|
The Step Diet
A common complaint about diets is that they're just too complicated.
Some diets forbid a long list of foods, others only allow a short list,
and many require counting of every single calorie. It's no wonder that
people find them so hard to stick to.
For those of us who are tired of diets that leave us scratching our
heads, there's the Step Diet. It is based on a very simple principle:
the more steps one takes in a day, the more calories he burns. By
walking 10,000 steps each day, we can lose weight without a great deal
of effort.
The rules of the Step Diet are laid out in a book of the same name by
James O. Hill, Ph.D. Readers are asked to increase their daily number of
steps by five hundred each week for 12 weeks. It even comes with a
pedometer. The steps taken each day, at-rest calories burned and
activity calories burned are converted into “MegaSteps,” and the dieter
must work toward a daily goal of these MegaSteps.
The Step Diet is great for those who enjoy walking or can't find the
time to do other types of exercise, but is also flexible for those who
prefer different activities. The book provides conversion charts for a
number of activities, so they may be substituted for a certain number of
steps.
Although it's called a diet, the Step Diet really doesn't require a
great deal of change in what we eat. It simply recommends that we cut
our food intake by 25 percent. This way we can eat the foods we love and
still lose weight.
Cutting food intake by 25 percent could be achieved by counting
calories, but if you use the simple rules of thumb provided in The Step
Diet, that won't be necessary. Instead, you prepare the food and put it
on your plate as usual, but stop eating when one-quarter of it is left
on your plate. At buffets, dieters are encouraged to never eat a portion
larger than their fists.
In addition to eating less at each meal and becoming more active, most
dieters need to address problems with their eating habits. This is
addressed during the first week of the Step Diet program. In order to be
successful, the dieter must become aware of problem areas and eat
mindfully to avoid them.
The Step Diet even allows for a little splurging. If you burn extra
calories on a given day, you are allowed to treat yourself to food that
has the same number of calories. Since there are no forbidden foods, you
can eat brownies, ice cream or anything else you like as long as you
work it off.
If you hate diets, the Step Diet could be the weight loss plan you've
been dreaming of. It's one of the simplest diets out there, and it
doesn't require you to slave away at the gym. By making minor
modifications to your diet and working more steps into your day, you can
be well on your way to a slimmer and healthier body.
|
|
