I'm also about to start the Mayo Clinic Diet, the first two weeks of which is based on the premise of starting 5 habits, breaking 5 habits, and adding 5 "optional" habits. The two weeks are supposed to jump start the weight loss and then you can ease up a bit for the remainder of the plan (the rest of your life).
New Habits
- Eat a healthy breakfast every day, sort of an issue.
- Eat whole grains, no problem.
- Eat a minimum four servings of vegetables and three servings of fruit per day, HUGE deal.
- Get thirty minutes of exercise a day, pretty big change also.
- Eat "good" fats. Whatever.
But the real kicker is the list of habits to be broken, which includes NO snacking on anything (except maybe fruits or vegetables?) and NO added sugar. And, no more time spent watching TV than is spent exercising.
So, if I break the NO sugar rule, can the two weeks still be a success? That is, can I start some better habits, lose a few pounds, and not revert later to my normal slobby, gluttonous self?
3 comments:
Ugh. I'm breaking out in hives just reading this post. As if these diets aren't grueling enough, I always get SO grouchy. Bad mood doesn't even begin to scratch the surface. Is there a vacation-style rehab I can just check myself into for a good 6 months? Good luck, BTW.
Well, it isn't going so well so far, though in my mind I haven't actually committed to following the diet yet. I got myself in a bind by not doing anything for months (years?) and so I was attracted by the thought of losing 7 or 8 pounds in two weeks. But the reality is that I'm not in a mental state to limit myself to no sugar for 2 weeks, or even to 75 cals a day from sweets, or to suddenly eat 4 servings of veg every day. I clearly need a lifestyle overhaul, not a "diet," and I even know what I should be doing, but it's going to be a slow process I think.
And I will say for the record that I generally like the Mayo Clinic Diet. They are up front about the fact that the only way to lose weight is to expend more calories than you take in, and their program isn't about crazy lists of things you can and can't eat. It's just sensible stuff about eating a balanced, nutritious diet and maintaining an active lifestyle. Even the two week jump-start part is actually reasonable and not unhealthy, though very strict. My problem is that I love carbs, and even if I'm eating mostly all whole grains, I'm still eating too many carbs and not enough veg and probably not enough protein.
Post a Comment