The Diet That Works

I recently celebrated my birthday at my sister's house. One thing I did while I was there--I snuck into her bathroom and weighed myself on her bathroom scales to see how they compared with mine .

Uh-oh. According to her scales, I've gained 15 pounds since my last birthday. According to my scales, about 11 pounds.

Yep, it's time to whip out THE DIET THAT WORKS!

It's a very simple thing. I came up with it after trying all kinds of diet pills, Slim Fast, counting calories, fad diets...you name it, I tried it, and nothing worked, or at least not for long. So I read some nutrition books and also investigated the interior state of my mind re: dieting, and made a diet for myself that works. I've used it for the last 25 years, shedding oh, 10 or 15 pounds, by going on this diet for six weeks only every two or three years. It works every time, and it's healthy, and it's easy to follow.

I realize that weight loss from a diet isn't permanent. I also realize that it would be better to just simply stay on this diet, forever, and not put back on any weight. I realize that but I'm human and I like some less-than-healthy foods and I also find that keeping my weight under control by going on this diet for six weeks out of two or three years suits me better.

Here it is:

• A multivitamin pill every morning with a glass of water
• I can have as much lean meat, fish, fresh fruit, and fresh vegetables as I want. Nothing else. Sorry, no more bread, pies, cakes, cookies, pizza, ring-dings, Doritos, McDonald's...too bad, so sad--do I want to lose weight, or not?
• Potatoes count as a vegetable and a little butter is ok but no sauces. Spice instead of sauce is the motto for the duration.
• Walk. I take a walk every day. I have weather gear for any weather. I get outside and get my big muscles working and get some fresh air. That's enough exercise for me. I'm not a big exercise fanatic and will never be.
• One glass of milk a day; otherwise stay away from dairy products. I limit myself to water and black decaffeinated coffee for beverages for the diet duration.

There we go. It's that simple. Not easy, exactly, but simple. I give myself a week to clear out all the stuff that's NOT on my diet. I'll eat it--I know me. I can't bear to throw out food.

So my diet starts on October 14, 2009, and ends six weeks later, by December 1, 2009, and I will have lost that pesky 15 pounds. I'll give myself the day off my diet for Thanksgiving with my sister (I'm only human, and it gives me something to look forward to), but just one day off never sets me back much. I enjoy it thoroughly then step back up to the diet plate the next morning.

There are a lot of side benefits to this diet. I'll look better, feel better, my clothes will fit better, my skin will be clearer. And my fellow hubbers will benefit, too, from all that fresh air blowing through my brains on my daily walk, before I write my hubs!

It's a commitment, but only for six weeks. If I want a diet to work, I've found, I need a time limit. I need to form a specific commitment to a plan (and this one works like gangbusters for me!) for a specific amount of time.

Sticking with the diet for six weeks is the goal, not the weight loss. It's kind of a head fake, and the weight comes off anyway.

I know this is a much healthier way of managing the menu and I should just stay on it forever and keep the weight off, but I've found, for me at least, it works better to stay on this diet for six weeks, and then go off it. If I find myself putting back on too many pounds over my desired weight, I just go on this diet again for six weeks. It works every time and I don't have to fret in the mean time. So I end up gaining and losing the same 10 or 15 pounds every two or three years--so what? I'm a much happier camper this way.

I like to stay on top of it. I don't like to let the weight gain ride up over 15 pounds above my desired weight. It comes off a lot easier if I don't let it go over that limit.

If there are ladies out there that want to try this but have more than the 10 or 15 pounds to lose, my suggestion is--try it for six weeks. If it works, then go off it for a couple of weeks, then back on for eight weeks, then off it for a couple of weeks, then back on for eight weeks, and so forth, until you've achieved your desired goal. I think you need a little break and some indulgence in the foods you crave after 6 weeks of dieting, and I know this will work for you enough to want to go back on it. And it really isn't bad. You aren't limited as to quantities, and I love fresh fruit, myself.