| If you want to get thin, eat like thin people eat. | | | | experts," you aren't considering that they are |
| If you are ready to join a weight loss contest, I'm | | | | highly influenced by the meat and dairy industries |
| assuming you aren't thin. I don't know how much | | | | in their training. Most MDs have virtually no training |
| weight you have to lose, but I do know that you | | | | in nutrition, period, so they will generally tell you |
| are not going to achieve really knock-out results | | | | the "common wisdom," which is to eat a balanced |
| by simply eating less and exercising more. Our | | | | diet centered around meat and dairy products. |
| bodies are too sly to let us play a simple trick like | | | | You need to find doctors who are "thinking |
| that on them--eating less will only slow your | | | | outside the box." Otherwise, all you may get are |
| metabolism as your body tries to conserve | | | | the usual mediocre results.) |
| energy, sensing a famine approaching. But you | | | | Here are some strategies to give you the edge |
| probably knew that. | | | | to win weight loss contests: |
| I worked for a year or so in a WalMart deli a few | | | | * Don't tease your body with the expectation |
| years ago, doing research for a book, so I have a | | | | that more of these fat-laden foods will be coming |
| good idea of what obese people eat. Let's put it | | | | their way: For a competitive edge, eliminate all |
| this way, I've never seen anyone with a serious | | | | fats and oils from your diet, especially animal fats |
| weight problem eat a true vegan diet. | | | | * Our bodies are not able to efficiently process |
| At WalMart, I watched the same people motor | | | | animal fat, because we are primates and |
| up to the counter on their electric carts almost | | | | physiologically, we are like the other apes, |
| daily--one woman in particular was nearly twice as | | | | designed to be mostly vegetarians (See Dr. |
| wide as the cart--and they would order pounds | | | | McDougall's Digestive Tuneup for more info.) |
| and pounds of sliced deli cold-cuts, cheeses, and | | | | * Since we are not equipped to process animal |
| deep-fried chicken fingers--and start eating the | | | | fats like true carnivores do, we store it on our |
| meat and cheese while I finished cutting the order. | | | | body--so cut it out of your diet! |
| You should do the exact opposite to succeed in | | | | * Cut out all refined carbohydrates: sugars of all |
| weight loss: Don't eat meat and cheese and take | | | | kinds; white flour, white rice (See: Glycemic Index) |
| every opportunity to walk, not ride. | | | | * Eliminate artificial sweeteners, artificial flavors, |
| Stop Eating What You've Been Eating If It Hasn't | | | | and colors. No MSG, either! |
| Given You the Body You Want. That's a clue for | | | | * Go looking for opportunities to exercise: walk to |
| you! | | | | work, lift weights, climb stairs, do something |
| I like to peek into overweight shoppers' carts to | | | | physical daily |
| see what they typically eat. It gives me a good | | | | * Cut out other sources of junk calories: fruit |
| idea of what NOT to eat. I find big bags of | | | | juices, coffee drinks, sweet or artificially |
| cookies, ice cream, soft drinks, five-pound bags | | | | sweetened energy drinks, beer, cocktails |
| of sugar, lots of hamburger and chicken, lots of | | | | * Alcohol, in particular, weakens your rational |
| crackers, chips, and other snack foods. Mostly | | | | judgement: It whispers, "Just a little won't hurt |
| prepared foods, frozen TV dinners, sweet and | | | | your diet!" |
| salty snacks made of refined corn and white | | | | * Green tea and one or two brands of energy |
| flour, cheese and sugars--mass quantities of | | | | drinks sweetened with stevia are useful for |
| sugary, fatty treats! | | | | stimulating your metabolism: use these if you like |
| For good examples, on the other hand... | | | | caffeine and its thermogenic calorie-burning aspect |
| Who are the slimmest people? The slimmest | | | | * Coffee, even black (for me anyway), has |
| healthy people are predominantly vegetarians. | | | | always been too much caffeine, leading to |
| Scientific studies of large groups of vegetarians | | | | cravings for sweets or alcohol to "take the edge |
| have shown that very few have any problem | | | | off"--another reason to avoid it if you have |
| with their weight IF they eat a balanced healthy | | | | problems in this area |
| diet and do not abuse the refined carbohydrate | | | | Undertake this diet in the care of a physician who |
| class of foods. Here, I'm talking about strict | | | | truly understands human nutrition, such as Dr. |
| vegetarians or, more accurately, vegans (those | | | | John McDougall or Dr. Ray Strand(who offers |
| who eat no animal products at all). No meat, milk, | | | | online consulting). Both have written excellent |
| cheese, eggs, ice cream, no fish: that's a true | | | | books on the problems of excess weight and the |
| vegan. | | | | correct cure for it. Other practitioners can be |
| So, the one strategy I don't see "mainstream" | | | | found through the T.Colin Campbell Foundation |
| dieticians and weight loss coaches advocating is | | | | Web site. |
| the one that has--in my 40+ years' | | | | Good luck to you in deciding to win at weight loss |
| experience--the best chance of success. (If you're | | | | the only healthy way! |
| thinking, "But dieticians and doctors are certified | | | | |