Simply a new way to eat!

Happy New Year!

I have a client who I am custom-designing a weight management program. It is not a diet, but a new way of thinking about food and creating meals that is simple, healthy, and something that can be maintained for a lifetime. I guarantee that if you eat the way I recommend, you will have more energy, think more clearly, and maintain a better mood overall.

A couple of things to take out of your diet completely and forever:

Food coloring (especially red dye)

High fructose corn syrup

Hormones in your milk, meat and cheese

(For questions about why I am so adamant about these things, please contact me)

I am going to post the exact information I am sending to my client and I would love your feedback!

calorieking.com is a great, free website that will give you great information about any type of food you are unsure about. I use it regularly!

Finally, I welcome e-mails with questions and comments to tetfitness@yahoo.com

Here is the first installment:

There are a couple of things that will help you be successful. Number one, is to use pre-measured ingredients, or to measure so we know how much you are eating. Number 2 is to pick one day of the week to weight yourself. Each time you weight yourself it should be the same time of day. It doesn't matter if it is morning, noon, or night, but it should always be done at the same time of day and exactly a week apart. We will need to track this.

You do not need to let me know your weight, but I will ask for an update on plus or minus each week, so let me know when you have done the first weight check. Please also note that it is best to do every weigh-in on the same scale.

Here is a starting point for your food

This menu has about 1300-1400 calories or so for the day. I'd like to know what you think after you've eaten this way for 1-3 days. Are you still very hungry? What are you craving? Are you still snacking on junk food?

I didn't add in the 1 ounce of dark chocolate, but find a high quality 85% would be great! 1 ounce any time of day...once per day.

Day #1:

Breakfast: 1 cup of 0% fat greek yogurt (120 calories) + a dash of vanilla and stevia to taste

Espresso

Snack: 1 piece of fruit + 1 low-fat string cheese (120 calories)

Lunch: 4 ounces of salmon (233 calories) or chicken (142 calories)

1 prepared salad from Trader Joe's or other such retailer. Dressing on the side...instead of the dressing they provide, dress your salad with lemon or lime juice and sea salt. (200-300 calories?)

Snack: 1/2 package of Trader Joe's eggplant hummus (70 calories for 1/2 package I think)

As many veggies as you would like to dip.

Dinner: 3 egg whites and 1 whole egg scrambled with as many veggies as you like. I like to use yellow summer squash, onion, zuccini, spinach, yellow peppers...etc. 1 ounce of a good sharp cheese. Sea salt to taste

1 serving of good bread with butter

Snack: Trade your bowl of cereal for a serving of low-fat cottage cheese topped with 1 TBSP low-sugar jam (Trader Joe's has some good options) and a small handful of pomegranate seeds for crunch.

Let's keep this simple by keeping this menu for the next few days if you think you can stand to eat the same way for that long. I think it will be too complicated to add much more quite yet.

Shopping list: 0% fat greet yogurt (3 cups worth)

Fruit you would eat with string cheese (apples are my favorite)...3 pieces for you

Low-fat organic string cheese

12 ounces of salmon or chicken to pre-cook and take to work

Lemons or limes to dress your salad

3 pre-made salads of your choice...you will not be using the dressing

2 dozen eggs

A high-quality sharp cheese to put in your scramble

Cut mushrooms, zuchinni (cut), pre-washed baby spinach, tomatoes (chopped)...enough for 3 scrambles

2 cups of low-fat cottage cheese

Low-sugar jam (Trader Joe's has great stuff!)...no fake sweeteners or food coloring...25 calories per TBSP

Good, hearty bread....your favorite kind

Eggplant hummus from Trader Joe's (Has half the calories of most hummus so must be this brand and type)