Feeling Fat & What I did about it

Feeling Fat and What I Did About it - Soup and a Plan

Rae

Well, as I was saying, the christmas cake and champagne have been consumed and the only evidence they were ever here is the roll of fat around my waist. So, what do I do about this I thought with only a week to do it in before the birthday celebrations start the cycle again.  I have too short an attention span to do a 100g per week loss and like most baby boomers, want it all right now. And, this is where the internet came in handy.  I started looking for a plan and a kick start, and found after talking to my sister in Australia, the rage over there is the 7 day soup diet.  Hmm looks OK I thought and putting it together with a plan I stepped into day one by finding a great action plan on the internet.

The Soup
The plan:
10 Life Coaching Tips for 2011 Resolution Success
Phyllis Reardon M.Ed. Life Coach

1. Write down on paper what it is you plan to achieve. What you resolve to do. Yes I said paper. You can always copy to a computer program.(lose 1.5 - 2 kgs before the end of Jan and complete the Vineyard Half in reasonable time - 3 hours walking should be fine.  Last one was 2hours 40 but we have made a pledge to come in with the group)

2. Now look carefully at what you have written. How will you achieve this? What actions do you need to take to reach this goal? (registered for the Vineyard Half and have four clear days to kickstart the weightloss - plus registered for a very fun-filled Vision Board Day in Feb. end, with the ever so talented Suzanne, to set my next goals in place and make sure I don't waver from these ones)

3. What resources do you need in place? If it is to lose weight, do you need new walking shoes; do you need to join a gym; do you need to talk to your doctor?(Yes I do need new walking shoes!!! and the ingredients for the soup etc)

4. Keep that paper and pencil handy. Now that you have listed the resolution or goal you want to achieve make a list of Action Steps needed to get you to where you want to be.(5 days of the 7 day soup diet then healthy eating then another 5 days starting Jan 24 - can't get too upset that I haven't got a clear 7 days)

5. Take each Action Step and break it down into smaller Action Steps.(at the risk of repeating myself here as this is not a long term thing)

6. Assign a time line to each of your Action Steps.(start Jan 10th for 6 days - then onto a healthy eating plan and back to Sureslim for a week after the 24th - put the training program for the Half Marathon in the calendar)

7. Hold yourself accountable. Post these Action Steps where you can see them throughout your day.(scales in the morning should do the job plus May 14 and the Vineyard Half is booked and paid for and now the soup is sitting in the fridge- buckets of it)

8. Reward yourself on the completion of each Action. If losing weight is your Goal, make sure the reward doesn’t have too many calories.(maybe a glass of wine catching up with the girls on Friday - haven't seen one for 35 years, so have to really)

9. Persist. Persist. Persist.(says the diet can be done 3 times in 6 months - as Rhet said in 'Gone with the wind' - tomorrow is another day)

10. Reward yourself.(maybe a lovely dress in the jan/feb sales or a new pair of runnners for the half marathon)

Remember, there will be times when you will hit a bump in the road, slow down but do continue. Don't take your stumbles as an excuse to give up. (yes - my bump will be the birthday celebrations and lovely friends staying over anniversary weekend - but there is always another four days somewhere)

I'll let you know how it went in the first Feb newsletter.  In the meantime though, if you try it please comment on the bottom of this page.  I would love to hear how it works for you.



The Soup
Kick-Start: stage one soup recipe as detailed on Today/Tonight who say - A short-term eating plan followed with a healthy diet may help people who are overweight to kick-start their weight loss.

Below you will find the recipe and seven-day eating plan for stage one of the Kick-Start Soup Diet.

The Kick-Start Soup Diet recipe
Enough for one person for two days
Ingredients
3 tomatoes
2 large cans of crushed tomatoes
2 cans of liquid stock (beef, chicken or vegetable)
2 cups of water
1 packet of vegetable or French onion dry soup powder
1 bunch spring onions
1 bunch of celery, including leaves
2 cups of green beans
3 green capsicums
1kg carrots
2 stock cubes (chicken, beef or vegie)
Method
1. Chop all the vegies into small pieces and put them in a big pot with the remaining ingredients.
2. Add salt and pepper (not too much salt).
3. Boil rapidly for two minutes and simmer until it is nice and tender.
4. If you want it thinner add a bit more water.
Have as much of the soup as you want, whenever you want.

Seven-day eating plan
The quantities recommended are per day.
Avoid toast and cereal for breakfast while on this plan. Stick with the recommended foods for each day.

You should only follow this seven-day eating plan for a maximum of three times in six months.
Day one
SOUP AND FRUIT: Eat any fruit except bananas because they are high in kilojoules. Eat as much as you want. If you do not want soup for breakfast, have a fruit salad instead.
Day two
SOUP AND VEGIES, NO FRUIT: Eat as much fresh, raw or lightly steamed vegies as you like. Leafy greens are great but avoid peas, corn and beans as they are high in sugar. Reward yourself at night with a jacket potato, a little butter or better still, some yoghurt.
Day three
SOUP, VEGIES AND FRUIT: Eat all you want but no potatoes.
Day four
SOUP AND BANANA SMOOTHIES: Make a banana smoothie with low-fat or skim milk because it is a great source of potassium. Have a maximum of three large bananas per day.
Day five
SOUP, BEEF AND TOMATOES: Eat a piece of lean beef or a skinless breast of chicken no bigger than a deck of cards with six luscious tomatoes. Vegetarians can substitute tofu. These quantities are per day. You can go easy on the soup today.
Day six
SOUP, BEEF AND VEGIES: Eat plenty of beef (or skinless chicken or fish) and vegies today. Again, vegetarians can substitute tofu. You might not need soup as much but your body will tell you. No potatoes.
Day seven
SOUP, BROWN RICE, VEGIES AND FRUIT JUICE: You might need more soup today.

Remember: do not eat any bread, fried foods or oil on the seven-day plan.
Drinks
* While on the plan, do not have any soft drinks or alcohol.
* You can drink unsweetened fruit juice or cranberry juice; black, green or herbal tea (you can have skim milk with black tea); coffee; skim milk and plenty of water - six to eight glasses a day.

Side effects
* Because you're not consuming many carbohydrates, some may find the glucose in their bloodstream becomes too low, causing hypoglycaemia.
* This can cause a range of symptoms, such as headache, sweatiness, anxiety, irritability and drowsiness.
* Don't worry, it might sound awful but it's easily fixed.
* Have a sandwich with whole-grain bread, a slice of low-fat cheese and a bit of ham but no butter or margarine. Vegetarians can try a low-fat cheese and tomato sandwich. But only have a maximum of one sandwich per day.
* If these symptoms occur repeatedly consult your doctor.

What happens now?
By the end of the seven days you may have lost as much as 4-6kg, if you haven't put on those walking shoes and gone for a daily walk you won't have lost as much.

If you lose more than 6kg on stage one do not attempt the stage again for a few months. Go on to stage two.

You should only follow this seven-day eating plan for a maximum of three times in six months. Once you've reached this maximum take six months off the plan and follow the low-GI program.

Once you've completed the seven-day eating plan it is time to move on to stage two - a long-term, low-GI eating plan. Stage two

Before starting any new eating plan you should consult your doctor to see if it is right for you, particularly if you are taking any medication.