mean what type of person would willing place themselve in an environment (which they have some control over) where the only snack options are sodas, chips, cookies and candy (DON'T ANSWER THAT!)
Seriously, I began to notice that after a few weeks of eating only leftover dinners and the snacks that I tweaked a bit; I was losing a noticeable amount of weight.
Around the same time, I heard a lady on CNN promoting a portion control diet which instructed dietors to eat whatever they wanted also long as it was no more than "8 ounces every three hours"; This got me to thinking about my portion sizes. Before, the only time I thought about portion sizes was at the Burger King drive thru, "Um should I have the quarter pounder or triple whopper."
This lead to me undergoing a monumental experiment on myself; that changed my life forever.
I decided that because I would normally have two meals at work; and given the fact that I couldn't leave my desk; I would only prepare 16 ounces of food. I bought a food scale and simple place my containors on the scale instead of just the table. Easy enough.
Having failed at so many diets in the past however, I learned that HUNGER WAS UNDEFEATED AGAINST WILL POWER; so I had the good enough sense to pack loads of small snacks (and a few treats). Also I never went to work without my bringing my training wheels either (see previous blog post). I was all set.
I began the initial steps of eating healthy and I was never late again.
So let's think about it for a second. I didn't will myself to not be late. I didn't go to work empty handed and will myself not to order pizza and burgers or hit the vending machine. I didn't undergo any therapy sessions to deal with my tendency to be late.
I simply adopted a PROACTIVE habit which was STRONGER than my current bad habit while MAINTAINING a strong DESIRE to change.
Let me repeat that; I SIMPLY ADOPTED A PROACTIVE HABIT WHICH WAS STRONGER THAN MY CURRENT BAD HABIT WHILE MAINTAINING A STRONG DESIRE TO CHANGE.
My proactive habit coupled with my sincere desire to feed my family made it conducive for me to change.
You can do the same thing. Instead of simply trying to stop doing something; replace that action with a stronger and more positive action.
That is the ESSENCE of the 5 Rules for Healthy Living. I know that at first weighing your food can be a tedious; but you need to spend 60 days getting into the habit of visually matching what you eat with an exactly correct portion size.
Why do I always have to eat two vegetables? And what happens if I put syrup and cheese on my vegetables? That is no good right? Again, you need to get into the habit of buying more produce than anything else in the grocery store.
I know at first it can be painful to prepare a bunch of small snacks; but you need to get in the habit of thinking about what you are going to eat before you are placed in a situation to fail.
The food environment in America has become TOXIC. You can no longer GO THROUGH the motions. You must adopt a basic level of consciousness about what you eat and drink.
You don't have to take up yoga and fill your house with incense; but you need to increase your thinking regarding your eating rituals to about the same level of consciouses that you place on personal hygiene.
Food is not something that you should obsess about, but just like you wouldn't leave the house without at least showering, brushing your teeth and putting on deodorant (I hope); you shouldn't leave your house without at least a piece of fruit and/or other easy to prepare snacks.
Again, NONE of this advice will work if you don't have a SINCERE desire to change.
Happy eating,
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Post 5 | The Restaurant!
Greetings,
Yesterday, a friend sent me a healthy option menu which was boldly entitled, "The Dramatic Weight Loss Diet Menu" from the new Frank Ski restaurant located in Atlanta Georgia. How you can dramatically lose weight by eating out is beyond me; but hey that is the title of the menu; so I am going to roll with it.
Frank Ski's restaurant is not the first establishment to promote healthy options as part of their overall food offering. As a matter of fact, with the exception of Hardees and Heart Attack grill I am not aware of any mainstream restaurant that doesn't promote some sort of healthy option menu.
In response to mounting criticism, even McDonald's and other fast food restaurants tout their healthy option menus.
Frank Ski's menu is however the first one that I have seen which specifically list the weight of each entrée (instead of focusing on calories) and specifies that a side vegetable must be included. It was also nice to see that their typical dish was 8 ounces; this supports my theory that that is all the food you need in one meal. So all in all, I believe that it is step in the right direction.
http://dramaticweightloss.com/blog/2012/05/24/frank-skis-restaurant-introduces-the-dramatic-weight-loss-diet-menu%e2%80%8f/
So surely I don't have a problem with participants going to a nice restaurant and choosing the healthy option right? Wrong? Or I should say; It Depends!
Dieters who try to choose the so-called healthy options at an otherwise unhealthy (but with tasty food) restaurant are like those executives who bring their work blackberry with them on vacation. They usually accomplish nothing while successfully irritating their family. In essences, they neither manage to truly relax and enjoy the time off; nor get any meaningful work done because they are surrounded by distractions.
The same applies to dieters at restaurants. I am sure that you can recall going out for dinner with friends and noticing that one of them (the one that normally throws down at the table like a caged lion) uncharacteristically orders just a green salad and a glass of water.
She finishes her meal in 5 minutes while the rest of the pride are still working their way through the 20 ounce mixed grilled meat starter. Because we have learned that HUNGER is UNDEFEATED against WILL POWER; we know how this story is going to end.
The next time all of you are out for dinner again; that same friend is back to her Lion King ways. Just when you thought that you had the barbecue pork ribs all to yourself; you feel a paw swooping down pushing yours out of the way!
The point is that most people are not big because they choose to enjoy restaurants. Most people are big because they choose to enjoy restaurants and other high calorie TREATS on a WEEKLY if not DAILY basis.
