Thursday, April 24, 2008

Diet On the Cheap!


April Hay

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Some people who live in Mission Viejo homes have tried to go on costly weight management plans. Some have even resorted to gastric bypass surgery. Why is it that when it comes to weight loss we can't "Just Do it," as Nike would say. I think the reason is because once we start dieting, impatience sets in. We want to lose the weight immediately. Of course, that's not going to happen, but we can lose fairly quickly and do it for a minimal cost.

About 6 years ago, I went on a diet and lost 70 lb. It was great. I got new clothes and felt really proud of myself for what I had accomplished. Then, a few years ago a series of serious life challenges hit me broadside and ice cream, chips and cheesecake seemed like the only things that could ease my pain. The weight all came back and even increased. Seeing myself in the reflection of my office window recently, I began to cringe at what I was doing to myself.

The moment of reckoning came last month when after my vacation I came back to my Mission Viejo home, got on the scale, and found that my weight had hit an all-time high. I dug out my diet book and decided to take control of my eating, of my looks, of my life.

When you have had a long period of overeating, the first challenge is to condition yourself to eat a lot less. The next challenge is to condition yourself to give up all sugar and high fructose sweetener and excess fats and carbohydrates.

The diet that works for me is, I believe, the world's cheapest healthy diet. I use the Scarsdale Diet, a diet that was popular during the 1970s. The diet is described in an inexpensive paperback book available in a lot of bookstores or online. There are no exotic foods to purchase, no nutrition bars to buy. Everything in the diet is made up of good, easy to find foods.

A half a grapefruit is eaten every day for breakfast along with a piece of dry toasted high-protein bread. With a cup of coffee, somehow this is enough. I actually look forward to it every morning. Lunches are composed of plain but good foods. No processed, ready-made foods, no starches, no sugar. Fast foods are basically out.

There is a regimen to follow as far as what choices you have every Lunch and Dinner, but there are certain food that you can eat without a limit, such as radishes, onions, dill pickles, peppers. These foods really help in the early days of the diet before you get used to eating less.

Eliminating all alcohol is necessary during the reducing stage of the diet. Water, diet soda, coffee, and tea are allowed as drinks. Exercise is great, but I don't start exercising until I lose enough weight to know exercise will not damage my knees and back. I take it slow and easy, and as the weight drops, I increase my activity level. You can plan on losing about a pound every day or two at first. As you are able to increase the amount you exercise, the rate of loss may increase.

A side benefit of the diet is the elimination of heartburn and a reduction in blood pressure. Cholesterol levels also drop. Snoring decreases. There are a lot of good things that happen with the Scarsdale Diet. It was written by a heart doctor many years ago.

Being older this time, the weight is coming off a bit slower than it did the first time. I have been on the diet for 3 and a half weeks and have lost 20 lbs. But that's okay. I know it works and I can be a little more patient this time. I have not started exercising at all because I have knee problems and I don't want to injure myself. After I lose another 30 lbs, I will start to exercise. I look forward to walking my area of Mission Viejo homes, knocking on doors and talking to people about Mission Viejo real estate.

I have a few friends who have gone on the Scarsdale Diet, and all of those who follow it say they have benefited not only by the fabulous weight loss, but also by the improvement in their general health. It costs very little to get started, and actually ends up costing less than you would normally spend because you are eating fruits and vegetables and small portions of meat instead of a lot of expensive saucy, processed foods that are not good for you.

Sometimes people cannot eat the grapefruit because it interferes with the absorption of some medications they are taking. That is a problem for them, and they may not be able to use this diet. The morning grapefruit seems to be an integral part of the diet. Of course anyone going on any diet ought to talk it over with their physician before starting.

More and more, we hear on the news how overweight we are becoming as a nation. The increase in diabetes is frightening, as are the incidences of heart disease. For me, it was time to take my weight seriously. My skinny jeans are still waiting for me in the back of my closet and I have eight sizes to go. I can't wait to wear them again!

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