Diets don't work for most people. While they may stick close to an outlined program for a period of time and manage to lose the weight they want, keeping it off proves to be another matter. That is why a number of physicians now propose that, instead, people look to change the way thay eat over the long haul. One of the most successful programs that has allowed millions of people all around the world to lose and keep off the weight is a program called Somersizing. Instead of limiting caloric intake or forcing people to choose to eat only certain types of foods, this program teaches something different. Somersizing teaches combine the right type of foods together so that the body can metabolize whatever is eaten in the most effective way possible. It also seeks to both jump start and maintain a good metabolism by recommending smaller meals spread over a longer period time.
Instructions
1. Learn the two levels of Somersizing. Level one is the entry level. It is where everyone starts if they want to drop a few pounds. Level two is the advanced level. It is for those who have successfully dropped the pounds they wanted and now just want to maintain their current weight level.
2. Eliminate funky foods on level one. They will impede your weight loss. However, don't lose heart, as you can slowly add those foods back into your diet once you have achieved your ideal weight. Funky foods include sugars and high-starch foods like white flour, potatoes and corn. They also include caffeine and alcohol. Sugars that should be eliminated include white, brown, and raw sugar as well as syrup, sucrose, fructose, molasses, and honey, except for the sugar-free variety. Sugar substitutes like Splenda, Stevia and Somersweet are acceptable alternative sugars. Avoid NutraSweet as a sugar substitute because of aspartame which causes its own set of problems. Starches that should be eliminated include anything with white or seminola flour, white pasta, white rice, corn (including popcorn), potatoes (including sweet potatoes and pumpkin), and winter squashes (like butternut and accorn). Starches that are acceptable include whole wheat pastas, whole wheat and multi-grain rices, multi-grain breads, and multi-grain cereals. Eliminating funky foods from your diet forces your body to convert your fat resources into glucose that will give you more energy.
3. Separate the foods that you typically eat into the four Somersize groups. These include proteins and fats; vegetables; carbohydrates; and fruits. Proteins and fats include meat, poultry, fish, eggs, oil, butter and cheese. Vegetables include most veggies that typically fall within that group. One major exception is beans, which fall within the carbohydrate group. Carbohydrates include beans, breads, crackers, hot and cold cereals, pastas, and rices as well as mustard products and nonfat dairy products. Fruits include most varieties that typically fall within that food group.
4. Plan to eat fruits on their own and preferably on an empty stomach. Fruits, combined with most other foods, cause gas and bloating. Therefore, it is best to eat these items on their own; either as a beginning dish of the day or as a dessert, if it is served toward the close of the evening (not directly after a meal.) If you eat fruit first thing in the morning, plan on waiting at least 1 1/2 to 2 hours before following it up with a proteins and fats or carbohydrate meal. If you are eating the fruit as a dessert, wait at least 1 1/2 to 2 hours after the meal is served to serve the fruit dessert. While all of the food from the meal may not yet be digested, it should be far enough along in the process to prevent bloating and serious gas issues.
5. Eat proteins with fats. Do not mix in carbohydrates. Proteins and fats digest at one level, while carbs digest at another. If you mix the two together, it confuses your stomach and generally results in a slow-down of your whole system. That can throw your metabolism off. Do not add fats into your carbohydrate meal. Instead look for alternative methods of achieving the taste that you want.
6. Feel free to mix vegetables with either proteins and fats or carbohydrates. They will digest well with either and not cause a system imbalance.
7. Wait a minimum of 2 1/2 to 3 hours between meals if you plan to switch from proteins and fats to carbohydrates. For example, you might choose a carbohydrate meal for lunch but prefer a protein and fat one for dinner. That is fine as long as you give your stomach time to digest the previous meal before switching to another type.
8. Don't skip meals. Eliminating meals will throw your metabolism off and cause a slow down in the way your body deals with weight issues. It is important to eat three meals a day. It is equally important to eat until you feel satisfied so that you won't be tempted to do a lot of snacking in between meals.
9. Drink lots of water because it always helps to purify the body, moisturize skin and hair, and assist in digestion. Other acceptable drinks include sugar free products that do not contain caffeine or NutraSweet; decaffeinated teas, coffees and sodas. Limit soda intake because of all of the extra chemicals and preservatives located therein since these will toxify a system that you have just purged and purified. Don't drink a lot with your meal since liquids can dilute your stomach's acids and cause a slow down in digestion.
10. Use Somersize level one recipes as much as you can. They are already figured out for you so that you don't have to think about mix your foods for meal planning. Additionally, the food is gourmet quality so you will actually feel like you are being treated to something special rather than being deprived. If you don't have time to cook all of your meals, order Somersize pre-packed foods just like you would from the store. They are clearly marked as level one or two so that you know exactly what you are purchasing. Of course, you can also plan out your own Somersize meals. The choice is yours according to the time you wish to put into the program.
11. Move to level two after you have lost all the weight you wanted. This is when you can begin to add back in some of those funky foods that you might have missed like sugar, white flour breads and pastas, potatoes, and other high starch foods. If you are happy with whole-grain foods, you might opt to continue those and just add back in potatoes or sugar products that you have missed. The key is NOT to add back in everything you ate before. You also can't have those items every meal in excessive quantities. If you do that, you will end up back where you were before.
12. Don't totally deprive yourself. If you really, really want that piece of birthday cake or a peach margarita, then have it. Depriving yourself of everything that you love all of the time is exactly what makes dieting a problem rather than a solution. If you break your eating program for something that you love, then just revert back to level one for a few days to work the imbalance through your system and get right back on track.
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