Remember, there are only 3 food groups. MEALS, SNACKS and TREATS. The moment you step into the restaurant you need to understand that you are entering the MAXIMUM TREAT ZONE. You are entering a place that specialises in making delicious TREATS. This means that you will likely be eating either a TREAT or a MEAL covered in TREATS.
While HUNGER is UNDEFEATED, the MAXIMUM TREAT ZONE is batting a THOUSAND. Hence, if you are struggling with health and/or obesity, (or not for that matter), a restaurant (i.e. a MAXIMUM TREAT ZONE) has got to become an OCCASIONAL reward that you ENJOY with friends and family.
For instance, I LOVE fish camps. Fish camps can ONLY be found in small towns across the Southeast like Clover, South Carolina, the one I grew up in. If a typical restaurant is a MAXIMUM TREAT ZONE; the average fish camp is a MAXIMUM TREAT NEIGHBOURHOOD!
So when I come home to visit my parents, the first thing on my to do list is to go to a nice fish camp. From the moment that I step into the door, it is fried fish; fried hush puppies, sweeten ice tea, tarter sauce, french fries, fried baby shrimp and much much more. I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE it and eat until I can barely walk out of the place.
So how in the world does my love affair with fish camps fit within the Five Rules for Healthy Living.
It DOESN'T, that is the WHOLE POINT. EVERYBODY needs to take a COMPLETE BREAK from time to time. If you don't, you will drive yourself crazy and eventually fail.
As stated before, half breaks don't work very well. So the question becomes 'how many breaks do I get".
Well, there is only one rule. A break should be a break from the NORM.
Now, I could tell you that you should aim for one break per month; or one every two weeks. I could also derive some fancy formula based on the average number of times healthy people in your area tend to eat out. I could get creative and develop some type of reward system which allows for breaks once you reached certain milestones.
But here is the problem with that. I AM NOT YOU. I CAN'T POSSIBLY KNOW WHAT WORKS FOR YOU AT THAT LEVEL OF DETAIL.
YOU ON THE OTHER HAND HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION YOU NEED RIGHT NOW TO DECIDE WHEN YOU SHOULD AND SHOULD NOT TAKE A BREAK.
Me telling you when to go out to eat is a COMPLETE WASTE OF TIME. AND YOU GOING TO A GOURMET BURGER JOINT AND ORDERING CAESAR SALAD WITH A SIDE OF RICE IS AN EVEN BIGGER WASTE OF TIME.
For example, today is Father's Day. If you are a hard-working father and your family wants to take you out to dinner; then you SHOULD go out and have a nice time. Lord knows that I deserve the BIG PIECE OF CHICKEN!
The Five Rules for Healthy Living, are simply trying to help you form some of the same healthy habits that healthy people observe. HABITS is the key concept that you should remember. I will speak about it more in my next post.
The Rules are not designed to have you exhibit more self-control and deprivation than the average healthy person.
I have a habit of getting up early and going for a run. But if I study and/or work all night, I sleep-in. That doesn't negate my fitness habit at all. The next day, once I am rested; I get back to it. The same is true about being on-time; the same is true about studying and the same is true about eating out.
The only exception to the above approach is when you are forced to frequently eat out because of your job; and a co-worker volunteering to make a Bo' Tyme run doesn't count.
I used to have a job where we were constantly on the road and I was constantly being asked to meet clients for drinks and dinner.
Firstly, if you are eating out for work often, you should become a bit more desensitise to the whole restaurant experience and more immune to some of the lure and temptation to drastically over indulge.
I would hope that you wouldn't routinely order an entire rack of meat ribs during a client meeting (unless of course you work anywhere below the Mason Dixon line; where that sort of eating is considered normal.)
The frequency at which you MUST eat out should allow you to easily implement a few of these suggestions:
1) For many business situations, dinner is one of many ways to connect with clients, co-workers and
others. Rarely of critical importance, dinner suggestions are usually 100% habit and ritual.
The meeting is important, but dinner is normally optional. Given that fact, I normally respond to
dinner invitations with; "Hey I can't make dinner, but I can do drinks around the same time if that is
possible". Most people don't have a problem with meeting for drinks instead of a full-blown dinner.
This saves you a bit of money and provides the opportunity to eat at home before the meeting.
2) At the restaurant, you should still remember, Rule #1 NO sugary drinks (that includes fruit juice)
and try to stick to it as much as possible. You may drink a bit of alcohol which is understandable;
and while high in calories the occasional drink should not detract too much from your weight
management goals. Presumably you are not knocking down several drinks in front of the clients.
3) Still remember, Rule #3 NEVER eat a meal that does not include at least 2 vegetables This should
actually be DIFFICULT not to adhere to.
4) The ONLY time that counting calories makes sense is when a PROFESSIONAL is preparing your
meals; which is the case at a restaurant. Hence, either view the menu online or before taking a
seat and choose which low calorie items you want BEFORE you get to the restaurant or ask the
server to suggest tasty which happens to be low in calories calories (ie 500 to 700) BEFORE you
even open the menu. Try to listen to their suggestions and choose an item that sounds GOOD
without looking at all the unhealthy stuff on the actual menu. The point is that you need to spend
a few minutes preparing to order a sensible restaurant meal in much the same way that you
prepare to have an intelligent and informed conversation with the client meeting.
