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PART 2. Preparing for Automatic Weight Loss
Success on The Enjoyable Diet™ Normal Eating System comes from preparing your weight loss plan on paper and following that plan.
Part 2 is offered to make your weight loss as smooth and enjoyable as possible. If you have questions about any part of these directions, please write me before you order weight loss. You want to be ready to start the diet before you receive your calorie allowances.
a) On Your Mark: Setting Up
The Enjoyable Diet™ Normal Eating System
Step One: Calorie Counting for Those Who Hate Counting Calories
I can hear you asking: "Do I have to count calories?" My answer: Only if you want permanent (maintenance-free) weight loss. There is no other way to find out exactly how much you need to eat to reach your goal and maintain it.
On The Enjoyable Diet™ Normal Eating System, calorie counting is
once-and-for-all. Count your calories before you start dieting and
for the first 21 days, and you'll never have to do it again.
Use a counter less than 10 years old that lists food by type (grain, fruit, animal and vegetable protein, dessert, vegetables, dairy foods, snacks, etc.) Be sure it includes all the foods you like to eat. Your aim is to standardize your food intake.
A list of suitable counters is at the end of Step One.
Making the Counter Obsolete (50 minutes)
1. Round off calorie amounts to zero or 5. For example, if your counter lists any item at 50 or 55 calories, leave the count as is. If the count is 48, 49, 51 or 52 calories, call it 50; if it's 53, 54, 56 or 57 calories, call it 55.
2. Find your own serving sizes for all your favourite types of food. Your serving sizes help you learn how much food to have for a meal or snack. People who have never had a weight problem use their own serving sizes automatically. For you, it must be a conscious effort for 21 days, until it becomes a habit.
Sometimes, I have to change a client's calorie allowances. If I have to change yours, you will be glad you have your serving sizes worked out. You won't have to start counting calories all over again; you'll simply add or subtract servings.
We'll use the counter's 'Dessert' section as an example.
Dessert Examples
Dessert #1 -- 1 slice, 450 calories
Dessert #2 -- one cup, 300 calories
Dessert #3 -- 2 pieces, 275
Dessert #4 -- 1 slice, 300 calories
Dessert #5 -- 2 cups, 400 calories
Total: 1725 calories
Your dessert serving size would be 1725 divided by 5 = 345 calories.
Any time you had dessert, no matter which of the five it was, your serving size would always be 345 calories. And in your standard menus (Step Three), dessert would always be 345 calories. A half-serving would be 175 calories; a double serving would be 690 calories.
You don't have to have the full serving size each time. But if you eat a half- or double serving, you must add or subtract the surplus calories somewhere else in the same meal or snack.
You may occasionally have a dessert that's larger than your serving size. This larger dessert will be balanced by the size of dessert you usually eat -- and it will never put an ounce of weight on you. But if you start having bigger desserts every eating day, without adjusting the calories in the rest of the meal, the bigger size will become the norm, and you will gain weight.
Remember: permanent weight loss and automatic weight control are all about habit.
Model Menu (Your serving sizes)
Beverage: All kinds
Dessert: Cake, cookies, ice cream, pie, sweet rolls
Extras: Breading; salad dressings / gravies / sauces; sugar / syrup / jams; fat (butter/margarine, fresh and sour cream, oil, mayonnaise, nut butters); pickles
Fruit
Grain: Bread, biscuits, rolls, crackers, cereal, rice, pasta
Protein, Animal: meat , poultry, fish, seafood, eggs, dairy foods
Protein, Vegetable: kidney beans, baked beans, tofu, chick peas, lentils
Snacks: Chips, candy, nuts, pretzels
Vegetables
3. When sampling an unfamiliar food, consider whether it is made up mainly of:
- Fat, or is fried in any manner
- Animal protein: meat, poultry, fish, seafood, eggs, dairy foods
- Carbohydrate: grains, legumes, refined sugar or concentrated natural sugar, such as dried fruits
- Water: most fruits and vegetables
Then, using what you've learned above, reckon: this item probably has 25 or fewer calories; 25 to 50 calories; 50 to 75, etc. You'll be surprised, when you do look it up, at how close you came to guessing the actual value of the item.
