SECRETS REVEALED: PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

All the secrets of happy, fit people are on the table. Now you know everything there is to know, based on tried-and-true, time-tested, proven habits about what, when and how happy, fit people eat to maximize their chances for being blissfully thin—or at least much happier, more energetic, less stressed and a whole lot leaner. You now know what successful dieters and joyful people do every day to guarantee they lose weight, keep it off and stay upbeat and energized through the process.

Adopt some of the habits, guidelines, tips and secrets from this book and you will feel better than you’ve ever felt in your life. I am always amazed at how grateful the body and mind are for a little tender loving care.

Recently, after giving a presentation on food and mood at a women’s conference in Kentucky, a woman came up to me eager to tell her story:

“I changed doctors last year and my new doctor told me that if I refused to eat well, that she refused to see me. Wow. What an eye-opener. It dawned on me that if I wasn’t going to meet my doctor halfway by taking care of myself, why should I take it for granted that she would even want me as a patient? It was the wake-up call I needed. I changed my eating habits, adopting many of the tips you suggested in your presentation this morning, and within weeks, I started feeling so much better. My mood improved, my energy level got a shot in the arm and I’m even sleeping better. I’ve also lost 37 pounds, and still counting. What you eat really does make a huge difference in how you feel!”

Of course, there are a few ground rules to getting back in touch with your blissfully thin inner self. You must

image   Believe you deserve it. You must believe you are worthy of being cared for, just as you care for others. You need your own time and space to care for yourself. You deserve that time and that care to be the happiest, healthiest and leanest person you were meant to be. When you are happy, that happiness will spread to others. This isn’t a selfish wish; it’s one goal that will keep on giving.

image   Decide you want it. You need to really want happiness and health. You must want this for yourself, not because anyone says you need it or wants you to have it. You must want it, and you must want it bad, for your health, your self-respect and your future. You are absolutely right, it isn’t fair that some people must move more or eat less than others, but that’s the reality. It’s time to accept that managing your weight, your mood and your health is a lifelong process within your power.

You also must accept there are no magic pills, no diet gurus, no gizmos or gadgets that can do it for you.

image   Get started. Make a plan, decide on your strategies, then set to work. If a strategy doesn’t pan out, tweak your plan and keep going. Take it one meal, one day, one week and one month at a time. As Winston Churchill said, “Never, never, never give up!”

image   Keep at it. You will slip. Everyone does. To think you won’t slip is like expecting to win a gold medal at the Olympics without training. The trick is to not let a slip escalate to a relapse. People who successfully maintain weight loss are vigilant in their efforts. They essentially nip weight regain in the bud, day by day and meal by meal. Although the method varies, maintainers know that setbacks are inevitable and they have attack plans in place to quickly handle slips. They weigh themselves regularly (once a week or more), keep records of their food intake and return to their mood-improving or weight-loss efforts at the first sign of a slip. The good news is that maintainers consistently report that it gets easier over time. It’s a practice makes perfect scenario. The longer you keep at it, the more natural it gets.

What Would You Do Differently?

Imagine yourself blissfully happy, at peace with yourself and your loved ones and proud of your body and life. What would you do differently if you really and truly believed each of the following statements?

I believe:

If this was really true, I would:

I deserve to be blissfully happy.

_____________________________

I can do anything

_____________________________

I set my mind to do.

_____________________________

My goals and dreams are important.

_____________________________

I deserve to eat well and be fit.

_____________________________

I am valuable and important.

_____________________________

I can succeed at weight loss.

_____________________________

I can be happy and healthy.

_____________________________

Where Do I Start?

Eating right doesn’t begin in the kitchen or even at the supermarket. It starts with a plan. That plan must fit your routine and include your food preferences, as well as garner support from family, coworkers, friends or anyone else who influences your eating and exercise habits.

Sit down with yourself, pen in hand, and get honest. Brutally honest. What diet habits need the most change?

image   If you skip breakfast but then overeat later in the day, maybe it is a plan that lays out exactly what and how much you will eat in the morning, as explained in Chapter 2.

image   If you are a carb junkie, then your plan might start by clearing your cupboards of the processed junk, as mentioned in Chapter 3.

image   If your sweet tooth gets the better of you, then defining a plan how you will cut back on added sugar, while maximizing the sweetness of antioxidant-rich fruits might be the first place to start. Chapter 4 will give you more than enough ideas on how to do that.

image   Do you already eat fairly well and just need to kick your nutrition up a notch by adding more super mood foods to the daily fare? Then the ideas in Chapter 5 will be the basis of your plan.

image   A plan to include more of the omega-3 fat DHA could be the target if you seldom eat salmon or are concerned about your memory today and down the road. Chapter 6 gives you lots of foods fortified with this fat, as well as some ideas how to boost intake with the best seafood.

image   Looking for a total overhaul on your supplement plan? Chapter 7 gives you lots of ideas about which nutrients to focus on and how to choose the best multivitamin.

image   If happy hour is undermining your mood and waistline, then Chapter 8 is the place to look for ideas on how to quench your thirst without sacrificing your figure.

image   If your weakness is giving in to cravings, then start with Chapter 9 on how to rein in your vices.

image   If a good night’s sleep eludes you, then Chapter 10 might be where you start in your plan to feel and look your best.

image   Finally, if your diet already is perfect, but you need a good kick in the you-know-what when it comes to mood-boosting, fat-burning exercise, then the bonus chapter on how to move for your mood is just the ticket.