5) As you order tell the server, "I am actually not that hungry so I will go with xyz meal". By saying
that; you will build a bit of subtle accountability at the table. Think about it. If after saying that you are
not hungry, you order the baby back ribs with an extra side of coleslaw; everybody at the table is going
to look at you and think, "Wow if that is what you order when you are not hungry; you must have them
roast the entire pig when you are hungry". Also, verbalizing that you are not hungry, actually
tricks your sub-concsious into believing that indeed you are not that hungry. Don't believe me?
Try it, the next time you go to a restaurant, ask the waiter to recommend items for people that
are not that hungry. Stick to those suggestions and see what happens. Oh, I know what you are thinking,
but lying about being hungry is a gimmick that won't work in the long run? You are right; that is why you
should not be lying!!! You should NEVER arrive at a restaurant hungry! You should have been snacking
all day!!!
6) Remember that there is always more. Because most restaurant food is frozen and highly
processed. It will only take 10 minutes for them to bring extra food if you really need it. So stick
to a basic order and if after eating the first meal; you want more; order it then. Don't let your eyes
do the ordering!
In conclusion, ONLY overweight unhealthy people (on diets) attempt to choose the so-called healthy option at a restaurant that otherwise serves delicious, mouth watering food that taste great.
Healthy people, on the other hand, go out to eat because they ENJOY the SPECIFIC food and atmosphere that that PARTICULAR restaurant provides.
Hence, healthy people ENJOY their meals in the context of a much needed REWARD. They view going to a restaurant as an opportunity to explore new foods that they don't have the skills to prepare
at home. The next day healthy people get back on the saddle more refreshed and dedicated. You should do the same.
What you don't want to get in the habit of doing is looking at you partner and saying, "I am hungry; where should we go to eat ; I am tired of Golden Corral; and I am not eating at Ryans anymore; let's just pick up some chicken and watch a movie. We all have had that conversation in the past.
Happy Eating,
PS: IN NO WAY SHOULD YOU USE THIS ADVICE TO COMPLICATE THE FIVE RULES OF HEALTHY LIVING. THERE ARE STILL ONLY FIVE SIMPLE RULES TO GET YOU STARTED ON A THE PATH OF HEALTHY LIVING. THESE ARE MERELY SUGGESTIONSS WHICH WILL HELP YOU BETTER STICK TO THE RULES.
Yesterday, a friend sent me a healthy option menu which was boldly entitled, "The Dramatic Weight Loss Diet Menu" from the new Frank Ski restaurant located in Atlanta Georgia. How you can dramatically lose weight by eating out is beyond me; but hey that is the title of the menu; so I am going to roll with it.
Frank Ski's restaurant is not the first establishment to promote healthy options as part of their overall food offering. As a matter of fact, with the exception of Hardees and Heart Attack grill I am not aware of any mainstream restaurant that doesn't promote some sort of healthy option menu.
In response to mounting criticism, even McDonald's and other fast food restaurants tout their healthy option menus.
Frank Ski's menu is however the first one that I have seen which specifically list the weight of each entrée (instead of focusing on calories) and specifies that a side vegetable must be included. It was also nice to see that their typical dish was 8 ounces; this supports my theory that that is all the food you need in one meal. So all in all, I believe that it is step in the right direction.
http://dramaticweightloss.com/blog/2012/05/24/frank-skis-restaurant-introduces-the-dramatic-weight-loss-diet-menu%e2%80%8f/
So surely I don't have a problem with participants going to a nice restaurant and choosing the healthy option right? Wrong? Or I should say; It Depends!
Dieters who try to choose the so-called healthy options at an otherwise unhealthy (but with tasty food) restaurant are like those executives who bring their work blackberry with them on vacation. They usually accomplish nothing while successfully irritating their family. In essences, they neither manage to truly relax and enjoy the time off; nor get any meaningful work done because they are surrounded by distractions.
The same applies to dieters at restaurants. I am sure that you can recall going out for dinner with friends and noticing that one of them (the one that normally throws down at the table like a caged lion) uncharacteristically orders just a green salad and a glass of water.
She finishes her meal in 5 minutes while the rest of the pride are still working their way through the 20 ounce mixed grilled meat starter. Because we have learned that HUNGER is UNDEFEATED against WILL POWER; we know how this story is going to end.
The next time all of you are out for dinner again; that same friend is back to her Lion King ways. Just when you thought that you had the barbecue pork ribs all to yourself; you feel a paw swooping down pushing yours out of the way!
The point is that most people are not big because they choose to enjoy restaurants. Most people are big because they choose to enjoy restaurants and other high calorie TREATS on a WEEKLY if not DAILY basis.
Remember, there are only 3 food groups. MEALS, SNACKS and TREATS. The moment you step into the restaurant you need to understand that you are entering the MAXIMUM TREAT ZONE. You are entering a place that specialises in making delicious TREATS. This means that you will likely be eating either a TREAT or a MEAL covered in TREATS.
While HUNGER is UNDEFEATED, the MAXIMUM TREAT ZONE is batting a THOUSAND. Hence, if you are struggling with health and/or obesity, (or not for that matter), a restaurant (i.e. a MAXIMUM TREAT ZONE) has got to become an OCCASIONAL reward that you ENJOY with friends and family.
For instance, I LOVE fish camps. Fish camps can ONLY be found in small towns across the Southeast like Clover, South Carolina, the one I grew up in. If a typical restaurant is a MAXIMUM TREAT ZONE; the average fish camp is a MAXIMUM TREAT NEIGHBOURHOOD!
