Diet is a Dirty Word

This plan is simple and a lifestyle that you can adopt for life. While you are encouraged to count calories, fat, carbohydrates and sugar, at least in the beginning, what you eat is really more important than the math behind it. By making healthy food choices and substantially reducing your intake of processed and canned foods (or eliminating them all together) you will see results. Add some exercise to the equation and you will be well on your way to a healthier you.

It is important to note that not all diet and exercise programs work for everyone, but this plan is certainly healthy. You put good foods into your body and you will be rewarded with improved wellness, increased energy and better health. Weight loss is almost certain to be one of the benefits as well. This plan is about lifestyle change and better health. While people who have followed the plan, even half way, have enjoyed weight loss, there are no guarantees. Life is funny like that.

Now we get to the details of The Plan. It is simple, common sense and healthy, but, you should run it by your doctor before starting. This is true with any diet or exercise program. You just want to make certain that the program is OK for your personal dietary and health needs. For instance, some diabetics may need to be more watchful of their sugar intake while people on certain medications may not be able to eat some foods. In fact, it is a good idea to sit down and talk to your doctor before starting your weight loss journey. He or she may be able to give you tips and guidance that is specific to your own needs and preferences.

Here is an outline of The Plan:* Frequent, small meals
* Eat 3 small meals and 2-3 snacks per day. We will get into the meal plans, healthy snacks and lean eating later in the course.
* Keep Your Weight Loss Goals Small
* Don't try to lose more than 2-3 pounds per week (see "Why only 2 or 3 Pounds?")
* Watch Your Caloric Intake (at least at first)
* Get Adequate Protein
Protein is an important component to effective weight loss. Protein intake should be 30% - 45% of your total caloric intake. The average adult who
exercises regularly requires 1.2 to 1.8 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight per day. The average person needs about 1.6 grams of protein per
kilogram of body weight per day, so most people can use this as a standard. It is important to note that the human body can only utilize about 25 to 35 grams
of protein at a time for muscle. Any protein taken in beyond that is used for energy and even possibly may be stored as fat. This highlights the importance
of several small meals throughout the day as opposed to two or three.
* Monitor Your Fat Intake
Your body needs fat to survive. It uses it to cushion your organs and keep your skin supple. It is suggested that people wishing to lose or maintain their
weight limit their fat intake to 20% to 30% of your total caloric intake (I take in about 10 g per meal).
* Watch Your Carbs But Don't Cut Them Out
Carbs are not bad. In moderation they can actually aid in your weight loss efforts by helping you feel full and adding to your energy level. Your
carbohydrate intake should be around 45% or so of your total caloric intake, but it should not drop below 50 g per day
* Sugar is a Silent Enemy!
Sugar can sneak up on you in many "low fat" and "low calorie" foods. While you do need some sugar for proper organ function, too much sugar in your
system will be converted to fat. Read your labels and limit your sugar intake to approximately 12 g per meal and snack.
* DRINK LOTS OF WATER!!!!
This should go without saying, but your body does need water to function. The body uses water for many metabolic processes as well as provides the
environment for those processes to take place. It also transports substances within organisms. As well, water is vital to regulating the body's temperature.
* Exercise
The only way to truly burn the fat is cardio. Get that heart rate up! Walking is a very good exercise for many, but there are ways to exercise for just about
anyone. If you have any physical disabilities, your doctor or physical therapist can recommend exercises that fit your needs. A combination of
cardio and weight bearing exercise has been proven to be very beneficial in weight loss. You can use two bottles of water for hand weights and add some
challenge to your workout.
* Deprivation Kills Motivation
One of the worst things that you can do on your diet is to deprive yourself of cravings. This is the quickest way to fall off the wagon. If you want a cookie, eat a
cookie; eat two. Just don't eat the whole package. If you crave chocolate and you eat something low calorie or low fat in its place, chances are you will still
crave the chocolate in the end. This will likely cause you to eat something else as a replacement. Eventually, and likely many calories and fat grams later you
indulge. This can be very destructive to your motivation. It is easier and smarter to cut to the chase. Have a couple of small pieces of chocolate to take care of
your craving right off the bat. This way you don't go through the process of blowing diet because of a simple craving.

How to do the Math

For those who are a little rusty in math and are not sure how to determine the fat and carb percentages of your daily caloric intake, as well as other mathematical calculations contained in this plan, here are the formulas:

Convert Percentage to a Decimal To convert a percentage to a decimal, move the decimal point two places to the left. In a digit where the decimal is not shown, it is "invisible" and located
at the end of the number. It would, therefore, be moved two places to the left.If the percentage is a single digit, insert a zero to the left of the number and
the decimal to the left of the zero.

Example 1: 100% = 1
Example 2: 45% = .45
Example 3: 2% = .02

Determine the Percentage of a Number

To determine the percentage of a given number, you must first convert the percentage to a decimal (as shown above). Once the decimal is determined, multiply it by the given number.

Example 1: 10% of 100
10% = .1
.1 X 100 = 10
10% of 100 is 10

Example 2: 45% Carbohydrates of 1,800 Daily Caloric Intake
45% = .45
.45 X 1,800 = 810
45% of 1,800 Calories is 810 Carbohydrates

Convert Your Weight in Pounds to Kilograms

To convert your weight to kilograms from pounds, you multiply your weight in pounds by .45. NOTE: If the result has a decimal, round it to the next number. This means, if the number to the right of the decimal is 5 or greater, you increase the number to the left of the decimal by one. If the number to the right of the decimal is 4 or less, do not change the number to the left of the decimal (8.7 = 9 or 7.3 = 7).

Example 1: Weight in Pounds X .45 = Weight in Kilograms
Example 2: Weight in Pounds is 180. Convert to Kilograms.
180 X .45 = 81 kg