Q: What happens if I follow the Swift Plan and the weight stops coming off before I hit my weight-loss goals?
A: The first thing to do is to take a close look at how and what you’re eating. Are you eating with awareness, slowly, mindfully? Or are you speed-eating? Are the MicroMenders taking a backseat in your kitchen to the MicroMenaces; for instance, those processed foods with their crowded labels of ingredients? Have you been less than diligent about avoiding foods that you have an adverse reaction to? Keep in mind that beverages can be a sneaky source of calories. Are you drinking your calories in the form of sweetened teas or lattes? Are you using wine to unwind after a long day? Poor food and drink choices can drive weight gain (or slow weight loss) via systemic inflammation.
When you’re satisfied that your diet is on track, then it’s time to take a deep, relaxing breath. You’re at the weight your body wants to be, taking into account your lifestyle at this moment—the stress you’re under, the amount of sleep and exercise you get. This is a plateau, or what I like to call a “holding pattern,” your body’s time to “just be.” Trust in yourself and in your plan. This can be a moment of grace, where real self-knowledge begins. Assess the totality of your life. Maybe you can spend an extra half hour on the bike path or at the gym to push up your daily calorie burn. Maybe you can reorganize your schedule to get an extra hour of sleep at night—remember that sleep deprivation can pump up stress hormones that in turn drive up insulin levels, getting in the way of weight loss. And remember that the trade-off—more gym time, for instance—isn’t necessarily worth it. Maybe it would cut into valuable family time. It’s your decision. Follow your “gut” feelings. And don’t be mesmerized by a number on a scale. How do you feel? More energetic? If you aren’t feeling better, talk with your health care provider, and perhaps some testing, including a thyroid or iron profile, would be in order.
How do you look? Do your clothes feel better on you? Let the body composition tests in Chapter 6 be your guide to healthy weight. Allow your body time to recalibrate. Allow yourself time to recharge your batteries and refresh your spirit by embracing the healing mantra of whole foods, whole person, whole life.
Q: What happens if I follow the Swift Plan and at the end of four weeks, my digestive symptoms haven’t improved much or at all?
A: Perhaps you’re not being as scrupulous as you need to be about avoiding a particular food or food ingredient. Maybe it’s one or more of the other FODMAP potential irritants that are causing the problem. You’ll want to follow the elimination guidelines that I introduced in Chapter 3, and in more detail in Chapter 7, eliminating one food at a time and observing your body’s reaction.
Once you’re confident you’re doing everything you can with diet, the next step is—give it more time! Digestive issues can respond to dietary changes in a few days, or a few months! After the four weeks of the Swift Plan, stay the careful eating course for another four to six weeks to see if you notice improvement. And keep in mind, we’re talking here about intermittent, annoying but not incapacitating digestive problems. Acute or chronic symptoms should send you to your doctor. But even for less severe lingering problems, consider seeking out the counsel of a nutritionist who can use the Swift Diet as a foundation to help you unmask other potential dietary problems and tailor your eating plan accordingly.
If the digestive upset goes much beyond two months, then it is time to search out a health care provider. The problem could be microscopic—you may want to consider medical tests to identify and treat unwelcome guests such as nasty bacterial strains, fungi and parasites. Identifying the root causes is important. One of my favorite MDs in the field is Dr. Robynne Chutkan, gastroenterologist and founder of the Digestive Center for Women in Washington, DC, who takes a holistic approach.
Q: I love the recipes in the Swift Diet. But do I have to give up some of my favorite foods and recipes? There’s no Swift dish that closely resembles them.
A: Not at all! You can take any recipe, as long as the ingredients are mostly healthy, whole foods, and “Swift-ize” them by following the proportions of the Swift Plate in Chapter 4. Is the recipe you’re following built around veggies? Is the protein lean and clean? Do you have any herbs or spices in it? If it includes a starch or grain, is it a whole food choice (butternut squash, quinoa, potato) instead of a highly processed edible? Are the oils or fats in your recipe high quality? When you’ve really internalized the recipes in Chapter 8, you’ll be able to send your own personal favorites through “recipe rehab.” For instance, your old fried chicken dish might become something like my Pecan-Crusted Chicken with Swiss Chard and Orange-Scented Carrots. Or instead of the usual mac ’n’ cheese, use a bean pasta and a creamy whipped tofu sauce with a high-quality cheese and spices for added flavor. You’ll get plenty of ideas beyond the recipes I’ve provided by searching out the cookbooks that I’ve included in my Suggested Reading list.
Q: I’m not a recipe follower. I want to whip up quick, healthy meals with the ingredients I have in my kitchen. How do I get started?
A: I’ve got a handy “real foods” menu template for you. And refer to the Swift Shopping List, and the lists of healthy foods in Chapter 4, for creative possibilities. Check out the Finding “High” FODMAPs list on p. 81 to see if there are any foods that you’re better off avoiding for now. And remember to stay tuned in to your physical hunger. Follow or adapt the suggested portions below to meet your needs.