So when I come home to visit my parents, the first thing on my to do list is to go to a nice fish camp. From the moment that I step into the door, it is fried fish; fried hush puppies, sweeten ice tea, tarter sauce, french fries, fried baby shrimp and much much more. I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE it and eat until I can barely walk out of the place.
So how in the world does my love affair with fish camps fit within the Five Rules for Healthy Living.
It DOESN'T, that is the WHOLE POINT. EVERYBODY needs to take a COMPLETE BREAK from time to time. If you don't, you will drive yourself crazy and eventually fail.
As stated before, half breaks don't work very well. So the question becomes 'how many breaks do I get".
Well, there is only one rule. A break should be a break from the NORM.
Now, I could tell you that you should aim for one break per month; or one every two weeks. I could also derive some fancy formula based on the average number of times healthy people in your area tend to eat out. I could get creative and develop some type of reward system which allows for breaks once you reached certain milestones.
But here is the problem with that. I AM NOT YOU. I CAN'T POSSIBLY KNOW WHAT WORKS FOR YOU AT THAT LEVEL OF DETAIL.
YOU ON THE OTHER HAND HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION YOU NEED RIGHT NOW TO DECIDE WHEN YOU SHOULD AND SHOULD NOT TAKE A BREAK.
Me telling you when to go out to eat is a COMPLETE WASTE OF TIME. AND YOU GOING TO A GOURMET BURGER JOINT AND ORDERING CAESAR SALAD WITH A SIDE OF RICE IS AN EVEN BIGGER WASTE OF TIME.
For example, today is Father's Day. If you are a hard-working father and your family wants to take you out to dinner; then you SHOULD go out and have a nice time. Lord knows that I deserve the BIG PIECE OF CHICKEN!
The Five Rules for Healthy Living, are simply trying to help you form some of the same healthy habits that healthy people observe. HABITS is the key concept that you should remember. I will speak about it more in my next post.
The Rules are not designed to have you exhibit more self-control and deprivation than the average healthy person.
I have a habit of getting up early and going for a run. But if I study and/or work all night, I sleep-in. That doesn't negate my fitness habit at all. The next day, once I am rested; I get back to it. The same is true about being on-time; the same is true about studying and the same is true about eating out.
The only exception to the above approach is when you are forced to frequently eat out because of your job; and a co-worker volunteering to make a Bo' Tyme run doesn't count.
I used to have a job where we were constantly on the road and I was constantly being asked to meet clients for drinks and dinner.
Firstly, if you are eating out for work often, you should become a bit more desensitise to the whole restaurant experience and more immune to some of the lure and temptation to drastically over indulge.
I would hope that you wouldn't routinely order an entire rack of meat ribs during a client meeting (unless of course you work anywhere below the Mason Dixon line; where that sort of eating is considered normal.)
The frequency at which you MUST eat out should allow you to easily implement a few of these suggestions:
1) For many business situations, dinner is one of many ways to connect with clients, co-workers and
others. Rarely of critical importance, dinner suggestions are usually 100% habit and ritual.
The meeting is important, but dinner is normally optional. Given that fact, I normally respond to
dinner invitations with; "Hey I can't make dinner, but I can do drinks around the same time if that is
possible". Most people don't have a problem with meeting for drinks instead of a full-blown dinner.
This saves you a bit of money and provides the opportunity to eat at home before the meeting.
2) At the restaurant, you should still remember, Rule #1 NO sugary drinks (that includes fruit juice)
and try to stick to it as much as possible. You may drink a bit of alcohol which is understandable;
and while high in calories the occasional drink should not detract too much from your weight
management goals. Presumably you are not knocking down several drinks in front of the clients.
3) Still remember, Rule #3 NEVER eat a meal that does not include at least 2 vegetables This should
actually be DIFFICULT not to adhere to.
4) The ONLY time that counting calories makes sense is when a PROFESSIONAL is preparing your
meals; which is the case at a restaurant. Hence, either view the menu online or before taking a
seat and choose which low calorie items you want BEFORE you get to the restaurant or ask the
server to suggest tasty which happens to be low in calories calories (ie 500 to 700) BEFORE you
even open the menu. Try to listen to their suggestions and choose an item that sounds GOOD
without looking at all the unhealthy stuff on the actual menu. The point is that you need to spend
a few minutes preparing to order a sensible restaurant meal in much the same way that you
prepare to have an intelligent and informed conversation with the client meeting.
5) As you order tell the server, "I am actually not that hungry so I will go with xyz meal". By saying
that; you will build a bit of subtle accountability at the table. Think about it. If after saying that you are
not hungry, you order the baby back ribs with an extra side of coleslaw; everybody at the table is going
to look at you and think, "Wow if that is what you order when you are not hungry; you must have them
roast the entire pig when you are hungry". Also, verbalizing that you are not hungry, actually
tricks your sub-concsious into believing that indeed you are not that hungry. Don't believe me?
Try it, the next time you go to a restaurant, ask the waiter to recommend items for people that
are not that hungry. Stick to those suggestions and see what happens. Oh, I know what you are thinking,
but lying about being hungry is a gimmick that won't work in the long run? You are right; that is why you
should not be lying!!! You should NEVER arrive at a restaurant hungry! You should have been snacking
all day!!!
6) Remember that there is always more. Because most restaurant food is frozen and highly
processed. It will only take 10 minutes for them to bring extra food if you really need it. So stick
to a basic order and if after eating the first meal; you want more; order it then. Don't let your eyes
do the ordering!
In conclusion, ONLY overweight unhealthy people (on diets) attempt to choose the so-called healthy option at a restaurant that otherwise serves delicious, mouth watering food that taste great.
