i’ve lost 9 pounds in 9 days. success! i only hope to have the same success in the weeks to come.

on the hcg diet, there is a daily dose of the hcg hormone. this helps to mobilize the adipose fat that has been stored so that it can be burned. your body learns to burn this fat, and you lose weight. in addition to the hormone dose, it is recommended that the dieter follow a 500 calorie per day diet. i tried this but it didn’t go so well for me. so my solution was to do a sort of atkins diet with the hcg. the combination is working out well. i keep my calorie intake at around 1000 calories, i eliminate almost all carbs and no sugar. 

my modification of the diet is effective. i was worried that it wouldn’t be. and after spending the money to buy the hcg, i really didn’t want to fail. 

the first few days were hard. i felt horrible. but once i got used to not having carbs and sugars, i began to feel better. and now i feel better than i did before the diet. physically i have more energy, i am more alert…even upon waking in the morning (and this is major since i have fog in the noggin for a few hours in the mornings), and emotionally i feel better. i feel more centered. 

all of these things are great motivation to stick with this plan. and the weight loss is almost like an added bonus. 

i find that i have to change the way i think of food. i enjoy eating….obviously…or i wouldn’t be in this situation! ha  but i have to seriously start thinking about food as fuel. not as a pleasure but as needed fuel for my body. once i can accomplish that, i will be able to lose and maintain my weight….wish me luck!

today has been a tough one so far. for the first time in my 8 days of dieting, i am having some serious cravings. i long for an enchilada, beans, & rice. i so love that meal! i am trying to rationalize….one cheat meal…just one enchilada, a handful of rice, and a few bites of beans…that wouldn’t throw me so far off track would it? 

logically, i know that if i were to eat this meal, i would feel bad. i would have a stomach ache. and i would feel very guilty on top of that. but i so want it! i have done so good sticking to the no carbs, no sugars thing. and it is paying off. i have had good motivation and have been excited about my progress. but for some reason, today i really, really want to cheat a little. i won’t do it. the man won’t let me. it’s good that i have him to keep me on track…if i were still living alone i would justify it to myself somehow. i would talk myself into believing that it would be okay.

i only have 35 more days to go….and i only have 32 more pounds to go. i can do this. and once i have gotten these 35 days behind me, then i can have the enchilada……

today has been a tough one so far. for the first time in my 8 days of dieting, i am having some serious cravings. i long for an enchilada, beans, & rice. i so love that meal! i am trying to rationalize….one cheat meal…just one enchilada, a handful of rice, and a few bites of beans…that wouldn’t throw me so far off track would it? 

logically, i know that if i were to eat this meal, i would feel bad. i would have a stomach ache. and i would feel very guilty on top of that. but i so want it! i have done so good sticking to the no carbs, no sugars thing. and it is paying off. i have had good motivation and have been excited about my progress. but for some reason, today i really, really want to cheat a little. i won’t do it. the man won’t let me. it’s good that i have him to keep me on track…if i were still living alone i would justify it to myself somehow. i would talk myself into believing that it would be okay.

i only have 35 more days to go….and i only have 32 more pounds to go. i can do this. and once i have gotten these 35 days behind me, then i can have the enchilada……

today has been a tough one so far. for the first time in my 8 days of dieting, i am having some serious cravings. i long for an enchilada, beans, & rice. i so love that meal! i am trying to rationalize….one cheat meal…just one enchilada, a handful of rice, and a few bites of beans…that wouldn’t throw me so far off track would it? 

logically, i know that if i were to eat this meal, i would feel bad. i would have a stomach ache. and i would feel very guilty on top of that. but i so want it! i have done so good sticking to the no carbs, no sugars thing. and it is paying off. i have had good motivation and have been excited about my progress. but for some reason, today i really, really want to cheat a little. i won’t do it. the man won’t let me. it’s good that i have him to keep me on track…if i were still living alone i would justify it to myself somehow. i would talk myself into believing that it would be okay.

i only have 35 more days to go….and i only have 32 more pounds to go. i can do this. and once i have gotten these 35 days behind me, then i can have the enchilada……

Foods contain just three major nutrients—protein, fat, and carbohydrates. It is not the total amount of food people eat that causes them to gain weight. Rather, one of those big nutrients is playing havoc with the body. The key to weight loss is to eliminate foods that contain the one nutrient that causes weight gain. These days, following this strategy is possible since specialized foods that have reduced or eliminated the weight-causing nutrient are so widely available.

