The Win/Win Diet: A Success Story
I have watched my friends follow the south beach diet, slim fast diet, low carb diet, starve yourself until you are at the point of passing out diet, and let’s not forget bulimia. As you may already know, none work. Even companies like Nutrisystem, Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers have cost you a small fortune and failed you miserably.
The biggest let down with these diets is the change in lifestyle such as exercising, food, and cost. These companies don’t care whether you lose weight or fail; they are in it for the money. You know that just as much as I do.
Don’t you wish there was some surefire way of losing weight that worked efficiently and was manageable? That is the basis of my win/win diet. I lost over 40lbs with very little effort and I am still able to maintain my weight after 2 years. As with any diet, you may want to consult with your doctor, although most will have no objection with this diet.
It took me a couple of months to find a diet that would work for me. My win/win diet is a subsidiary of the “common sense diet” or “this is not that hard diet.” What does win/win diet mean? Simple. It means that there will be 2 parties that will benefit from this diet. The party that we are really interested in is YOU. So let’s focus on that for a little while.
First topic, food and drinks. If you drink lots of carbonated beverages, then learn to drink diet. It may take you a couple of weeks to get use the taste but amazingly, the pounds will start falling off because of the number of calories you are cutting. Drink a glass of water before every meal, it will fill your stomach and you will eat less and that will again cut calories. Buy smaller plates and finish what is on that plate. Majority of the population over eats and if you can control your portions then you cut calories. Skip snacking all together and if you absolutely need a snack before bed, make sure it is a small one. Eat dinner early if possibleâÂ?¦5-6pm. Make wise choices when preparing foodâÂ?¦and I know you know what is healthy and what is not. Grill instead of fry and stop frying. Finally, if you can manage it, either stop eating out or give yourself only once a week. Does this mean you can’t eat pizza or hamburgers. No, if you really want it, eat it but make sure it fits on that tiny plate because there is no room for seconds (don’t pile either)âÂ?¦if you want more then have it again for dinner. Choose your toppings wisely. Finally, do you need dessert or want it? Well some people will say “need.” Well in that case, I guess you will be skipping that evening snack that I was allowing and go have your small portioned dessert. Just as your dinner plate is getting smaller, make sure that dessert plate gets smaller too. By the way, skip as many condiments as possible, they are nothing but calories and substitute ketchup sliced tomatoes. Don’t forget to supplement with a good multivitamin.
The whole point of changing the way you eat is not to change it to the point where it is unbearable or unmanageable but to watch your portions, skip snacking, and make wiser choices but not always at the expense of what you really want to eat. By doing this, it makes this aspect of the dieting much easier.
Second topic, exercise. I know this aspect is much harder than the first. Either you don’t have the time or it is just way to difficult to focus or commit. Part of my win/win diet is that you have some type of positive reinforcement that will make you commit such as a friend or a job. Listen, if we are women, we are all somewhat envious of strippers and models that have the long lean bodies. If we are men, then we know that most women desire men with broad shoulders, pumped biceps and six-pack abs, similar to that of most construction workers. The one thing that strippers, models and construction workers have in common is their hectic jobs which either requires lots of running around or physical activity. This is how most of these people stay in shape. A long time ago, before technology hit this world, we had to grow our own vegetables and chop down our own trees. We were not overweight. Today, walking up and down a grocery aisle for vegetables or flicking the switch to your thermostat for heat is not the best means of losing weight. My suggestion is that you search for either a part-time or full-time job that requires physical activity. My friend decided to open his own business to mow lawns in the summer and chop firewood in the winter. Another friend works as a construction worker in the evenings and weekends. Another stocks shelves at a local grocery store. The extra money you make is YOUR added bonus and others benefit from your work making this a win/win situation.
Some people just don’t have the time to work a second job because they have families. I understand that and that is why I have another solution to this exercise dilemma. The only thing is that you will need to commit at least one hour of your day and if you are really good about it, you can skip weekends. Find a partner that is facing the same difficulty losing weight and commit to each other. Can’t find one, put an add in your local paper and the fish will bite. Both of you can go to the YMCA and spend an hour doing cardio and some light weight exercises. Personally, I despise anything mechanical or electrical and prefer a fast walk (not leisure walk) eventually building to a light jogâÂ?¦ONE HOUR. If you have joint problems, invest in some Winsor Pilates DVDs.
By nature I am strong willed and competitive but I know that not everyone is like me. I did Winsor Pilates and fast walking without a partner simply because I knew I could commit plus I had back problems. The first year I pushed a stroller with my daughter, the second year she road a bike along side of me while I fast walked. However, most of my friends chose making extra money. A few that had families or other obligations chose finding a partner for moral support and friendly competition.
The question you need to ask yourself is how bad do you want it? For those that want to lose weight, I know it is hard. I have been there myself, I have been told by friends and family and it’s all over the internet, so I do know. But with my win/win diet, it doesn’t have to be painful or expensive. As your friend, stop trying so hard. Just stick to common sense and be patient, the weight will come off.