Healthy people, on the other hand, go out to eat because they ENJOY the SPECIFIC food and atmosphere that that PARTICULAR restaurant provides.
Hence, healthy people ENJOY their meals in the context of a much needed REWARD. They view going to a restaurant as an opportunity to explore new foods that they don't have the skills to prepare
at home. The next day healthy people get back on the saddle more refreshed and dedicated. You should do the same.
What you don't want to get in the habit of doing is looking at you partner and saying, "I am hungry; where should we go to eat ; I am tired of Golden Corral; and I am not eating at Ryans anymore; let's just pick up some chicken and watch a movie. We all have had that conversation in the past.
Happy Eating,
PS: IN NO WAY SHOULD YOU USE THIS ADVICE TO COMPLICATE THE FIVE RULES OF HEALTHY LIVING. THERE ARE STILL ONLY FIVE SIMPLE RULES TO GET YOU STARTED ON A THE PATH OF HEALTHY LIVING. THESE ARE MERELY SUGGESTIONSS WHICH WILL HELP YOU BETTER STICK TO THE RULES.
Saturday, June 16, 2012
The 5 Rules For Healthy Living!
Greetings,
In this post I will outline the Five Rules For Healthy Living. Each rule encapsulates the most important habits that ALL healthy people practice every day.
The Five Rules For Healthy Living is NOT a DIET plan. It is the FIRST STEP in your complete transformation to healthy living.
Truly changing one's behaviour is 5% instruction and 95% self-motivation, self-discovery, consistent practice and new habit forming (notice I didn't say self-control).
5% instructions? Such a small number? What do I mean?
Let's use an example to illustrate. I am a huge sports fan. I have always enjoyed watching elite athletes like Michael Jordan, the Williams sisters, Tiger Woods and Lionel Messi play throughout their careers. During interviews or after reaching a milestone achievement, all of them attribute much of their success to an influential coach or mentor from their past.
This used to always confused me. I couldn't understand how a coach with less than a third of the skills of the elite athlete and who only spent a short period of time with them, could teach the now pro anything? How in the world could Richard Williams teach Serena how to return a serve at 100mph? How could Dean Smith teach Michael Jordan how to improve his jump shot or make those amazing dunks during the dunking contest?
I thought that only another elite pro could teach other elite pros how to play their respective sports? But this was obviously not correct. We know that many of the greatest coaches tend to have been mediocre players (if they played at all). Moreover, it is also a known fact that many of the best players turn out to be horrible coaches and even worst general managers (Ask any Charlotte Bobcat fan!)
It was only after unsuccessfully trying time and time again to follow numerous detailed diet plans created and promoted by so-called experts that I realized that no matter how much knowledge an instructor has; and no matter how logical and persuasive they may be - an instructor can't create a program and/or personally teach somebody EVERYTHING they need to know in order to improve their health.
At best, an instructor can only provide a bit of structure, a little insight and maybe some needed encouragement along the way. Many instructors, nutritionist in particular, forget that you know 10 times MORE about being unhealthy than they will ever know about being healthy!
This is where strict diet plans fail; I want to spend 95% of the time talking about why you are unhealthy and only 5% of the time talking about what it takes to be healthy; Because once you understand why you are unhealthy and sincerely have the desire to truly change it will only take a FEW simple steps to start living healthy.
On the contrary, most diets attempt to provide people who have 5% of motivation and self-discovery with 95% instruction in the form of complicated rules and eating schedules.
While all of that advice, is valid and has its place; right now you are operating in the FIRST chapter of your COMPLETE TRANSFORMATION.
Imagine if on your first day of algebra class; the teacher began writing advanced calculus formulas on the board. The ENTIRE class would be lost.
This is why it completely BEFUDDLES me that so-called diet experts expect a person with a POOR relationship with food to suddenly start monitoring the calorie count of EVERY SINGLE piece of food and drink they put into their mouth?!?!?! Yes a small fraction of the people on calorie counting programs are successful, but the vast MAJORITY of them fail miserably.
The reality however is that YOU already KNOW what it takes to improve your own health. The issue is that you are yet to come to terms with what is destroying your health.
To that end, once YOU have made your mind up to change; YOU only need a TINY BIT of INITIAL guidance. Then YOU will fly like an eagle to an improved healthy lifestyle in your OWN way during your OWN time.
This is the ESSENCE of the Five Rules For Healthy Living!!!!
Critics will point out HUNDREDS of exceptions and HUNDREDS of ways to gain weight while observing the Five Rules For Healthy Living.
Those with good intentions will try to ADD rules such as "eat brown rice instead of white rice; or increase your protein intake, or don't eat fried food, or don't eat after 8pm."
Others will say stuff like, "Well if you have a salad with loads of high fat dressing on it; the salad is just as bad as a hamburger." or "What if you soak your collard greens in pork fat; that is a veggie but it is high in sodium and fat right?" or "What about sweet potatoes that are drowned in molasses, and marsh mellows; again another veggie but high in sugar right?"
I like to deal with this by referring to one of my favourite biblical parables adapted by Martin Luther King and modified by me in the context of the Five Rules for Healthy Living.
