Weight Loss Info Center

My husband and I were talking the other day about my recent, and really unintended, weight loss.  I stated again how surprised I was since I didn’t have the “best” eating habits last month and actually ate/drank some things I normally stay completely away from (i.e., soda).  He jokingly says, “See there, you could create the Junk Food Diet.”  Hmmm…

Coincidentally, I ran into a post at Diet Blog about a man who has lost 40 lbs. over the past 3 months eating a Chipolte burrito every day.  There’s a little more to his story, but basically, the Chipolte burrito (which I have never heard of, btw) has approximately 1300 calories.  This man has not yet added exercise to his “program,” but did cut out soda, and while he does eat a burrito every day, he eats well the rest of the day by eating salads and fruit.  He’s also drinking more water and taking a multivitamin.  I have to say that I am impressed.  I mean 40 lbs. is nothing to sneeze at AND he’s eating something he obviously loves to eat. 

So this brings up some questions for me.  One question would be isn’t this junk food he’s eating?  Would these burritos fall under what the experts deem to be “bad for you” food?  More than likely since foods high in calories and fat normally fall under what is considered to be junk.  But this man’s story goes against most of what I have read about food and weight loss, which is basically that you can’t lose weight eating junk.

My other question is would it be possible for someone to eat nothing but ”junk” food but also add exercise into the mix and still lose weight?  I’ll be on the lookout for more stories along those lines and post about them here if I find any.  

I guess at this point I am just happy to know that there is someone else out there that can eat junk and still lose weight.  Now I don’t feel quite so much like a “freak of nature.”

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Yes, says nutritionist Brenda Watson, author of the new bestseller The Fiber35 Diet: Nature’s Weight Loss Secret.  According to Watson, upping your fiber intake is as close to a “weight loss bullet” as you can get.

An average dieter only gets about 11 grams of fiber per day, but according to Mayo Clinic, women should be taking in at least 21 to 25 grams per day.  Watson found that 35 is the “magic number” for weight loss; eat 35 grams per day and watch the pounds melt away.  Fiber is a great aid in weight loss because it helps you feel full and also triggers release of CCK, a hormone found in our bodies that naturally suppresses appetite.

So how do you get the extra fiber?  Fruits and veggies, of course, plus whole grain breads, high-fiber cereals (such as Kashi), and you can always add a fiber supplement to boost your fiber intake if you find yourself missing the 35 grams per day mark.

To read more about The Fiber35 Diet and sign up for the free newsletter, visit:  www.fiber35diet.com

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One “diet” that I don’t think gets enough attention is the TOPS (Taking Off Pounds Sensibly) program.  Maybe because it doesn’t tout quick weight loss is why the media doesn’t really take notice of it.  I have to say that I know quite a few people who have used the TOPS diet plan and have had great success with it.

TOPS basically is a food exchange program, much like the Richard Simmons Deal-A-Meal program, although TOPS has been around since approximately 1948.  One thing you get with TOPS is support, which is one of the programs main focus.  I have read that those who have support, whether it be online or offline, lose more weight than those who go it alone.  TOPS has 200,000 members with 10,000 chapters in the U.S., Canada, and worldwide.  It’s a very low-cost program, with just a $1.00 contribution required when you attend a support meeting.

So what do TOPS members eat?  Foods are categorized by whether they are a starch, fat, dairy, meat, fruit, vegetables, and then there are what’s called ”free foods,” which include condiments, diet sodas, seasonings, etc.  Based on what a member’s goal caloric intake is for the day is how the number of categories are calculated.  

For example, if your goal is 1500 calories per day, you would eat 5 servings of meat, 6 servings of starches, 5 servings of fruit, 2 servings of fat, 2 servings of milk, 4 servings of vegetables, and your free foods.  It’s really not complicated at all and it is definitely something I could see being a life-long plan because it teaches you how to eat healthy.  Definitely worth that $1.00 per meeting (or really $24.00 a year) investment!

Check out the TOPS eating program at www.tops.org for more information, including success stories and free tools to get started on TOPS right away.

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