Zero Sum Game: The Diet

Looking for that magic diet ? The One they keep talking about on the television? “Eat what you want and as much as you want. No need to exercise and take this pill. The weight will literally fall off.”

If you have wasted your money buying one or more of these kinds of diets, you know that there is no diet that works solely because it sounds good !!!!

But

. . . We have a “diet” for you that will work without fail. It will take effort, both mentally and physically. It will take planning and determination. It will require a lifestyle change and IT IS FREE. That’s right……..free. And here it is:

Step One

You need to know how much you consume on a typical day with no diet in mind. Suggestion: keep a log and list every morsel of food you consume each day for the next two weeks. Do not worry about your diet and do not eat more than usual in anticipation of your soon to be lifestyle change. Just keep record of your meals and snacks as well as their caloric value. At the end of the second week, you will have a good idea as to your actual eating habits AND how many calories you consume. Be prepared to be shocked. There were days when I would eat a 1200 calorie breakfast at a local restaurant, a 2300 calorie lunch (double burger, large fries, a shake and a soda) , an afternoon drink with a large candy bar and a 2000 calorie dinner. Wow !! At that rate, I was eating enough to gain half a pound per day. Can you say “oink, oink ?”

Step Two

Do a little research on the web. Search for “daily caloric requirements” and you will be directed to any number of sites that will tell you your daily calorie requirement — specific to you gender, height , current weight and age. Some sites even have a series of boxes. You plug in gender, height, weight and age and – walla — your daily caloric requirement is figured for you !! At 63 and according to the calorie counting websites, my daily caloric requirement to maintain my current weight is 2934 calories per day. These sites will tell you that if you stay 500 to 1,000 calories below the “daily caloric requirement,” you will lose a pound or more per week.

Problem : Over the years and after several diet attempts, I found that I could not lose an ounce — not one single pathetic ounce — unless and until may daily intake went under 1,100 calories per day. Forget the 500 to 1000 calories . I have to be 1,700 calories below the suggested daily requirement in order to lose any weight at all.

Why? A thing called “metabolism.” The older you get, the slower it becomes. And that is extremely important because “metabolism” is the very thing that burns energy (energy and “calories” are the same thing, by the way). Each person’s rate of metabolism is different.

Solution

Go to your doctor. Take the information you have found in your search. Show him that information along with your daily “consumption log,” and tell him what you intend to do — loose weight. Have him accurately weigh you. And get his opinion as to where you should start in terms of daily calorie intake.

Step Three: The Zero Sum Game Begins

Now, here is where we have to experiment a little. I cannot be prescribe your diet or diet strategy, so I will tell you what I did.

My “diet” was a five day per week affair. Three days I consumed 900 calories per day. On days four and five , I exercised to burn all of those 900 calories. In effect, those last two days were zero calorie days. If you walk a mile in 20 minutes, you have burned 110 calories. In fact, it takes 110 calories per mile no matter how fast you walk or run the mile. Most people will cover two and half to three miles per hour in a casual but not slow walk.

Saturday morning (the 6th day) and Sunday were “off days” for the diet. I ate whatever I wanted.

Monday morning I was back on the 900 calorie “diet.”

The exercise helped to increase my metabolism rate. In the mornings (Monday -Wed),

my calorie consumption primarily protein (eggs, sausage, bacon and bowl of cereal). Protein consumption increases your metabolism rate.. The only thing I cut entirely from my 5 day diet plan were dairy products. Actually, I stayed away from dairy products , even on the weekend.

The result? I lost 70 pounds in one year. I am now, 13 years older that when I first went on the diet. I have returned to the very same plan and have lost 47 pounds in the past 8 months.

In Support of the Plan

The protein comes from food I enjoy eating. The exercise lasts only two days. The 900 calorie intake plan is only a 5 day affair. And by the time the body thinks it needs to slow down because it is “starving,” you have the weekend and the body is fooled into thinking everything is just fine. Your metabolism stays high. Your weight lose will be somewhere around a pound to a pound and a half per week — a safe weight lose rate (but always check with your doctor on this point.)

And one additional piece of advice. Divide your daily intake into 5 meals (two to three or four hundred calories per meal) This will help to keep that metabolic rate as high as it can be.