Maybe fat is to blame. Fat in the diet is broken down into triglycerides that are taken in by body fat cells. Fat cells put triglycerides into storage and burn them very slowly and efficiently only after all other energy sources are used up. This works against weight loss. Eating fat also leads to heart attacks and cancer.

Maybe carbohydrates (carbs) are the macronutrient that causes weight gain. Carbs make us fat because they force the body to overproduce the hormone insulin, the metabolism cop in the energy in/energy out equation that rules body weight. To keep
blood sugar steady, insulin converts blood glucose from carbs into fat and pushes the fat into the fat cells. Insulin also prevents fat cells from releasing fat to be used for energy. Carbs make the body produce too much insulin, so blood sugar drops very fast. Since insulin will not let fat out to be used for energy, our brain tells us to eat more. If that food is a carb, the vicious cycle starts again. Eventually, the body becomes insulin resistant, and you gain weight. The answer is to eat very few carbohydrates. After cutting carbs, weight loss is quick and dramatic.

Maybe it is protein. After all, vegetarians avoid animal-based protein for overall health and long-term weight management.

Don’t Excess Calories Cause Weight Gain?
It is true that gaining weight results from taking in more calories than you expend. But excess calories certainly cause you to pile on the pounds-and this is a gigantic “but”-only when you are eating a lot of carbohydrate along with fat.

So it’s time to abandon the assumption that the only way to lose weight is to strictly control your intake of calories. Many people think that only one thing matters: how many calories you take in and use up. It’s not that simple.

When you follow a controlled carbohydrate approach, you get what I call a “metabolic advantage. When you control carbohydrate consumption sufficiently, your body will switch from burning glucose derived from carbohydrate to burning primarily fat for energy. This means you could eat, say, 2,000 calories and still begin losing pounds and inches.

In contrast, if you were consuming 2,000 calories on a low-fat diet, you might not lose weight, and you might actually gain weight. The metabolic advantage is that burning fat takes more energy so you expend more calories. And if you eat fewer calories-as many Atkins people do because their appetite is usually diminished-you’ll likely lose weight even faster. So it’s not that calories don’t count, it’s just that you will burn more of them, with less hunger, when your body is operating on a fat-based metabolism.

Eating the Atkins Way Must Have Special Advantages
You bet it does. Here are six reasons why doing Atkins works:

1. As I’ve just said, it mobilizes more fat for use as energy than any diet you have ever encountered. In a clinical setting and countless testimonials, Atkins has repeatedly been proven to take off more fat than other programs when an equal number of calories is consumed. This incredible advantage has been researched and validated.

2. The controlled carbohydrate nutritional approach is not one of deprivation. Sheer hunger is the main reason for the failure of most weight loss efforts. A lifetime eating plan needs to be palatable, pleasant and filling. You will have to abandon sugar and other refined carbohydrates such as white flour. But most people find that once they shake off the sugar addiction, they feel no strong desire to go back to it. For them, a nutritional approach that allows them to eat a vast variety of meat and fish and salads and vegetables prepared in the most appetizing manner-i.e., with butter and cream and spices and herbs-is anything but austere. Eating Atkins-style is a food lover’s dream come true-luxurious, healthy and varied.

3. Atkins is the easiest way to maintain weight loss. The trouble with losing weight on a low-calorie/low-fat diet or on a liquid-protein diet is that the maintenance program is so very different from the weight loss program. So when you go back to your former way of eating, the pounds return with astonishing speed because you are unprepared for maintenance.

