After all the gorging during the holiday festivities in December, I'm trying to take a step back and get my health and diet back on track. I haven't been paying attention to what I eat or how often I move. So I am testing out Bob Green's Best Life Diet. Green is Oprah's weight loss guru and he's written a plain and simple book explaining how weight loss works.I was drawn to this book because it's not really a diet, but about living your best life in a healthy way that is sustainable. It's not a crash diet where you go crazy eliminating all these foods, but a gradual plan with small changes. I just finished phase one, which lasted four weeks.
The Main Objectives - Phase One
*Eliminate Alcohol - It slows down your metabolism and you often eat more after a couple drinks. Once I eliminated alcohol I realized how many drinks I actually had per week at 200 calories a pop.
*Increase Your Activity Level - I'm attempting to move more, go to yoga and lift weights twice a week. Let's face it, I work at my desk all day and have let going to the gym and working out slide over the holidays.
*Stay Hydrated - Drink more water. I need to stop drinking so much pop and juice.
*Stop Eating Two Hours Before Bedtime - Things don't digest the way they are supposed to when you eat and sleep.
*Eat Three Meals + One Snack/Day - I did not realize how late I was eating breakfast or when I was skipping it entirely. I now try to eat a healthy breakfast at least one hour after waking up.
So far the book has helped me re-install some good lifestyle habits and Green does a great job explaining in everyday terms why your body does what it does. He even addresses the issue of emotional eating as a major factor in how this habit can cause weight gain. Things like stress, boredom and even celebration can lead us all to eat poorly.
I'm a fan of the gradual and small lifestyle changes. They don't feel overwhelming. I also appreciate the meal plans and recipes at the back of the book. I'll keep you posted on how Phase Two goes.
You can get the book for $12 on Amazon - Bob Green's Best Life Diet
What are the tricks you use to get your health back on track after the holidays?
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A huge trick that can make a big difference in your health is reducing oils in your cooking. Just one tablespoon of olive or grape seed oil has a whopping 120 calories. I use apple cider vinegar or water as a substitute when pan frying. For salads, try a squeezed lemon or lime, some spices and balsamic vinegar.
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