The Plan

Ask any happy, fit person how they got started and you are likely to hear something about keeping a food diary. Jotting down what, how much and when you eat, even if only for a few days, provides priceless feedback on what eating habits are blocking your road to bliss. People who reach their goals and, more important, maintain the change, say that keeping a food diary was their single most important strategy.

Jot down what, how much and when you eat for three to seven days. Then look back over your records, checking for patterns or surprises. Perhaps your records show that the more chocolate you eat, the more you want (a sign of sugar addiction), or that your typical vegetable intake is a lot less than you thought. These eye-openers are the beginning of your plan.

The next step is to create a plan to solve the problem. Your plan might be to remove chocolate temptations from your house or to satisfy a chocolate craving three times a week, but not every day. A plan to include more colorful produce might start with a vow to include at least two at every meal.

Putting know-how into action requires having the tools to get there.

image   For breakfast ideas, turn to Chapter 2.

image   Lunch ideas to keep you energized throughout the afternoon can be found in Chapter 1.

image   Snooze-promoting dinners are found in Chapter 10.

image   Snack ideas are in Chapter 3.

image   Looking for ways to quench your thirst for few calories? Then turn to Chapter 8.

image   For desserts that give your energy and mood a lift, check out Chapter 9.

image   At a loss as to how to shop for both your mood and your figure? Then use the shopping list in Chapter 1 and the partial list of processed foods that meet the real-foods guidelines in the Appendix.

image   Want a specific plan on how to incorporate real food and super mood foods into your diet? Then try the two weeks’ worth of menus.

image   If you’re tired of the same old same old, then get adventuresome with the super foods in the Recipes section. It’s all here and ready for the taking.

Whatever your plan, it only will work if you stick with it. It needs to be as realistic and simple as possible. After keeping a food diary for a few days and identifying one or two habits that are out of whack with those of people who are happy and lean, then take those “bad” habits and brainstorm solutions. Write down every solution that comes to mind, no matter how silly or far-fetched. If you realize you overeat cookies, crackers and other highly processed junk food when watching TV, your brainstorming list could include,

image   Throw all those temptations away.

image   Make a vow never to enter the kitchen after 8:00 p.m.

image   Lock those foods in a cabinet and only let your spouse know the combination.

image   Portion the tempting foods into 1-ounce baggies.

image   Use TV time to exercise instead of eat.

image   Find a replacement food, such as a cup of tea and two ginger snaps.

Arrange the list according to priorities, starting with the ones that contribute the most to the problem, will have the greatest impact and are realistic for you. Maybe you know yourself well enough to realize you can’t steer clear of the kitchen all night, and you know you can’t trust your spouse to keep the combination a secret. That whittles the list down to tossing the temptations, portioning a few into baggies, getting an exercise bike or trying a replacement. Pick one or two and make a plan.

Your plan must be realistic. If you know anyone who has gone on a really silly fad diet, like the cabbage soup diet or some ridiculous food-combining diet, you know that they always, always, always end in failure. That’s because they aren’t realistic. You can’t eat cabbage soup for the rest of your life, just as you can’t obsess over exactly what will and what won’t work together on a plate.

When designing the steps in your plan, ask yourself, “Can I live with this forever? Is this a change I can fit in to my and my family’s daily routine?” A plan is only as good as its fit with your life. The best plan in the world is worthless if it doesn’t work for your lifestyle. Keep an open mind and experiment with different strategies and tactics. Just because one doesn’t work doesn’t mean you’ve lost the game. It only means you haven’t yet found the strategy or plan that works best for you.

Your plan also must be very specific. No loopholes, no excuses, no wiggle room allowed! Let’s say your problem is you always end up ordering a 700-calorie blueberry muffin whenever you stop at a coffee shop for your morning java. Your plan could be to

  1. have a quick-fix breakfast at home that follows the 1-2-3 Rule, then
  2. take a different route to work so you aren’t tempted to pull in for a second breakfast.

That plan is easy to track. You know exactly what you must do. You also know exactly when you do and don’t stay on track.

You aren’t a failure if your plan doesn’t work at first. This is a work in progress. Some plans work, others don’t. You are experimenting, looking for the plan that fits in to your lifestyle.

Take, for example, the plan to eat breakfast and drive a different route. You might find that you don’t always find time for breakfast at home, so you arrive at work hungry and more tempted by the office doughnuts. Time to tweak your plan. Try instead to stock your desk and the employee fridge with individual boxes of cereal, cartons of milk and fresh fruit. Then have a desk-fast when you get to work while checking your email. Measure your progress continually with stars on a calendar, marks on a list, points on a scorecard or whatever works for you.

Your diet does not exist in a vacuum. It’s part of your entire life. You need to create a plan that embraces the bigger picture. Information gathered from your food diary will help identify the things that contribute to your nutrition, exercise or mood and weight problem. Maybe you realize that when you spend time with the neighbor next door, you are much more likely to eat junk food and sit around discussing movie star gossip or baseball scores. That means your bigger picture needs to include more friends who support your new lifestyle and who like to walk while they chat. Keep experimenting with solutions until you find one or more that solve the problem.

The New You

Your ultimate goal is to be the happiest, healthiest and leanest you can be. There are no quick-fix solutions to that goal. There is no one food or one habit that is the solution to all your ills. Instead, it is a continuous process of improving yourself. A process that takes a lifetime. To stop improving yourself is to die.

I hope that process includes joy. Realize, too, that bringing happiness into your life may require some changes. The more changes you make toward being the happiest and leanest you, the more dramatic the results. Any change, no matter how small, is one step closer to your true blissful self. Go for it! Don’t settle for less than your best! I promise you the payoff s are well worth it.