There are sound physiological reasons for this. When you restrict the number of calories you eat, your metabolism shifts into a survival mode, meaning it slows down to conserve energy. When you go back to a higher-calorie diet-as you inevitably must-your body is still in its mode of burning calories slowly. So it becomes extremely hard to continue or maintain weight loss.

Success at maintaining weight loss is the great plus while doing Atkins. What most people know about it is that you can usually lose a lot of weight rapidly. And you probably can. But the key point is that the weight doesn’t return. One of the reasons is that it doesn’t create a big difference in the number of calories you eat during the weight loss and weight maintenance phases.

The Atkins Nutritional Approach is actually a continuum of four phases that transition seamlessly from one to the next. Phase 1, known as Induction, crashes you through most weight loss barriers and will generally introduce even the most metabolically resistant person to weight reduction. Phase 2, Ongoing Weight Loss (OWL), will carry you smoothly toward your goal. Phase 3, Pre-Maintenance, eases you toward adopting permanently a new, healthier way of eating that, with a modest degree of diligence on your part, will allow you to stay slim forever. Phase 4, Lifetime Maintenance, is the game plan that will keep those banished pounds at bay for the rest of your days.
Let me state one crucial fact that you should always keep in mind: For people who comply with all four phases of Atkins, failure to maintain weight loss is very rare.

4. Not only does Atkins not deprive you of the pleasure of eating, it energizes you and makes you feel just plain good. And those two things are definitely factors in keeping the weight off, because few people are willing to go back to feeling lousy once they’ve experienced the joys of feeling good. As a matter of fact, for about half the patients I see, the most compelling reason they continue to do Atkins is that they feel noticeably worse if they stop the program.
Plus, when you are full of energy, you are more inclined to exercise, enhancing weight loss and replacing fat tissue with muscle, which will also help you cut inches from your measurements. People will see the change in you, enhancing your sense of accomplishment and self-respect.

5. The plan is healthy. Research has repeatedly demonstrated that controlling carbohydrate intake results in improved blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, moderation of blood-sugar levels and reduction of blood pressure. All these indicators result in reduced risk for cardiovascular disease. And, incidentally, in my forty years of practice, I’ve yet to see a single study that has shown that a high-protein diet causes kidney problems.
In addition, Atkins can effectively and quickly make a positive impact on many of the most common annoyances that patients reveal in the privacy of their doctor’s office. In all my years of practice, I’ve heard and seen it all: fatigue, irritability, depression, trouble concentrating, headaches, insomnia, dizziness, joint and muscle aches, heartburn, colitis, premenstrual syndrome, water retention and bloating. For the lion’s share of patients, Atkins is a specific prescription against such ills.

6. Atkins works because, as an increasing body of scientific evidence shows, it corrects the basic factor that controls obesity and influences risk factors for certain illnesses. That factor is excessive levels of insulin. An essential hormone, insulin governs the basic mechanism by which the body lays on fat. When found in excessively high levels-we medical folk call that state hyperinsulinism-insulin vigorously promotes the development of diabetes, atherosclerosis and hypertension. More recently, it has also been linked to increased risk of breast cancer and polycystic ovarian syndrome.

And so the Atkins approach finds itself at the center of health planning for a long and vigorous life.

Premenstrual mood swings and crazy cravings come down to a shortage of the brain chemical serotonin, says Judith Wurtman, Ph.D., coauthor of  The Serotonin Power Diet. “The only thing that helps – and it helps instantly – is to eat carbs, because that’s the only way the brain makes new serotonin,” says Wurtman, who adds that serotonin boosters need to be eaten straight with no fat or protein (think sweet potatoes or a whole-wheat English muffin without butter). No, this isn’t a license to go-all carb crazy – just when your PMS tends to be at it worst, which is usually late afternoon and evening. “The rest of the day, fill up on fruits, vegetables, and protein, which can help curb your cravings and keep you satiated,” says registered nutritionist Joey Shulman, author of Healthy Sin Foods: Decadence Without the Guilt. Also, forgo salt and get more of the nutrients that have been linked with lessening those heinous that-time-of-the-month symptoms: magnesium (grains, nuts, greens), and calcium and vitamin D (dairy, fortified OJ).