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"Extremely easy to follow, and you can continue to eat the foods you love...You don't have to go out and shop for food that no one else in your family will eat. And above all, it works; the pounds come off." --- Wanda H., homemaker; Toronto, ON
Recommended Calorie Counters
1. Dr. Atkins' New Carbohydrate Gram Counter . Robert C. Atkins, MD. M. Evans & Co. Inc., New York.
2. The Protein Power Lifeplan Gram Counter. Michael Eades and Mary Dan Eades. Warner Books.
3. The Carbohydrate Addict's Calorie Counter. Dr. Rachael F. Heller and Dr. Richard F. Heller. Signet Books.
4. The Carbohydrate Addict's Gram Counter. Same authors and publisher as #3.
5. The 20-Gram Diet Fat Counter. Gabe Mirkin, MD. Linx Corp.
6. 20/30 Fat and Fiber Diet Plan. Gabe Mirkin, MD and Barry Fox, PhD. Harper Perennial.
7. The T-Factor 2000 Fat Gram Counter. Jamie Pope and Martin Katahn. W. W. Norton.
8. The Everything Calorie Mini Book. Barbara Ravage. Adams Media Corporation.
9. Harriet Roth's Complete Guide to Fats, Calories and Cholesterol. Harriet Roth. Signet Books.
10. Harriet Roth's Fat Counter. Same author and publisher as #8.
11. Dr. Shapiro's Picture Perfect Weight Loss Shopper's Guide. Dr. Howard Shapiro. Rodale.
12. Quick Check Food Facts. Barron's, 2nd Edition.
13. The Biggest Loser Complete Calorie Counter. Cheryl Forberg, RD. Rodale.
14. The Diabetes Carbohydrate and Fat Gram Guide, 2nd Edition. Lee Ann Holzmeister, RD, CDE. American Diabetes Association.
15. The Essential Net Carbohydrate Counter. Maggie Greenwood-Robinson, PhD. Pocket Books.
16. The Diet Detective's Count Down. Charles Stuart Platkin. Fireside.
Other suitable counters are available at new and used bookshops or online.
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"Thank you for guiding me over the course of the diet. I really like my weight and body now and I haven't felt this good in years.
"What I really like about the diet is that it is easy for my body; my energy level was high and I felt good the whole time that I was on the diet.
"What I didn't like about the diet was the calorie counting part. It was difficult at first when I had to count calories with all my meals every day.
"Thanks again and good luck with everything!" -- Natalie Y., New York City, USA
Step Two: Write Down (5 minutes) and Follow a Daily Eating Plan.
Note: A day begins when you wake up and ends when you go to sleep.
A daily eating plan includes:
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The number of meals you want and the times of day you want to eat
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The total amount of food you eat each day
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The percentage of the day's calories in each meal
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1. The number of meals you want and the times of day you want to eat
a) Divide your daily allowance (given by the coach) into as many meals as you want. Take any snacks from the previous meal's allowance. See "Sample Daily Eating Plan", below.
b) The Enjoyable Diet™ Normal Eating System is all about habit. Every time you eat, you teach your body when to be hungry. Always eat at the same times every day, with no more than an hour's leeway. For example, if lunch can be any time between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., plan lunch for noon. Then, eat at noon as often as possible, even if you don't always feel hungry just then. By Day 21, you will always be hungry for lunch at noon.
At the end of Day 4, your meal and snack times should be carved in stone.
c) Never allow more than six waking hours to pass without eating or drinking something. And never stockpile your calories for a massive munch-in at the end of the day or week. That's what you did on all your other diets -- and here you are.
d) Never deliberately skip planned meals or snacks. But if you unavoidably miss any,
- On a diet day, do not make up the calories later on in the day.
- On an eating day, be sure you make up the calories that day at another meal or snack.
Sample Daily Eating Plan
First meal: 20% -- Breakfast 7 a.m.; snack 10 a.m.
Second meal: 30% -- Lunch 1 p.m.; snack 4 p.m.
Third meal: 50% -- Dinner 7 p.m.; snack 10 p.m.
2. The total amount of food you eat each day (the coach assigns calorie allowances)
You must eat each day's entire calorie allowance, even when you don't feel like doing so. This is how you teach your body, for 21 consecutive days, how much you want to weigh. By Day 22, you will automatically eat the correct amount each day.
3. The percentage of the day's calories in each meal
a) For example: first meal, 20% of day's total; second meal, 30%; third meal, 50%. You may use whatever percentages you like, but use the same ones for both the diet day and the eating day, throughout the diet.
b) Having a 50% meal lets you eat anywhere without worrying about falling off the wagon. For example, you can make an unexpected office party or a wedding dinner your 50% meal of the day.
c) Everything you eat and drink is part of your day's allowance. For example, if your allowance is 2000 calories, and you divide up your meals 20%-30%-50%, you will have 400 calories for breakfast, 600 for lunch and 1000 for dinner. Snacks are part of the previous meal's allowance.
