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Let
me preface this page by saying the word "diet" is a horrible word. Let’s face it - remove the "t"
and the word "die" is spelled, and this is what most diets make you feel like doing.
So with that said, I want you
to think differently. We will not diet. Instead, we will begin a lifestyle change that allows us to eat when we are hungry
and even cheat with all the things diets lash out against. You see, life style is a commitment to an everyday change. It’s a promise you
make to yourself to eat healthier, read labels, record what you eat, exercise to include a walk with your family and pets
everyday - a realization that you really want to change.
As a former bodybuilder, I know the feeling of long, drawn-out diets. The most important
thing is mental toughness. Read the last two words again - “mental toughness.” What is mental toughness?
It’s saying "I will change my life and go through some pain to get to the glory of the change." What is that glory? It’s people walking
up to you and saying "Wow! You look great!" It's your family and friends giving compliment after compliment
of how hard you have worked and how you're looking the best you have in years. And, most important, it's you seeing
change, being excited and pushing even harder to make this lifestyle stick.
THE LIFESTYLE CHANGE
Life style food is very simple. You will eat and you will eat frequently - yes, frequently. Go
to any fast food restaurant and eat a "combo meal." Now do a test and see how long it is before you are hungry again.
Chances are it will be hours. Why is this? Simply, your body takes a longer time to digest food that is not good for you.
Food heavy in fats and carbohydrates sit in your system and is a major cause of unwanted fat and weight increase. Now switch out the fast food for a hand-sized
portion of turkey, steamed green vegetables and ½ cup of steamed white or brown rice. Notice that within two hours
you are starving? Your body has received clean foods and it will become a furnace, increasing your metabolism, which
is tied to how fast you burn food.
You will eat hand-sized portions of clean foods six times a day,
almost every two hours like clock work. You may even drink a meal in the form of a protein shake mixture that
has 30-40 grams of whey protein and sub that for one or two meals. During your life style change, Sunday will be your glory
day - the day you can go crazy and eat whatever you like, whenever you would like to eat it. Go crazy! Enjoy this one
day a week that is yours to do as you please. The remainder of the week you will learn to grill and broil, not use any oils, consume
any dairy, sugar and soda or juices. You will guzzle water like its going out of style. A gallon a day is great, two gallons
is better. This cleanses your system out and helps shed the pounds. You coffee lovers out there are in luck - you're allowed
to have espresso with no sugar as that it is a natural diuretic and will help flush water out.
The first week alone you
will lose 8-10 pounds in water weight. Before I go into life style ideas, let me address the mental part of this. You can make a
million excuses of why this won’t work. But let’s be honest. If you
choose to stop the lifestyle change it’s because you choose to be overweight and out of shape. Don’t blame the
rubric, don’t blame the exercise - the facts are that you don’t want it bad enough. It's easier to eat, feel comfortable and blame the process than to see what
the end result would be if you committed to the hard work. If you truly want to make a change, continue to read
below.
THE PROCESS
First, check with your doctor and get a check-up. Tell them you are
making a lifestyle change and explain what you will be doing. You will have to ease into it; your goal will simply be 2-3
pounds per week of weight loss. You will, as noted above, see more as the water weight goes away but do not lose site of the
goal.
Second, you will hide your scales
after your first day of weighing in. Then, once a month, you will weigh yourself and record your results. Trust me, scales
can hurt more then they can help. As you lose weight, simply watch your clothes. Your pants will be more loose and your shirts
will become baggier - sure signs that you are on the right track. Within the first month you will see results and you will hear a passing comment or two. Congratulations!
You are well on your way and the more you hear from others, the more excited you will become and the harder you will work.
THE MEALS
Keep in
mind that you want to eat when you’re hungry. You want to drink water. You want to be certain the meats you buy are
as stated below. And you want to splurge on your Sunday as it will trick your body into thinking the food has changed
and you are back to old habits.
Take a multi vitamin with antioxidants, Vitamin C and green tea, if you enjoy it.
Breakfast
*Note: use Pam to spray all pans. Do not use oil or butter.
Meal One: - 1 cup grits or oatmeal. This is 1 cup of wet weight.
- Egg Beaters to equal 4 eggs or 3 whites of eggs and 1 whole egg mixed together.
- ½ grapefruit
- Vitamins for the day
Meal Two: - 4-6
ounces of skinless grilled or broiled chicken breast
- 1 cup steamed green vegetables fresh
- Note: chicken may be topped with salsa
Meal Three:
- 4-6 ounces of grilled or broiled eye round or
white fish (not catfish)
- ½ cup
steamed white or brown rice or ½ sweet potato
- 1 cup steamed green vegetables
- Or
1 protein drink made with water
Meal Four: - 4-6
ounces of white turkey cutlets (cooked in Pam) or grilled chicken breast
- 1 cup steamed green vegetables
- You
may use salsa on food for additional flavors.
Meal Five (dinner) - 6-8 ounces of grilled eye round, or white fish, or turkey breast, or skinless chicken
- 1 cup steamed green vegetable
- 1 cup steamed white or brown rice or 1 sweet potato
Meal Six (1-2 hours before bedtime) - Protein drink or
- 1 4-6 ounce
grilled chicken breast
- 1 cup steamed
green vegetables
You may eat as treats: Sugar
free popsicles or sugar free Jell-O - but in moderation and only when you crave it. Chewing
ice cubes will help cut the cravings. Portion size is very important - the size of your palm is all you need. Please note any new lifestyle changes
should start with a trip to your doctor to go over your goals and have a physical exam.
THE
RESULTS
Exercise: this is the catalyst of the new lifestyle. Ride a bike, walk the block everyday twice, jog and
weight train. Ease into any new fitness programs - just get
yourself off the couch and exercise. Pretend you’re a kid again and jump rope, swim, try to walk further and further
everyday, join a gym and have a trainer teach you the ropes. This will results happen twice as fast.
And above all else - be happy.
Above referenced
text is the opinion of Johnny Carino and has been used by Johnny Carino and his clients. As this is only a reference, Johnny
suggests you contact your doctor. Johnny assumes no responsibility for people who follow this diet advice as it is to be used
as guidelines and not in place of medical advice.
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