| It's January 2, the day of reckoning. You | | | | be burning muscle instead of fat. |
| glance at a full-length mirror as you dress | | | | |
| in the morning, and you don't like what you | | | | Speaking of muscle.. |
| see. Before Thanksgiving, you were on your | | | | |
| way to becoming a thinner, healthier you. | | | | Eating is only half the picture. If you want |
| Now, every canapé, slice of cheesecake, | | | | to maintain the weight you lose, you need to |
| and glass of wine you indulged in over the | | | | perform some kind of physical activity. That |
| holidays seems to be laughing at you from its | | | | doesn't necessarily mean formal exercise. |
| new-found perch in your belly, butt, and | | | | Just get up and move every chance you get. |
| thighs. Of course, you tell yourself you're | | | | Studies show that doing vigorous, day-to-day |
| imagining things. You couldn't have gained | | | | activities is far more important for |
| all that much weight. Just to prove it, you | | | | maintaining a healthful weight than is a |
| tentatively, almost timidly, climb onto the | | | | membership to the local health club. Here are |
| bathroom scale, and allow yourself to peek | | | | some that really burn the fat: |
| down with one squinty eye. | | | | |
| | | | - Washing and waxing a car |
| Don't scream and do NOT allow yourself to | | | | |
| plunge into depression. That number is a | | | | - Washing windows or floors |
| minor setback on the road to having a | | | | |
| slender, healthier body. You can get back on | | | | - Playing volleyball |
| track and barely miss a step on your way to | | | | |
| your weight loss goal. You can also learn a | | | | - Playing touch football |
| new way of eating, using principles from the | | | | |
| Cheater's Diet, that will allow you to enjoy | | | | - Gardening |
| the holidays next year to their fullest | | | | |
| without gaining a single extra pound around | | | | - Walking |
| your middle. | | | | |
| | | | - Basketball (shooting baskets) |
| First, you're going to shock your metabolism | | | | |
| back into action with a month of the "Four | | | | - Dancing fast (social) |
| F's" plan. It won't be easy, but you'll love | | | | |
| the results. After that, you'll ease your way | | | | - Pushing a lawnmower |
| into the regular Cheater's Diet plan, which | | | | |
| allows you to eat all kinds of food that you | | | | - Raking leaves |
| thought, as a dieter, you would never be | | | | |
| allowed to eat again. | | | | Past the first hurdle |
| | | | |
| The "Four F's" are: | | | | After you've gone four weeks sticking |
| | | | strictly with the Four F's, you can begin to |
| - Fish | | | | relax a little. How? Cheat on the weekends. |
| | | | Now, I know that the word "cheat" generally |
| - Fluids | | | | makes dieters a little nervous. It represents |
| | | | failure to many of them. But it doesn't have |
| - Fiber | | | | to. In fact, cheating can be your greatest |
| | | | tool in reaching success. |
| - Frequent meals | | | | |
| | | | Here's how. After being subjected to a strict |
| Fish- is an excellent source of protein and | | | | regimen like the Four F's throughout the |
| healthful Omega-3 fats, both of which will | | | | first month, your body begins to outsmart you |
| help you to feel sated and cut your appetite. | | | | and slightly slows down the rate at which it |
| Try to eat fish at least three times a week. | | | | burns fat. If you suddenly give it more work |
| Cold water varieties like salmon, tuna, | | | | to do by feeding it more calories, it speeds |
| sardines, and herring, contain the highest | | | | up again. Then, after two days, you go back |
| amounts of Omega-3's. | | | | to your strict regimen. |
| | | | |
| Fluids- are extremely important for weight | | | | The body is still going with all fires |
| loss. Not only does drinking water, tea, | | | | blazing. It will take awhile for it to |
| coffee, diet sodas, or even soup help to | | | | realize the trick you've pulled. So because |
| cleanse your body of toxins, but it also | | | | you've eaten more for a couple of days, |
| keeps the kidneys functioning properly. When | | | | you're now burning fat even faster! Doing |
| the kidneys are out of whack, the liver takes | | | | this every weekend keeps the body in a state |
| over for them, which means it can't continue | | | | of playing perpetual catch-up. So cheat! From |
| doing one of its other major jobs-turning | | | | Saturday morning to Sunday evening, eat |
| your fat into fuel. Drink at least 2 quarts | | | | anything you like, with the exception of |
| (8 cups) of fluids a day, and if you're | | | | foods you're likely to binge on. You can have |
| overweight, drink even more. | | | | chocolate, hamburgers, whole grain bread, ice |
| | | | cream, cinnamon buns, wine, beer, strawberry |
| Fiber- helps move food through your system | | | | shortcake-you name it. Or you can just have a |
| more quickly, makes you feel full, and keeps | | | | whole lot more of the healthful foods you've |
| your digestive tract healthy. For the | | | | been eating since the New Year. |
| purposes of the Four F's, fruit is the best | | | | |
| source. Apples, pears, plums, strawberries, | | | | Cheating has one other advantage that's |
| and prunes are all good sources. In addition | | | | hugely important in maintaining a healthful |
| to the servings described below, have at | | | | weight-it keeps you from getting bored. The |
| least one additional fruit serving at every | | | | average person stays on a diet for about two |
| main meal. | | | | months before giving up and going back to his |
| | | | or her old ways. Why? The tedium of |
| Frequent meals- means eating three main meals | | | | restrictive diets. The Cheater's Diet |
| a day with snacks in between. Never go more | | | | restricts you from nothing. It simply puts |
| than two hours between meals Breakfast, | | | | you on a schedule, just like going to work |
| lunch, and dinner should always consist of | | | | five days a week and taking off for two. |
| one serving of protein (eggs, fish, white | | | | |
| poultry meat, or lean pork loin) and one of a | | | | Cheating for life |
| complex carb, like a vegetable, legume, or | | | | |
| whole grain. A serving size is about one | | | | By the end of the second month, you will |
| quarter of dinner plate. Snacks can consist | | | | probably have reached the end of your |
| of a serving of fruits, vegetables, nonfat | | | | patience with eating six meals a day. So |
| dairy products, nuts, legumes or any other no | | | | don't. Go back to three meals a day, and |
| sugar/low fat food. | | | | allow yourself four servings per meal-one or |
| | | | two of protein, two of fruits or vegetables, |
| So to recap-lots of meals, lots of fiber, | | | | and one of whole grains or legumes. You can |
| lots of fish, lots of fluids. | | | | still have snacks every two hours if you |
| | | | like. |
| Don't worry about the rate at which you're | | | | |
| losing. An average of two pounds a week is | | | | By summertime, you're going to look amazing. |
| very respectable, and three pounds should be | | | | And when the holidays come next year, just |
| your maximum. Any more than that and you'll | | | | stick with the Cheater's Diet! |