"One day, one night, a juror came to Jesus and he wanted to know what he could do to be [healthy]. Jesus didn't get bogged down on the kind of isolated approach of what you shouldn’t do. Jesus didn’t say, “Now Nicodemus, you must stop [eating so many simple carbs].” He didn’t say, “Nicodemus, now you must not [eat fatty meats everyday].” He didn't say, “Now Nicodemus, you must stop [consuming so much salt and sugar on a daily basis].” He didn't say, “Nicodemus, you must stop drinking [liquor & soda so much] if you are doing that excessively.”
[Jesus] said something altogether different, because Jesus realized something basic: that if a man will [drink a diet soda], he will [drink regular soda]. And if a man will [routinely eat 3 types of processed meats with sugary pancakes covered in sugary syrup with a side of sugary sweet tea], he will [routinely frequent the Denny's all you can eat breakfast bar].
So instead of just getting bogged down on one thing, Jesus looked at him and said, “Nicodemus, you must be BORN AGAIN.”
In other words, “Your entire [relationship with food] must be changed.”
[Obesity, lack of energy, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer]; All of these problems are tied together.
What I’m saying today is that we must go from this [blog] and say, “[Americans], [your relationship with food] must be BORN AGAIN!”
And those who have been born again or made any such commitment know that the instructions take 2 minutes; the right hand of fellowship takes another 2 minutes; but the journey last a lifetime.
Today I will give you the instructions. Your life long journey to better health will only begin when you are ready.
The Five Rules for Healthy Living are ONLY the FIRST chapter of your new life. First master these habits for the next 60 days. Then explore and adopt things that work for YOU.
YOU will discovery what YOU need to do in order to be healthy and ENJOY life. These two concepts are NOT mutually exclusive.
YOU will discovery what YOU need to do in order to be healthy and ENJOY life. These two concepts are NOT mutually exclusive.
Check out this video; her story epitomises what I am trying to say:
Point #1: "She tried EVERY DIET and they ALL WORKED, but shortly afterwards she regained the weight"
Point #2: "She decided to FORGET about LOSING WEIGHT and focus instead of just being healthier and ENJOY her life"
Point #3: "She taught HERSELF about being healthy and took ONLY the PARTS that SHE UNDERSTOOD" [THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT POINTS IN THE WHOLE VIDEO]
Point #4 The road to HEALTH [notice she said health first] and weight loss second is a LONG journey]
Point #5 She was sitting on the couch listening to a speaker talk about living an abundant life [Basically not
only do you need to feed your BODY healthy foods, you need to feed your MIND healthy
thoughts. This may require that you change the circle of people that you hang with.]
only do you need to feed your BODY healthy foods, you need to feed your MIND healthy
thoughts. This may require that you change the circle of people that you hang with.]
Point #6 Her exercises program began with her walking less than TWO blocks and back [so NO excuses]
Point #7 This is YOUR health and YOUR life.
The final and most important takeaway from this video and the Five Rules of Healthy Living is that once YOU finish YOUR transformation and people start asking you what you did; your response should be something like;
"I just started taking small steps to become more healthy. I didn't follow a specific diet program, but I did learn more about being healthy and incorporated some of the tips that I UNDERSTOOD and knew that I could FOLLOW into my daily life."
"I just started taking small steps to become more healthy. I didn't follow a specific diet program, but I did learn more about being healthy and incorporated some of the tips that I UNDERSTOOD and knew that I could FOLLOW into my daily life."
Ladies and Gentlemen, the Five Rules for Healthy Living
Rule #1 NO sugary drinks including fruit juice for the next 60 days.
Rule #2 NEVER eat more than 8 ounces per meal for the next 60 days
Rule #3 NEVER eat a meal that does not include at least 2 vegetables (fruit substitutes are
Rule #4 SURROUND yourself with no LESS than 8 SEPARATE low fat, low sugar and
Rule #5 EXERCISE at LEAST 20 minutes a day 4 days per week. (Continue for the rest of
your life.)
Rule #2 NEVER eat more than 8 ounces per meal for the next 60 days
Recommended number of meals is 4 to 5; but eat as many times as you need to in
order not to get hungry)
Rule #3 NEVER eat a meal that does not include at least 2 vegetables (fruit substitutes are
allowed) (Continue the rest of your life.)
Rule #4 SURROUND yourself with no LESS than 8 SEPARATE low fat, low sugar and
low-salt SNACKS that you can eat AROUND THE CLOCK and not detract from
your weight management goals. (Continue for the rest of your life.)
Rule #5 EXERCISE at LEAST 20 minutes a day 4 days per week. (Continue for the rest of
your life.)
If 20 minutes is too much start at an amount that you feel comfortable with and
gradually build-up Consider starting with 2 minutes per day 5 days a week and add ONLY one minute per day per week. For example; Week 1: 5 minutes of walking per day per week; Week 2; 6 minutes of walking per day per week.
STRICTLY follow these rules for the next 60 days or the rest of your life and use them as a SPRINGBOARD of self-discovery where YOU come to YOUR OWN realization of what will work for YOU for the rest of your life!
And finally, the only admonishment that the critics give which is actually true; is that I can't change a person that doesn't want to change. I can talk and write until I am "blue in the face" but if a person doesn't want to change; all of my effort will be in vain.
So despite being able to eat ANYTHING you want; you are still unwilling to go 60 days without a sugary drink (or longer if that is required for you to understand that a soda is a TREAT which should be enjoyed only occasionally);
If you are unwilling to eat a MODEST portion sized meal even though you are allowed to eat as many meals as you want.
If you are unwilling to include vegetables prepared the way that YOU LIKE them as part of a meal that YOU enjoy.
