So I did what any responsible person would do. I read up on various plans and I am happy to report that I found a few that sound like they might be good fits for me. I know I am not alone in wanting to pick a new approach to food…one that is healthier, but still tasty, and not boring, and definitely not overly restrictive. Here are three of the plans I found that I think you might like as well!
THE FLEXITARIAN DIET
Dietitian Dawn Jackson introduced The Flexitarian Diet in her 2009 book, The Flexitarian Diet: The Mostly Vegetarian Way to Lose Weight, Be Healthier, Prevent Disease, and Add Years to Your Life. Now reading up about this plan, I was initially taken aback, because for a grown adult I can be picky with food — I am not a big fan of many vegetables. But I was sold on being allowed meat as a “cheat” if I feel like it! In my experience, I can go about a week into a mostly vegetarian diet before I start craving meat (particularly the grease from meat — how gross is that craving?). With the Flexitarian Diet, I can have it if I choose to, then I go back to the regular plan.
What Do You Eat? The Flexitarian Diet talks about emphasizing five food groups: “new meat” (foods rich in protein such as lentils, beans, tofu, eggs, etc.); whole grains; fruits and vegetables; dairy; and “sugar and spice” (things we add to our dishes to enhance it, like herbs, or honey, or even dressing for a salad).
How Much Do You Eat? You are limited to 1500 calories a day on this diet, but you get three meals a day plus two snacks. You increase your caloric intake slowly throughout the day: 300 calories for breakfast, 400 for lunch, and 500 for dinner. Two 150-calorie snacks round out your day.
Do You Get Results? Yes, and right away. 1500 calories might be restrictive to some people, but couple this with even moderate physical activity and you will notice weight loss. This diet is expected to be followed in cycles of five weeks. After ending the diet, you can always return for another five weeks.
VOLUMETRICS
Nutrition professor Barbara Rolls, who wrote The Ultimate Volumetrics Diet, was the one who
What Do You Eat? Anything you want. I became a fan right away! But of course you have to consume more of the “low-density” foods (examples include fruits and vegetables, grains, low-fat meats and legumes) as opposed to “high-density” ones (my faves like pizza, hamburgers, French fries, and the like). The key is limiting the foods that got us in trouble in the first place and replacing them with ones we should have had all along.
How Much Do You Eat? You can have all three meals a day, a couple of snacks…even a dessert. It all depends on what meals you pick earlier in the day. Make good choices and you can splurge on a properly-proportioned sweet treat at the end of the day. The more good choices you make, the easier it is to notice the results. Speaking of…
Do You Get Results? Yes, you do. Eating more low-density foods means you get fuller off fewer calories, all without overthinking percentages on nutrition labels. The fewer calories you eat makes it that much easier to burn them off when coupled with exercise.
WEIGHT WATCHERS
Everyone’s heard of Weight Watchers. In my years trying to lose weight, I had always considered
What Do You Eat? Anything you want. This isn’t your mother’s Weight Watchers anymore; gone are the disgusting recipe cards extolling the virtues of carp and cabbage. The people at Weight Watchers realize we live in a real world and we sometimes eat “cheat foods,” and sometimes we go out and have drinks.
How Much Do You Eat? The key is to not go over your allotted food “PointsPlus” limit, which is calculated by your age, height and weight. Foods better for you have a smaller food “Points” allowance, meaning if you save up points, you can splurge if you like. By all means, eat whenever you’re hungry, but the key to changing your “food view” with Weight Watchers is to find which foods have fewer points, and to eat a sizable yet moderate amount of those.
Do You Get Results? Yes. “Activity points” are an incentive to get people to exercise each day. The longer one exercises, the more points that can be added to your food/drink allotment that day. Exercise for 30 minutes, for example, and perhaps you worked out two activity points. You can add those to your food points if you wish! Of course you shouldn’t do this too much if you want to see continuous results.