Step Three: Write Down (5 minutes) and Use Standard Menus
You now have serving sizes for all your favourite foods (Step 1) and a daily eating plan (Step 2). Two-thirds of your planning is done. Now use the Model Menu (Step 1) to design standard menus -- your idea of the world's greatest meals and snacks. When you receive your calorie allowances, you'll be able to make the items fit exactly.
Having standard menus lets you eat anywhere, confident that you won't fall off the wagon. It also keeps you from regaining weight permanently at party, holiday or vacation times.
On The Enjoyable Diet™ Normal Eating System, you should never eat anything you don't like, no matter how good it's supposed to be for you, unless your doctor says so. (Fear not, health care professionals; no one will eat ‘only junk' for more than a week. I have it on the best authority.)
For permanent weight loss, you must eat on every eating day the way you want to eat daily for the rest of your life. If you want to live a low-cholesterol, low-salt, low-fat, low-sugar, gluten-free, meat-free or dairy-free life, you must do so while on the diet. If you want to live a many-snacks, much-pie or many-French-fries life, you must do so while on the diet.
Sometimes, I have to change a client's calorie allowances. If I have to change yours, you will be glad you have your standard menus worked out. You won't have to start counting calories all over again; you'll simply add or subtract menu items.
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1. For the eating day menus, fit your serving sizes (Step 1) into your daily eating plan (Step 2). For the diet day menus, you can simply use one or two items from each eating day menu. If necessary, have double or half-servings or bigger snacks to fit your calorie allowance.
If an item fits into your calorie allowance, you may eat it. If it doesn't fit, get rid of something else in your menu.
Sample Standard Menus
Breakfast: Protein, grain, fruit, beverage
Lunch: Protein, grain, raw vegetables, fruit, beverage
Dinner: Appetizer or salad, protein, grain, cooked vegetables, dessert, beverage
Snacks: Pastry and beverage; piece of fruit; bag of snack food; candy -- whatever you like
You can change the individual items (grain can be pancakes, toast, cereal, bagel, rice, pasta) but have the same menus every day. This is exactly how slim people stay slim.
You should never be able to say, at day's end, "I have 400 more calories to use up. What shall I eat?"
2. Get rid of food cravings by having at least two of your favourite types of food every eating day. Again, if you intend to eat potato chips, pie, candy or what-have-you when you finish the diet, you must eat these while you are on the diet.
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"What I liked about the diet: Complete flexibility in what one chose to eat...there is only one 'no' and that is no overeating. What I disliked about the diet: Counting calories until one had that filed in memory." --- Noreen W., Toronto, CANADA
Step Four: Stock Your Kitchen with Low-calorie Foods and Drinks You Like (shopping time)
These items will increase your calorie mileage on both days. They are part of your calorie allowance.
If you want to use commercial diet foods and drinks, save them for the diet day, unless you intend to use them daily when you have finished dieting.
Low-calorie Foods
Raw, cooked and preserved vegetables
Commercial diet meals, liquid and solid
Condiments: horseradish, mustard, vinegar; diet salad dressings to use as sauces and dips
Herbs and spices; salt
Sugarless treats: gum, mints, etc.) low-calorie sweeteners
Low-calorie Drinks
Bouillon / consommé
Diet soda, seltzer
Lemon and lime juices
Herbal and other teas; black coffee; water
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FAQ #23. Would it be better just to deal with the hunger, knowing that eventually, I won't be hungry at that time any more?
Yes, it would. But as long as you don't exceed your allowance on either day, it's all right to have a mini-snack. After the first couple of days on the diet, though, a mini-snack will likely seem bothersome.
21 Tips for a Smooth Practice Period
A smooth Practice Period is crucial for your success on The Enjoyable Diet™ Normal Eating System.
There are 11 diet days and 10 eating days in the Practice Period:
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The first seven days are the easiest.
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In Week 2, you need to concentrate to avoid becoming careless. There will be times when you have to eat, even though you won't feel like it.
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Week 3 is the most challenging time of the diet. Keep your guard up.
This diet doesn't require emotion. Will power and motivation do not make you lose weight; planning and action do. It's putting one foot in front of the other, or painting by number, or maybe just putting your head down and charging ahead for 21 days.
You probably know some of the tips below. Read them daily in the Practice Period. Here's another tip: Do not think past the Practice Period; your chief concern is getting to the end of the 21 days. After that, you'll be home free, because then you won't feel as if you're dieting at all.
Do everything you can to make the 21 days run as smoothly as possible. You want them to be successful. Of course, if you have a personal chef, as Oprah Winfrey does, your 21-day Practice Period will be even smoother!
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1. No one even has to know you're dieting. In fact, I suggest that you not tell anyone for at least a month. If someone says "Let's lunch" on a diet day, ask for a rain-check for "Tomorrow, or three days or a week from today". After the Practice Period, you will easily lunch on a diet day without falling off the wagon.