What to eat:

• Breakfast – Cottage cheese, berries, fortified OJ
• Lunch – Spinach salad, salmon, low-fat milk
• Snack – Air-popped popcorn (no butter), drizzled with fat-free chocolate sauce
• Dinner – Whole-wheat pasta with garlic, mushrooms, and onions in a tomato sauce

Your sexual vitality depends on eating foods that are rich in the amino acid L-arginine, says Robert Fried, Ph.D., senior professor of bio-psychology at Hunter College and coauthor of Great Food, Great Sex. Found in nuts  poultry, and seafood, this sexual secret weapon promotes healthy blood flow to the sexual secret weapon promotes healthy blood flow to  the sex organs so you can experience maximum pleasure. Also, devouring heavy foods before  the big love-fest can weigh you down and divert blood away from your sexual regions. Reach for lighter fare that balance carbs.

What to eat:

• Breakfast – Oatmeal, walnuts, dried cranerries
• Snack – Celery and peanut butter
• Lunch – Garden salad, chicken, olive oil dressing
• Dinner – Whole-weat pasta and shrimp tossed in olive oil and fresh-berry dessert

What is The South Beach Diet?

The South Beach Diet is found in a book by Arthur Agatston, MD, called The South Beach Diet: The Delicious, Doctor-Designed, Foolproof Plan for Fast and Healthy Weight Loss.

• • Why the South Beach Diet was Created
  • Who is Dr. Arthur Agatston?

The diet is based on the Glycemic Index, which ranks foods according to their glycemic load .

• • What is the Glycemic Index?

What is the The South Beach Diet Like?

This diet focuses on a healthy balance between carbs and fats — good carbs and fats. Highly processed foods like baked goods, sweets, and soft drinks will be off-limits.

Dr. Agatston says decreasing the bad carbs will help you metabolize what you eat more effectively and will also improve insulin resistance, leading to weight loss.

The Fundamentals of Phases

The South Beach Diet is divided into three different Phases. All three Phases include specific allowable foods, meal plans, and recipes.

Phase 1

The first Phase, Phase 1, lasts for two weeks and is the strictest of the three. It is when you will limit the most carbs from your daily diet, including fruit, bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, sugar, alcohol, and baked goods.

Is it Easy to Follow?

Once you get used to cutting those “bad carbs” … yes, it becomes easier. Dr. Agatston says you will become accustomed to eating the good carbs and fats and leaving the bad ones behind.

Many SBD fans swear that their cravings for sweets and other bad carbs virtually disappear during Phase 1.

For some, the Phase 1 period can be extended beyond two weeks, but it is not meant to be a permanent way of eating.

Dr. Agatston says even if you’re a bread and pasta lover, you’ll be able to get through Phase 1 painlessly. He says you will eventually lose the urge to eat these types of foods. Most South Beachers find cravings subside after two weeks.

What does Phase 1 Do?

The theory behind Phase 1 is that there is a switch inside us that affects the way our bodies react to the food we eat (and makes us gain weight).

When the switch is on, we crave foods that actually cause us to store fat (Agatston, pp 4-5). According to Dr. Agatston, at the end of the first two weeks the switch has gone from the on to off position.

The principle requiring the stringent Phase 1 is that by following the specified plan, you can correct the way your body reacts to food. By the time begin to add some of the forbidden foods back into your diet, your body has had a chance to adjust.

(Please note you will need to read The South Beach Diet book in order to accurately follow this plan. You may also find the companion food guide helpful.)