If you are unwilling to take 15 MINUTES out of your day to prepare snacks that YOU ENJOY.
If you are unwilling to get active for at least FIVE minutes a day until you can reach 20 minutes consistently...
If you are unwilling to do those things...then YOU and I should both know that YOU are unwilling to change..
There is not a diet in the WORLD that you will follow unfortunately.
Happy eating,
Friday, June 15, 2012
Post 4 | How Much Am I Allowed to Eat?!?!?!
Greetings,
How much am I allowed to eat? That is the proverbial question that tortures every dieter. Let's tackle it head on.
Most diet programs ask participates to drastically reduce the portion sizes of their MEALS and SNACKS. This rationale is usually derived from nutritional scales which compute the amount of macro nutrients the average healthy person should consume.
I contend that, while FACTUALLY correct, these recommendations are the ABSOLUTE WRONG approach to helping MOST overweight Americans reverse their poor relationship with food.
Think about it for a second. Have you EVER met an overweight person that was overweight because they ate too many MEALS and SNACKS (as defined in Post 3 | The 3 Food Groups). I certainly have not!
Don't believe me? Find an overweight person (should be very easy to do; you can start with yourself) and observe and/or ask them which types of foods do they routinely eat. Then mentally categorize them into one of the 3 Food Groups. I can GUARANTEE that you will observe that they routinely do at least one of the following if not all three:
1) Eat a disproportionate amount of TREATS
2) Sometimes replace MEALS and SNACKS with TREATS and
3) Inject or smother what would be a MEAL and SNACK with loads of TREATS.
Allow me to make it even clearer. NOBODY is overweight because they are eating too much fresh fruit; steamed veggies and lean chicken breast. They are overweight because they eat too many donuts, potato chips, and anything on the McDonald's menu.
Let me take it another step further. Regularly eating at an ALL YOU CAN EAT MEAL restaurant wouldn't cause you to pack on the pounds if they only served MEALS and SNACK (as defined in Post 3); but we know that is not the case. They only serve TREATS along with a few MEALS which have been covered in TREATS.
Ironically most overweight people eat LESS FOOD than healthy people; but CONSUME MORE CALORIES!"
Wow that is a bold statement; let me repeat, "Most overweight people eat LESS FOOD than healthy people; but CONSUME MORE CALORIES!" This truth is at the CENTER of why you are overweight.
Think about it for a second.
People over 35 probably remember growing up eating lots and lots of food ALL the time. As a kid we never went a day without a nice breakfast, school lunch and then a nice big dinner. SNACKS were plentiful.
And if we still were hungry we would go over to grandma's house or auntie's house and have yet another dinner. On the same token, it was not uncommon for my parents to feed the entire neighborhood.
Ala Jay-z, "We Had 99 Problems, but Food Wasn't One.
So why didn't we develop the beer guts and/or the premature breasts that kids nowadays have? Part of the reason can be attributed to a lack of exercise. Another part of the reason is portion size.
But the biggest reason of them all is that WE ATE MORE FOOD, BUT LESS TREATS THAN THE KIDS TODAY.
With that new rationale in mind, The Rules suggest that you NEVER eat more than 8 ounce at any one setting. Regulating the max you should eat during one setting can be a tiny bit tedious, I know, but for the first two months it is crucial that you recalibrate your eyes to the proper portion sizes of food and treats.
The Rules however go on to state that you should eat as many MEALS and SNACKS as you need.
Also remember that the ONLY TREATS that are forbidden are sugary drinks.
Think about that. There is only ONE treat that you are not allowed to have. Maybe it is my Christian faith, but that sounds awfully familiar!
So the recommended amount of MEALS per day is 4 to 5. The is no recommended amount of TREATS.
The recommendation for treats are that you consume treats occasionally, cut back on the treats that you add to your MEALS and SNACKS and when possible PLAN to enjoy your treats in the same way that you plan your other meals. For instance, I sometimes carry a Fiber One bar or a small cup of chips.
Remember, HUNGER IS UNDEFEATED AGAINST WILL POWER. So when you get hungry it is MANDATORY that you eat a small SNACK. Over time as your body begins to realize that "there is a new sheriff" controlling your brain, it will begin to use the extra fiber and protein to "level out" your blood sugar and metabolism.
This basically means that you won't feel so hungry so quickly.
In short; eat no more than 8 ounces per meal; and surround yourself with snacks for when you get hungry. That is really all you need to remember.
When I first started living by The Rules I would often eat air popped popcorn (without all the junk but with a pinch of salt) BEFORE and AFTER meals. At that time my body was still used to eating HUGE portions so I needed the popcorn as a "filler" until my body adjusted. Think about the popcorn as "portion control training wheels". I carry my training wheels everywhere I go. If I feel the need to munch I pull them out. Before I go on a long road drive, I pop several bags of training wheels so that I don't pick up junk at the convenience store.
THE BIGGEST MISTAKE THAT YOU CAN MAKE EARLY ON DURING THE PROCESS; IS TO REDUCE YOUR PORTION SIZES WITHOUT ADDING SNACKS, AND PLANNING FOR THE OCCASIONAL TREATS.
Trying to do so will only result in failure.
When people fail to stick to a diet they think it is because they are lazy and undisciplined (And yes that is sometimes true).
But in most cases that could not be further from the truth. The truth is that in theory ALL diets work, but in practice they demand an unnatural and unsustainable approach to eating.
Driving at a speed of 100mph will certainly cut your morning commute to work in half. But is that practical? NO! Is it sustainable? NO!
