YOU: On a diet
After an appearance on Oprah, the YOU diet has topped the diet book charts. Perhaps it’s the light-hearted nature of the creators of the YOU Diet, Dr. Michael F. Roizen and Dr. Mehmet C. Oz, who use comedic metaphors to explain complex behaviors of the human body. Or maybe it’s your philosophy, which holds that you need to understand the “why” in order to do the “how” and have 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. His argument is that this knowledge is the real weapon against fat, not willpower or closing the fridge to avoid midnight snacks. The YOU diet motto is to work smart, not hard.
What makes YOU: On a Diet different?
In addition to offering basic guidance on healthy eating and exercise, the YOU Diet explains detailed scientific jargon in a simple and humorous way that lets you really understand the importance of healthy eating and daily exercise. This plan, unlike many diets out there, believes in making small changes to ultimately reach your weight loss goal. One way the diet portion of the plan differs from the others is that it argues that eating the same healthy meals every day will narrow down your choices and allow for weight loss.
What are YOU: on a diet?
The 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 work so hard. Once you’ve mastered the two-week plan, you’ll have developed patterns of eating and behavior that will help you lose weight in the long run.
Although the eating 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 personally add or subtract calories. The YOU plan emphasizes that you must eat to lose weight. Starving yourself will only slow your metabolism and cause your body to hold on to the excess body fat you are trying to lose. This is what a typical day on the YOU diet looks like:
Breakfast: 1 slice of whole wheat bread with 1 teaspoon of peanut butter or apple butter.
Morning Snack: Slicing carrots and celery.
Lunch: Veggie burger on whole wheat bun with 1 tablespoon fructose-free olive oil-based marinara sauce, a sliced tomato, romaine lettuce, and onion slices.
Snack: 1/2 ounce of raw almonds and a banana.
Dinner: Asian salmon with brown rice.
Dessert (every other day only): 1 ounce dark chocolate with orange slices.
Drink: Coffee or tea.
The eating 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-slicing 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.
Some rules for living in this plan include the following:
Eat three main meals plus snacks every day, so you’re never hungry.
Do not eat within three hours of going to bed.
Dessert is a delight every day.
Use a 9-inch plate to help control portions.
Don’t count calories! Use a hunger scale to make sure you’re satiated after a meal and not overfilled or undernourished.
The first day of the plan involves cleaning out the fridge and grocery shopping so you only have healthy options available.
Have a support system, including friends and family.
Know that it’s okay to make mistakes, as long as you own up to them quickly and get back on track.
Other helpful tips for eating out and choosing the appropriate food labels are given. Online support is also available in the form of email tips from the diet’s creators, an online community, and downloadable exercise videos. Beyond food, the diet claims that the perfect eating environment is essential for healthy eating. Bright lights, a warm room temperature, and conversation (more like the sound of music or TV) ensure that you feel comfortable and relaxed while you eat.
What are the expectations of weight loss?
By 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 your ultimate weight loss goal. 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.
Is exercise promoted?
Yes, 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 thirty minutes straight 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).
Three times a week you should do the “Twenty Minute Workout.” The exercises target core muscles, including the thighs, chest, back, and abs. These exercises must be performed 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.
Are supplements recommended?
Various 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 daily and 10 tablespoons of cooked tomato sauce weekly. Supplements are also suggested for various health conditions, but as with all supplements, it is recommended to consult your doctor first.