Taking the "Die" Out of Diet--Part 1

Sean and I are feeling so much healthier these days.

           Over the last twenty years I have been on more diets than I would like to admit.  And over those years my experience has taught me that diets really don't work for me.  I think it was more my mindset than the actual diets themselves.  My perception of a diet has always been that it is a quick fix, temporary eating program that would magically melt the pounds away. I believed that once the weight was off I would finally be happy and all my eating problems would disappear forever. However, more often the weight came right back on plus some extra weight on top of that, and my bad eating habits returned once I was no longer on the diet. The moment I decided not to diet and to just change my lifestyle I have had much more success.
          So given all of that, I feel a little like a hypocrite when I share with you that I have been on a secret mission over the last two months--I tried a diet and I can't wait to share what I have learned through this process.  First I need to tell you that while I did try a diet, I did do it my way.  I used it more as a way to refine my current lifestyle, add more fruits and vegetables, and learn some sensible strategies for making smarter food choices.

---

Don't love the title, but I do love all the tips and recipes.

           I have often shared my love for Hungry Girl--I love her eating tips, I love her grocery store suggestions, and I especially love her recipe makeovers for fatty, unhealthy dishes we all adore.  Around Christmas time a call went out for her readers to volunteer as testers for her new diet plan.  While I was not one of her testers, I was intrigued to see what an HG plan would look like.  The day her book came out, I bought it on Kindle for a mere $10. I figured that if I didn't get anything from the book, it was no huge loss.  What I was not prepared for was all the new strategies I learned from this one resource.  You must know that I did not follow it religiously and when I wanted an indulgence I had an indulgence.  Sean decided to embark on this trial journey with me as well and even Siobhan benefitted from the healthier foods I prepared for our meals.
          The first thing you need to know is that you do have to know a little about cooking.  You don't need to be a chef, but you do need to know how to use a microwave, stove, and oven, how to boil an egg, chop veggies and fruit, how to toast bread, but beyond that you should be fine. The next thing you need to know is that in the first few weeks I felt like I was always in the kitchen. It took me a while to figure out all the short cuts so her recipes could become a part of my lifestyle. However, after those initial weeks I figured out some shortcuts and tricks I will share with you in the coming weeks.  The final thing you need to know is that you need to be a person that enjoys eating fruits and vegetables...if you don't, then this is not the plan for you.  If you can handle all the above conditions and you would like to find a way to rarely feel deprived, then please read on.

---

An overview of Week 1

           Before I even started the plan I read the book from cover to cover.  It took me a little over a day, but it was essential that I gather every tip I could to share with you.  Understand that if you are someone that has a large amount of weight to lose, you may want to follow the HG plan a little more closely than I did.  To the left, find a little preview of the 4-week plan.  Week 1 is pretty simple to follow, which helped ease us in.  Like most "diets," this week strives to maximize the weight loss so that there is motivation to move on to Week 2 and beyond.  There are a few major things to know about this plan:

1. The high protein breakfasts leave you feeling full and minimizing a drop in blood sugar
2. Super-sized portions at all meals--she encourages you to eat every bit of the meal, and there were times that I had to stop and save the remainder as a snack for later in the day
3. Healthy snacks throughout the day--because of my high-intensity workouts I added more snacks into the mix
4. Hungry Girl advocates drinking 8 ounces of water with all meals and snacks

           I need to share that we were rarely hungry and, in fact, at times we had a difficult time eating the portions because they were so large.  It was a little annoying that I was going to the store every other day to get more fruits and vegetables, but at the end of the week we all felt better, so it was really worth the extra effort.  For some reason, my cravings for sweets were minimized.  I think it might be due to the fact that I was allowed to have fruit and other "sweet" snacks, so I never felt deprived.  To be perfectly transparent, in the last few years I have cut out all artificial sweeteners from my lifestyle, but I did use Truvia (a form of Stevia) while testing out this plan.  However, you can replace it with sugar, agave, or other sweetener, but know that you will need to be aware of the extra calories if you are using this as a weight-loss plan. Click here for info on Stevia: Is Stevia safe?               
           Sean loved the food so much that he stuck to the above plan far closer than I did, and after only one week, he dropped over 8 pounds (I know, aren't guys annoying!).  He continues to not only keep it off, but he has also been slowly losing more each week since.  My teenage daughter also enjoyed the food and, because I was packing everyone's lunch and snacks on a daily basis, she made fewer trips to fast food establishments for those little treats high schoolers tend to indulge in. 
          Since I was mostly trying it out to report on my blog, I followed the Hungry Girl's plan about 80% of the time allowing 20% of the time for eating reasonable treats/meals of my choice, so I never felt deprived. While my weight did not fall off like Sean's, I did have more energy and my clothes are definitely showing that I have been able to lose inches along with a few of those stubborn extra pounds.  What I did learn for the first week was very valuable:

1. It is important to start my day with protein.  With all the exercising I do, I especially need to be aware of taking in these lean proteins, so I can repair some of the damage I do with the miles I put in.
2. Because I am not a big breakfast eater, one of the Hungry Girl's suggestions was to at least eat a protein heavy snack first thing in the morning.  String cheese, almonds, and boiled egg whites have become some of my favorite early morning energy choices.
3. Another suggestion I found valuable for this week had to do with gauging the way certain meals and snacks affected my energy and blood sugar levels.  If I felt hungry too quickly after eating, I knew that this meal or snack wasn't for me.  It is important for you to evaluate the way certain foods affect your body.
4. Bulking up my meals and snacks with high fiber and high volume veggies had multiple benefits.  I felt fuller, I felt healthier, and psychologically the larger portions helped me to feel satisfied throughout the day.
5. Water is key--it helps you feel fuller, keeps you hydrated, and along with all the fruits and veggies you are consuming, it also helps you feel more regular.  I know TMI, but it is true.  Now I must admit that I am still working on this one.  While I am drinking more water than I was, I am still not following the HG suggestion of 8 oz. with every meal.

           I hope I have succeeded in illustrating how I have been able to take the "die" out of diet these days.  I feel healthier, I have more energy, and the side benefit is that my clothes are fitting me better than they have in months.  Over the next two weeks I also want to share with you how we tackled weeks 2-4 on the Hungry Girl Plan, and what we are doing now that we have been using her tips and recipes beyond the 4-week period. Try it out and let me know what you think.

---

Despite Mother's Day, graduation, and other celebrations, I have been staying on track without feeling deprived.