Phase 2

Now you can start adding foods from the Phase 1 Foods to Avoid list. It’s up to you which ones you re-introduce: bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, cereal, or fruit.

This diet gives you the freedom to cherry pick which of these foods you add back into your diet. While you can’t eat them all (nor eat the ones you choose with abandon) they’ll no longer be off-limits.

The key here is to re-introduce these foods in moderation and to not eat them as often as you were before.

Phase 3

Phase 3 is the final and least restrictive Phase of The South Beach Diet. Dr. Agatston says as long as you continue follow some basic guidelines, the diet has become your way of life and you’ll continue to maintain your weight.

(Please note you will need to read The South Beach Diet book in order to accurately follow this plan. You may also find the companion food guide helpful.)

Reference:
Agatston, Arthur S. The South Beach Diet: The Delicious, Doctor-Designed, Foolproof Plan for Fast and Healthy Weight Loss, New York: Rodale (dist.: St. Martin’s Press, April 2003).

The NutriSystem diet is leading the way in convenience. Dieters who don’t want to think about portion sizes, planning, shopping for or cooking meals will love the NutriSystem diet plan. You simply make your food selections and then get a month’s worth of meals delivered to your door in microwave-ready pouches.

Overall, the diet is healthy. The meals are low in sodium, saturated and trans fats, and include whole grains and a wide variety of foods. And portion-controlled meals offer an advantage for anyone who has trouble with portion size.

The NutriSystem diet plan started in 1972. Since then it has undergone many changes, and today features the NutriSystem Advanced plan (launched in 2008), a “glycemic advantage” approach promoting “good carbs,” low fat, healthy protein, and high-fiber ready-cooked meals. NutriSystem Advanced meals also contain soluble fiber and omega-3 fatty acids to promote heart health and feelings of fullness.

The glycemic index is a popular weight loss tool, based on the idea that foods ranking low on the glycemic scale help stabilize blood sugar and reduce cravings.  The premise of the NutriSystem plan is eating high-fiber, low-fat foods with optimal amounts of lean protein to curb cravings and satisfy hunger on fewer calories.

Women follow a 1,200-calorie plan and men are allowed 1,500 calories per day. Meals are chosen and delivered via mail from the Internet-based diet program (nutrisystem.com). Meal and dessert options are available in shelf-stable pouches that can be conveniently heated in a microwave oven. The food costs approximately $280-310/month (plus additional costs for supplemental items from your local grocer).

In addition to receiving the prepared meals, dieters are encouraged to learn to modify their eating behaviors. They receive a 12-week, self-guided “Mindset Makeover” behavioral guide, written by Temple University obesity expert Gary Foster, PhD, which addresses everything from curbing cravings to the importance of social support. In addition, diet and fitness guidance, a weight loss community, and support are available online. Counselors are also available over the telephone.

Exercise is recommended while following the NutriSystem diet plan. Dieters can use the demonstration CDs included in their packet or choose online fitness plans that can be tailored to various fitness levels. Options include aerobics, yoga, and resistance-training programs.

What You Can Eat

Dieters choose from more than 120 entrees and desserts that promise to be balanced in protein, fat, and “good” carbs. The diet is made up of 55% carbohydrates, 25% protein, and 20% fat. Most of the NutriSystem meals are lower in saturated and trans fats, sodium (approximately 1,800 milligrams per day), and rich in whole grains. The meals are supposed to be supplemented with 6 servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Dieters eat five meals a day, which should help control hunger.

What You Can Eat continued…

The monthly shipments of food include 28 breakfasts, 28 lunches, 28 dinners, 28 desserts, and the option of one week of free food.  No meal replacements are used, but dieters are encouraged to supplement the monthly shipments with fruit, vegetables, salad, protein, and milk purchased at your local market. Sugar, white bread, candy, cakes, processed foods, and alcohol are not permitted.