2. If you want to weigh yourself daily, note that you will weigh about 2 pounds less first thing in the morning than last thing at night. Your weight will fluctuate daily, so write it down weekly -- weigh yourself on each Day 1, nude, before breakfast -- for an accurate record of your progress. And don't make changes in the diet if, during the week, you see something on the scales that you don't like.
3. Leave your wallet, bank- and cheque-books, and credit and debit cards at home for the 21 days. If you're stronger than I was, you won't need this tactic.
4. Keep busy. And keep reminding yourself that The Enjoyable Diet™ Normal Eating System is "a diet" for only 21 days.
5. Have a very-low-calorie mini-snack planned for when you feel hungry between a meal and a snack. This mini-snack must be part of your day's calorie allowance.
6. Food-shop only after you have eaten. Make your list at home and buy only what is on the list.
7. Read labels on food packages. If you like home-baked goods, analyze your favourite biscuit recipe to find out how many calories are in one biscuit and how big it is. An up-to-date cookbook will give you calorie counts per serving.
8. Buy snack foods only in single serving sizes.
9. Low-calorie liquids are great for both diet and eating days because they fill you up while keeping you right on track. Drink your favourites with and between meals and snacks.
10. Watch your fat, refined sugar and salt intake on diet days. Fat has the most calories per gram; sweets make you hungrier; salt makes you thirstier.
11. If you like vegetables, eat lots of them on diet days. They're more satisfying than you would imagine. Use diet salad dressings for flavour on hot vegetables and as a dip for raw vegetables.
12. Always predetermine how much you will eat. Prepare only what is necessary for a meal or snack.
13. Eat from a smaller plate on diet days.
14. Never rush your eating. Chew thoroughly and swallow before taking the next bite.
15. Take at least one break during a meal, rather than eat non-stop.
16. End meals by leaving a little food on your plate and a little liquid in your glass.
17. Floss and brush your teeth immediately after meals.
18. Imagine that you're part of an Important Scientific Experiment and that, without your whole-hearted Co-operation, the Experiment will be Ruined.
19. Everyone needs a hero or role model. Imagine you are the person who you think has the world's strongest will-power. This person can be real or imaginary, living or historical, and this person wouldn't give up.
20. Use any other tactic that you know will work -- anything medically, morally, ethically and legally sound.
21. Congratulate yourself for every victory you achieve, however small it may seem.
b) Get Set: When to Start
The Enjoyable Diet™ Normal Eating System
Calendar for the First 6 Weeks
You may not change this schedule before Day 29 (Day 1, Week 5).
Week One: Diet days are 1, 3, 5, 7; eating days are 2, 4, 6
Week Two: Eating days are 1, 3, 5, 7; diet days are 2, 4, 6
Week Three: Same schedule as Week One. The plateau starts on Day 16.
Week Four: Same schedule as Week Two. On Day 1 (Day 22), you're hooked on normal eating.
Week Five: Same schedule as Week One. On Day 1 (Day 29), you may change the schedule, if necessary. On Day 5 (Day 33), there's a definite physical sign that the plateau is ending.
Week Six: Same schedule as Week Two. On Day 1 (Day 36), the plateau ends with a two-pound loss.
Practice Period Events to Plan For
1. If you observe a weekly holy day, have it fall on a diet day in Week 2.
2. If there will be a religious fasting day, make sure it will be on a diet day. Break the fast according to your eating plan at the time of day you end it. Do not eat your entire diet day allowance to end the fast.
3. A truly important celebration (Great Aunt Minna's 100th birthday party, a wedding, Thanksgiving Day) should fall on an eating day. Minor celebrations that will fall on a diet day can be honoured the day before. An unexpected office party can be accommodated by making it your largest meal of the day.
4. A weekly entertainment date should be on a diet day in Week 2. Miss that week altogether if the snacks would be too tempting. From Day 22 on, you will be able to enjoy the date on any diet day without breaking the diet.
c) Go! Your Game Plan
1. Decide what you want to weigh. Be sensible because with The Enjoyable Diet™ Normal Eating System, you will achieve whatever goal you choose.
2. Prepare for the diet (All of Part 2)
3. Follow the instructions on the "How to Order" page.
4. Start with a diet day. Regularly alternate it with an eating day.
5. When you reach your goal, drop the diet day. You probably won't want to, but do it anyway.
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"What I liked: It is a good diet (healthy); no tablets, just normal food, and you still can eat sweets which I love...It works the best of all the diets I did, to keep it off, too." --- Maria S., restaurateur; Brantford, ON
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