The Perfect Diet

Experiencing the Diet Stage 1 As with any effective weight loss diet, the first few days are going to be tough. Stage one is more strict but now is the time to slay the fat dragon—you are motivated—you are sick and tired of the steady weight gain and you know that being too heavy is extracting a high price—with negative affects on all aspects of your life. You are ready to tackle any diet as long as you are convinced that it will work. I can assure you that The Perfect Diet has worked for many others and that it will work for you! For a few days, it will feel as if something is missing; and from your perspective, it is. You will need time to adjust as you withdraw from your physical addiction to calorie–dense, nutrient–poor food. Take care not to starve yourself, as snacks are an integral part of the plan. The three weeks will soon pass! A sample menu for any day in Stage 1 includes your familiar foods, seasoned to our taste in portion sizes calculated to meet your individual needs and goals. You will undergo a physiologic adaptation as your body starts building proteins to help mobilize your fat reserves. Until now, you have been flexing your energy storing proteins that circulate in your bloodstream while ignoring your energy mobilizing variety. After a few days, your stomach will also shrink further lessening your hunger urges. The menu calls for eating generous portions of the right food. It takes a big pile of vegetables accented with your choice of meat and soy protein to yield the same number of calories as a small 3–oz. portion of grilled skinless chicken breast. Stage 2 At this point in The Perfect Diet, as you adjust to a more liberal menu plan, the weight comes off slower. This is healthier for you as loss of more than a couple of pounds per week puts you at risk for losing healthy muscle mass along with the unwanted fat. A sample menu for any day in Stage 2 includes foods based on your preferences with portion sizes adjusted to meet your goals. The time that you spend in stage two depends on how much weight you have to lose. From a long–term health perspective, there is no hurry as long as you keep moving in the right direction. This time the diet is for real, you are in it for the long–term and you will feel the empowerment as you seize control of your weight and your health! If you are up for it, exercise can be a big help—not only for faster weight loss but also for a healthier loss. Combining aerobic and resistance training will transform a person’s physical appearance in a short period. If you have the inclination and means to do so, a few weeks into stage two is a great time to seek out a personal trainer and start a program. If you are already familiar with good exercise technique, you may ease back into a familiar regimen at a local gym. You will now have the energy for it and eating a more nutritious diet in conjunction with a consistent exercise program will yield better results this time around. Dining out is acceptable during stage two. I encourage you to challenge your taste buds to adapt to the many pleasing new recipes available on The Perfect Diet. Various ethic cuisines will bring unexpected delight to the uninitiated. With exploration, we can all discover the gourmet (and suppress the gourmand) that lives within us. Stage 3 By now, you will have reached your target weight and your goal will be to maintain it forever. The Perfect Diet is even more liberal in this stage. With luck, you will have developed some interest in nutrition and if you had decided on the express version of the book and diet plan, you may now go back and review topics of interest at your leisure. You will be looking and feeling as if you are a person reborn. Your energy will be boundless. You will often wonder in amazement how you ever ate the way you used to and how anyone can eat the American diet. On the down side, some of your “friends” might be jealous of your success. If this happens, it is up to you whether you want to take the high road and introduce them to The Perfect Diet. It is your decision as you will have come a long way and you deserve some time to bask in your success.