YOU: On a Diet
Website design By BotEap.comFollowing an appearance on Oprah, the YOU diet has topped diet book charts. Perhaps it’s the playful nature of the creators of the YOU Diet, Dr. Michael F. Roizen and Dr. Mehmet C. Oz, who use comical metaphors to explain complex behaviors of the human body. Or maybe it’s their philosophy, which holds that you need to understand the “why” in order to do the “how” for successful weight loss. This means understanding the basic (and slightly more advanced) functions of your body and how emotions, behavior, eating, and activities play a role in them. Their argument is that this knowledge is the real weapon against fat, not willpower or closing the fridge to avoid midnight snacking. The YOU diet motto is to work smart, not hard.
Website design By BotEap.comWhat makes YOU: On a Diet different?
Website design By BotEap.comIn addition to providing basic guidance on exercise and healthy eating, the YOU diet explains detailed scientific jargon in a simple and humorous way that allows you to really understand the importance of healthy eating and daily exercise. This plan, unlike many diets out there, believes in making small changes to finally reach your weight loss goal. One way the diet portion of the plan differs from the others is that it holds that eating the same healthy foods every day will narrow down your choices and allow for weight loss.
Website design By BotEap.comWhat are YOU: on a diet?
Website design By BotEap.comThe YOU Diet believes that you need to… stop trying and start living… You need to reprogram your body so that your food choices and overall lifestyle become enjoyable and energizing routines, not stressful burdens. A fourteen-day eating plan (seven days repeated twice) will allow you to eat smart and not push yourself so hard. Once you’ve mastered the two-week plan, you’ll have developed eating and behavior patterns that will help you lose weight long-term.
Website design By BotEap.comAlthough the meal plan is based on a 1700 calorie diet, the YOU diet shows you how to calculate your calorie needs and see if you need to add or subtract calories yourself. The YOU plan emphasizes that you must eat to lose weight. Starving yourself will only slow down your metabolism and cause your body to hold on to the excess body fat it is trying to lose. This is what a typical day looks like on the YOU diet:
Website design By BotEap.comBreakfast: 1 slice of whole wheat bread with 1 teaspoon of peanut butter or apple butter.
Website design By BotEap.comMorning snack: Cut carrots and celery.
Website design By BotEap.comLunch: Veggie burger on whole-wheat bun with 1 tablespoon fructose-free olive oil-based marinara sauce, a sliced tomato, romaine lettuce, and sliced onions.
Website design By BotEap.comSnack: 1/2 ounce of raw almonds and a banana.
Website design By BotEap.comDinner: Asian salmon with brown rice.
Website design By BotEap.comDessert (every other day only): 1 ounce of dark chocolate with orange slices.
Website design By BotEap.comDrink: Coffee or tea.
Website design By BotEap.comThe food plan is accompanied by recipes and shopping lists to make your life easier. None of the meal plan breakfasts, lunches, or snacks take more than ten minutes to prepare, while dinners take no more than thirty minutes to prepare. The plan states that it’s also imperative to always be prepared for hunger and surround yourself with healthy snacks that you can grab without thinking. Therefore, several preparation techniques are suggested, including pre-cutting and bagging vegetables such as baby carrots and grapes, making a batch of hearty soup (recipes are provided), and storing serving-size cups in the refrigerator, and always having “emergency food”. like a handful of peanuts, dried fruit and edamame (young soybeans) on hand.
Website design By BotEap.comSome rules for living in this plan include the following:
Website design By BotEap.comEat three main meals plus snacks every day, so you never feel hungry.
Website design By BotEap.comDo not eat within three hours of bedtime.
Website design By BotEap.comDessert is a treat every day.
Website design By BotEap.comUse a 9-inch plate to help control portions.
Website design By BotEap.comDon’t count calories! Use a hunger scale to make sure you are full after a meal and not overfull or undernourished.
Website design By BotEap.comThe first day of the plan involves cleaning out the fridge and grocery shopping so only healthy options are available.
Website design By BotEap.comHave a support system, including friends and family.
Website design By BotEap.comKnow that it’s okay to make mistakes, as long as you recognize them quickly and get back into the program.
Website design By BotEap.comOther helpful tips are given for eating out and choosing appropriate food labels. Online support is also available in the form of email tips from the creators of the diet, an online community, and downloadable exercise videos. Beyond the food, the diet asserts that the perfect eating environment is essential to healthy eating. Bright lights, a warm room temperature, and conversation (more like the sound of music or TV) ensure you feel comfortable and relaxed while you eat.
Website design By BotEap.comWhat are the weight loss expectations?
Website design By BotEap.comBy following the YOU diet, you can expect to lose up to two inches off your waist in two weeks. It is recommended not to use the scale or an exact number as the ultimate goal of weight loss. Instead, you should use a weight loss range to account for daily fluctuations in weight. You should check your weight, or better yet, waist size, weekly.
Website design By BotEap.comIs exercise promoted?
Website design By BotEap.comYes, the YOU Activity Plan is an essential part of this weight loss plan. It consists of strength training, stretching for flexibility, and cardiovascular exercise. Every day you need to walk thirty minutes. It does not matter that! You can do it for thirty minutes at a time or break it up into up to three shorter sessions. Once your body is warm, you should stretch for five minutes (stretches are detailed in the book or online).
Website design By BotEap.comThree times a week you should do the “Twenty Minute Workout.” The exercises target the core muscles, including the thighs, chest, back, and abs. These exercises should be done as directed, which usually involves strengthening a muscle and then stretching it. This routine is set up for beginners, but more advanced people can adjust the simple exercises to match their skill level.
Website design By BotEap.comAre supplements recommended?
Website design By BotEap.comVarious supplements are recommended, including a daily multivitamin. Other recommendations include having 2 grams of distilled fish oil for omega-3 fatty acids, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon per day and 10 tablespoons of cooked tomato sauce per week. Supplements are also suggested for various health conditions, but as with all supplements, it is recommended to consult your doctor first.