A typical 1,200-calorie meal plan includes:

• Breakfast: NutriSystem breakfast entree, 1 serving fruit, and 1 serving dairy or protein
• Lunch: NutriSystem lunch entree, 1 serving salad, 1 serving dairy or protein, 2 tbs. fat-free salad dressing
• Snack: 1 serving fruit, 1 dairy or protein serving
• Dinner: NutriSystem dinner entree, 2 vegetable servings, 1 salad or fruit serving, 1 fat serving
• Dessert: NutriSystem dessert

How It Works

NutriSystem has programs designed for men and women, and the plan can be further customized for people with type II diabetes, vegetarians, and older dieters. There is no weighing, measuring, counting calories, or cooking — other than adding water and heating pouches in the microwave.

“It takes the thinking out of healthy meal planning and helps dieters get accustomed to proper portion sizes and smart carbs,” says Delphine Carroll, NutriSystem vice president for public relations.

If you take advantage of the education and counseling, she says, you should be able to prepare healthy meals on your own at the end of the program.

NutriSystem dieters choose meals and desserts from a catalogue of products for 28 days at a time, or until they reach goal weight. Most dieters stay on the program 10-11 weeks, according to the company. The program includes a planner that has step-by-step instructions for what and how much to eat at each meal, as well as a dining out guide to help with restaurant food choices. Dieters are encouraged to track everything they eat in the included meal planner. Counseling from health advisors is free with the food purchases.

The plan does not include a maintenance or long-term phase, only guidance from the web site and Mindset guide.

What the Experts Say

The real question is whether dieters can continue losing weight when they no longer rely on prepackaged foods, experts say. The plan offers a great jump start to healthier eating but some folks might stumble right back into their old eating habits afterward.

“Dieters may only experience success while they are ordering the prepackaged foods because once they are on their own, they are faced with the real world of cooking, meal preparation, and issues they are not prepared to handle because they were not addressed on the plan,” says American Dietetic Association spokeswoman Suzanne Farrell, MS, RD.

Motivated dieters can benefit from the lifestyle tools, educational materials, and online support. But Farrell fears that some people will just eat the food and hope that by some miracle, they will improve their eating habits after finishing the program.

“The NutriSystem plan is great for a short-term approach, but eventually you have to do the work by yourself, so pay attention to the portion sizes and food preparation styles so you can learn from them and do it on your own,” says Farrell.

She suggests slowly transitioning to planning and preparing your own meals.

“One of the most important aspects of weight control is learning how to shop and cook healthier foods, and this program does not accomplish that critical aspect,” she says.

Farrell likes the way the plan promotes eating regular meals and snacks, but is concerned that there may not be enough calories.

“There may be too few calories to manage hunger,” she says. “Some meals are 250-350 calories whereas others are only around 150 calories — and that is fine for a snack, but not enough for a meal.”

Experts’ opinions are mixed on the glycemic approach to weight loss. Some think it’s just another gimmick — but say that if it helps people eat in a more healthy way, the gimmick can be successful.

For example, nationally known diabetes expert and author Marion Franz, MS, RD, CDE, says that while the glycemic index is useful for people with diabetes, it has no redeeming value as a weight loss tool.  But Harvard endocrinologist and pediatric professor David Ludwig, MD, says he has successfully used a glycemic index-based diet plan to help many children and families lose weight.

Food for Thought

Singles, people on the go, or anyone who does not want to be bothered with cooking may find this low-calorie, nutritionally sound program an easy, short-term way to lose weight. And following the plan and controlling calories with healthy snacks and supplemental items should result in weight loss. The 12-week mindset and weekly newsletters can be helpful in changing behavior, but won’t help you prepare your own meals when you re-enter the real world at the end the program.

Think of the NutriSystem diet as a temporary plan that can help get you started on the road to healthier eating, but keep in mind that you will ultimately have to do it on your own. The challenge is to continue losing weight on a calorie-controlled diet without the advantage of the prepackaged foods.