So over time I hope to convince you that if you don't stick to The Rules (or a very very very close variation) it is ONLY because you lack the DESIRE to change or have FEAR of changing (more on desire and fear in a later post)
Happy eating,
How much am I allowed to eat? That is the proverbial question that tortures every dieter. Let's tackle it head on.
Most diet programs ask participates to drastically reduce the portion sizes of their MEALS and SNACKS. This rationale is usually derived from nutritional scales which compute the amount of macro nutrients the average healthy person should consume.
I contend that, while FACTUALLY correct, these recommendations are the ABSOLUTE WRONG approach to helping MOST overweight Americans reverse their poor relationship with food.
Think about it for a second. Have you EVER met an overweight person that was overweight because they ate too many MEALS and SNACKS (as defined in Post 3 | The 3 Food Groups). I certainly have not!
Don't believe me? Find an overweight person (should be very easy to do; you can start with yourself) and observe and/or ask them which types of foods do they routinely eat. Then mentally categorize them into one of the 3 Food Groups. I can GUARANTEE that you will observe that they routinely do at least one of the following if not all three:
1) Eat a disproportionate amount of TREATS
2) Sometimes replace MEALS and SNACKS with TREATS and
3) Inject or smother what would be a MEAL and SNACK with loads of TREATS.
Allow me to make it even clearer. NOBODY is overweight because they are eating too much fresh fruit; steamed veggies and lean chicken breast. They are overweight because they eat too many donuts, potato chips, and anything on the McDonald's menu.
Let me take it another step further. Regularly eating at an ALL YOU CAN EAT MEAL restaurant wouldn't cause you to pack on the pounds if they only served MEALS and SNACK (as defined in Post 3); but we know that is not the case. They only serve TREATS along with a few MEALS which have been covered in TREATS.
Ironically most overweight people eat LESS FOOD than healthy people; but CONSUME MORE CALORIES!"
Wow that is a bold statement; let me repeat, "Most overweight people eat LESS FOOD than healthy people; but CONSUME MORE CALORIES!" This truth is at the CENTER of why you are overweight.
Think about it for a second.
People over 35 probably remember growing up eating lots and lots of food ALL the time. As a kid we never went a day without a nice breakfast, school lunch and then a nice big dinner. SNACKS were plentiful.
And if we still were hungry we would go over to grandma's house or auntie's house and have yet another dinner. On the same token, it was not uncommon for my parents to feed the entire neighborhood.
Ala Jay-z, "We Had 99 Problems, but Food Wasn't One.
So why didn't we develop the beer guts and/or the premature breasts that kids nowadays have? Part of the reason can be attributed to a lack of exercise. Another part of the reason is portion size.
But the biggest reason of them all is that WE ATE MORE FOOD, BUT LESS TREATS THAN THE KIDS TODAY.
With that new rationale in mind, The Rules suggest that you NEVER eat more than 8 ounce at any one setting. Regulating the max you should eat during one setting can be a tiny bit tedious, I know, but for the first two months it is crucial that you recalibrate your eyes to the proper portion sizes of food and treats.
The Rules however go on to state that you should eat as many MEALS and SNACKS as you need.
Also remember that the ONLY TREATS that are forbidden are sugary drinks.
Think about that. There is only ONE treat that you are not allowed to have. Maybe it is my Christian faith, but that sounds awfully familiar!
So the recommended amount of MEALS per day is 4 to 5. The is no recommended amount of TREATS.
The recommendation for treats are that you consume treats occasionally, cut back on the treats that you add to your MEALS and SNACKS and when possible PLAN to enjoy your treats in the same way that you plan your other meals. For instance, I sometimes carry a Fiber One bar or a small cup of chips.
Remember, HUNGER IS UNDEFEATED AGAINST WILL POWER. So when you get hungry it is MANDATORY that you eat a small SNACK. Over time as your body begins to realize that "there is a new sheriff" controlling your brain, it will begin to use the extra fiber and protein to "level out" your blood sugar and metabolism.
This basically means that you won't feel so hungry so quickly.
In short; eat no more than 8 ounces per meal; and surround yourself with snacks for when you get hungry. That is really all you need to remember.
When I first started living by The Rules I would often eat air popped popcorn (without all the junk but with a pinch of salt) BEFORE and AFTER meals. At that time my body was still used to eating HUGE portions so I needed the popcorn as a "filler" until my body adjusted. Think about the popcorn as "portion control training wheels". I carry my training wheels everywhere I go. If I feel the need to munch I pull them out. Before I go on a long road drive, I pop several bags of training wheels so that I don't pick up junk at the convenience store.
THE BIGGEST MISTAKE THAT YOU CAN MAKE EARLY ON DURING THE PROCESS; IS TO REDUCE YOUR PORTION SIZES WITHOUT ADDING SNACKS, AND PLANNING FOR THE OCCASIONAL TREATS.
Trying to do so will only result in failure.
When people fail to stick to a diet they think it is because they are lazy and undisciplined (And yes that is sometimes true).
But in most cases that could not be further from the truth. The truth is that in theory ALL diets work, but in practice they demand an unnatural and unsustainable approach to eating.
Driving at a speed of 100mph will certainly cut your morning commute to work in half. But is that practical? NO! Is it sustainable? NO!
So over time I hope to convince you that if you don't stick to The Rules (or a very very very close variation) it is ONLY because you lack the DESIRE to change or have FEAR of changing (more on desire and fear in a later post)
Happy eating,
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