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Have you tried every diet under the
sun, only to find that they just don't work? Fad diets often
encourage dramatic changes in the diet, and while they may help you lose
weight if you can stick to them, it is only temporary. Strictly limited
diets are extremely difficult to maintain for the long haul, and when
you resume your usual eating habits, the pounds come back.
That's why nutritionists recommend a different approach. By changing
one's lifestyle rather than trying to adhere to an impossibly strict
diet, one can lose weight at a more reasonable pace and reduce the
chances of regaining it. This is the idea behind Bob Greene's Best
Life Diet.
Greene has been Oprah Winfrey's personal trainer since the 1990s. He has
written numerous books on diet and fitness, including The Best Life
Diet. Published in 2006, the book outlines a lifetime plan for losing
weight and keeping it off.
Phases of the Best Life Diet
The Best Life Diet consists of three phases. Unlike many diets with such
phases, however, the Best Life Diet starts with minor changes and works
up to the most difficult ones. Here's how it works:
* Phase 1 - This is an introductory phase. It introduces changes
such as eating three meals and one snack per day, increasing the
activity level and not eating late at night. This phase should last 4
weeks at most.
* Phase 2 - Phase 2 steps things up a notch. It focuses on
controlling hunger, eliminating problem foods and learning portion
control. Physical activity is increased, and dieters are encouraged to
weigh in weekly. This phase lasts a minimum of 4 weeks.
* Phase 3 - The final phase introduces a few more changes. It
eliminates more unhealthy foods from the diet, but it also introduces
the concept of "anything goes" calories. This allows dieters to treat
themselves to small portions of their favorite foods, especially when
they are very active. This phase lasts for the rest of the dieter's
life.
Many fad diets also encourage making changes in phases, but the make the
first phase the most restrictive and become less restrictive as the diet
progresses. While this may result in more initial weight loss, it's not
as sustainable as the Best Life Diet's approach. By easing into the
lifestyle changes, we stand a better chance of making them permanent.
If you're tired of the roller coaster effect created by an endless
series of fad diets, the Best Life Diet might be the answer. While you
won't see immediate results, if you stick with it, you should lose
weight steadily. And best of all, you won't find yourself looking for a
new diet to try a few months down the road.
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