Swift Real Foods Sample Menu
Breakfast
Protein: 2 eggs or 2 ounces wild lox or 4 ounces scrambled seasoned tofu
Non-Starchy Vegetables: 2 cups steamed greens (spinach, for example) or other non-starchy vegetables
Fruit: 1 cup berries or 1 medium-size piece of fresh fruit or 2 small pieces of fruit (kiwi, for example)
Fat: 2 tablespoons nuts or seeds or 1 tablespoon natural nut butter
Lunch
Protein: 1 cup cooked (or canned) beans/lentils or 3 ounces baked chicken or turkey (about the size of a deck of cards)
Non-Starchy Vegetables: Build a healthy salad with at least 3 cups non-starchy vegetables (for example, leafy greens, cucumber, tomatoes, etc.) and 2 tablespoons of fermented veggies such as ginger carrots
Starchy Vegetable or Gluten-Free Whole Grain: 1 cup starchy vegetable or 1/2 cup cooked gluten-free grain such as quinoa
Fruit: 1 cup berries or 1 medium-size piece of fresh fruit or 2 small pieces of fruit
Fat: 1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (to be used as a dressing with fresh lemon or lime wedges and herbs) and 2 tablespoons avocado
Dinner
Protein: 3 ounces grilled fish (about the size of a deck of cards) or 4 ounces tempeh
Non-Starchy Vegetables: at least 2 cups steamed vegetables and raw salad (if desired)
Starchy Vegetable or Gluten-Free Whole Grain: 1 cup starchy vegetable (sweet potato, for example) or 1/2 cup cooked gluten-free grain (wild rice, for example)
Fat: 1 tablespoon herb pesto and 1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (to be used as a dressing with fresh lemon or lime wedges and herbs)
Snack(s) (if physically hungry): Choose an item from the snack list (for example, 1 cup plain, unsweetened yogurt with coconut and a dash of allspice).
Q: My job requires a lot of business dinners, especially when I travel for work. How can I possibly stay on track with my program when I’m eating out so much?
A: It’s true, you don’t have the same level of control when someone else is doing the cooking, but here are some tips that can definitely help minimize the fallout from eating out.
1. Destination: Whenever possible, have some say in the choice of the restaurant and preview the menu online to see what items will be compatible with your needs, or which ones can be easily adapted to suit them.
2. Don’t go hungry: Before you head out, curb your appetite with at least 12 ounces of water plus a light, healthy snack. A piece of fruit or tablespoon of nut butter should do the trick. And once you’re at the restaurant table, trade the bread basket for a dish of olives. Bread is a trap, there to keep you busy until dinner arrives. Don’t fall for it. Banish the bread and munch on olives or crudités instead.
3. Beverages: Ask for water as soon as you’re seated. When the server asks for drink orders, skip the pre-meal cocktails and order sparkling water, unsweetened ice tea or water with bitters instead. If you do decide to enjoy a glass of wine or a cocktail, order it with your meal and sip slowly.
4. Ask and don’t receive: Tell your server you can’t eat certain things: gluten, flour, dairy-based items. These days, most restaurants train their staff to be knowledgeable about the ingredients in the food they serve.
5. Double the veggies and keep it simple: The more veggies the better, so make yours a double, and hold the butter or sauces. Order your fish, shellfish, poultry or meat naked, as in unbreaded, un-sauced and simply prepared with herbs and spices.
6. Olive oil and lemon, and hold the dressing: Ask for dressing on the side and request a side of extra-virgin olive oil and fresh lemon or lime wedges so you, not the sous chef, are in charge of dressing your veggies and salad.
7. Dine with awareness: Remember, dining out is a social event, so enjoy and savor the occasion, not just the meal. Eat slowly, breathe slowly and rest your fork between bites. No need to rush.
8. Embrace the doggie bag: So many restaurant meals are enormous, but you don’t have to clean your plate! Instead, when the meal arrives, discreetly split the meal in two and ask for a takeout container, so you can enjoy the leftovers the next day.
9. Drink your dessert: Trade the post-dinner tiramisu for a cup of soothing mint tea or a decaf cappuccino with a dash of cinnamon. If a tempting dessert is an absolute must, then order it with extra forks so everyone at the table gets a bite.
Q: What happens if I fall off the wagon and go back to my old eating habits? What then?
A: Relapses, big and small, happen to all of us. Of course, you want to recommit to the Swift Diet program. But this is the time to learn something from the relapse that you can use moving forward. Make a list of the food triggers that contributed to wandering off course and come up with some strategies to disarm them. Here’s an excellent all-purpose “3-D” strategy. You crave a sweet or fatty food that you know is within easy reach. (Ideally, your kitchen and pantry are not the sources of these diet-busters—they’ve been “rehabbed” at the beginning of the Swift Plan.) The first D is “delay”: give yourself five minutes before you eat the food. Often, the craving will go away before you get to the rest of the D’s! If not, the second D is “distract.” Do something soothing or engaging to take your mind off the food. Have a list of quick, easy go-to activities: call a friend, go outdoors, clean a closet, play with a pet, knit. The third D is “decide.” Check in with your hunger. Is it really physical or is it more emotional or stress related? Is it born out of habit? If you decide that your hunger is physical, acknowledge it, honor it and then make a conscious food decision. Maybe a piece of fruit would satisfy the hunger just as well—better, really—than the cookie.
You know what? Most often a relapse isn’t about food. It’s about life. These challenges really are our opportunity to examine what, in the largest sense, is nourishing us and what is depleting us. “Digesting your life,” as I like to say. Go back to the mindful and mind-body practices I introduced you to in Chapter 2 and Chapter 6. They can be a wonderful way to bring awareness to what’s going on in your life. They can help you detach from the anxieties that can distract you from what’s important, not just in your eating plan, but in every aspect of your life.