You on a Diet

Fad diet or way of life?

Review of You On A Diet. With so many fad diets coming into existence regularly, I found it difficult to choose something that I was sure was for real. The You On A Diet book gives you many different ways to change your lifestyle with the first steps being to learn to eat healthier.

That includes elimination of most simple sugars and eating more complex carbohydrates, walking 30 minutes a day, performing stretches daily, and participating in strength exercises at least three times weekly. The combination of exercise and eating healthier foods is the secret to boosting your metabolism and thus making it easier to lose weight.

I didn’t have much weight to lose, but I knew I had to learn to eat healthier if I was going to lose weight and keep it off. I had been a yo-yo dieter for years, and I always had a difficult time with dieting. My youngest child was four, and I still had the last ten pounds from my last pregnancy. I had done everything in the world to lose it, but as soon as I did, it came right back.

My husband became frustrated because I was and told me it wasn’t that big of a problem, but I wasn’t happy with the way I looked in the mirror. I needed something that gave me the willpower to change the way I was eating, and this book did just that.

When I started following the suggestions in the You On A Diet book, I wasn’t very confidant at first. I had never been fond of whole grains, but I learned that eating white bread, rice, pasta, and most cereals was causing the food to turn to sugar as soon as I put it into my mouth.

Like many people, I had learned in school that only candies and cakes were simple sugars—all the others were complex sugars that were good for us. Once I was able to make this differentiation, I was on my way to eating healthier. I began grilling, roasting, or baking meats instead of frying them, which made a big difference as well.

I did not attempt to lose the weight quickly because I wanted to change the way I was eating permanently, not just while I was losing weight. That meant learning to do the recommended exercises and preparing foods differently. I learned to flavour food with more herbs and spices instead of butter and salt. I found that flavouring the food differently gave it enhanced flavour without adding calories, so my family didn’t feel as if they were also on a diet. We ate less red meat and more poultry, fish, and shellfish, vegetables, and fresh fruit. I also eliminated soft drinks and reduced fruit juices in our diet serving healthy water instead. 

It has been about six months since I finally took off that last ten pounds, and I have had no difficulty keeping it off. Thanks to the You On A Diet book, my family has learned to eat healthier while helping Mom maintain her new figure. My husband and I had a blast searching through the sale books to find a bathing suit for this summer—I haven’t been able to wear a two-piece in over five years. I learned and you will, too, that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to doing.

Review by Krista Johnson