The 5.9 Day Diet

Three truths about losing weight.  You have to eat less.  It is helpful to exercise more.  At some point during the day you will feel hungry.  The last two are pretty cut and dry, the first is where most people struggle.

One of my clients had an intriguing solution.  She had been “doing” a classic, name brand diet for about a year with little to show for it.  Since it was becoming a touchy subject, I stopped asking about it.

One day I noticed she fit differently in the exercise machines in the studio.  I asked, “Did you lose weight?” and she said, “Yes, about 30 pounds over the last couple of months”.   Since I saw her regularly a couple of times each week, and since the weight loss was gradual I hadn’t noticed.   But then I looked more precisely and noticed how much her appearance had improved.  So I asked what she did differently.

“For most of the year I fell into the same pattern.  I’d be strict on Monday and Tuesday, and by Wednesday I’d crack.  Then I’d say forget it, I’ll start again next Monday.  So in effect, I wasn’t really doing the diet”.

“This time, I took Sunday completely off the diet.  Wednesday, I’d allow myself a treat.  The rest of the week I was really strict, but knowing I had the treat and the off-day coming made it easier”.

Genius.  Because when it comes to losing weight, every meal doesn’t have to be perfect; you just have to eat less in the course of the week than you’re used to.  One off day leaves 6 days, less one treat, of strict dieting: 5.9 Day Diet.

And it doesn’t matter which exact diet you follow.  It could be Weight Watchers, South Beach, Carb Lovers, or my personal favorite, The Eat-Less-of-What-You-Like Diet.  Pick the one that makes sense to you, but don’t procrastinate by researching the next new diet book.  You’d be better off eating the next new diet book. What does matter is that you pre-plan your meals; you just don’t make good choices when you’re hungry or rushed.

Another tip:  instead of posting pictures of your meals to social media, post a picture of your scale weight once/week.  Before and after pictures are only so useful; they’re easy to fake, and if they’re genuine, gradual changes are hard to notice.  But if the scale number moves down a couple of pounds each week, that’s real, clear, and encouraging.

Finally, as a trainer, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention exercise.  Surprise! Don’t try to exercise the weight off.  That only works when you’re 20.  Maybe.  Unfortunately, the caloric trade-off is overwhelmingly in favor of not eating them in the first place.  Your joints will wear out before you burn enough calories to create a deficit.  Exercise does have other benefits and a role in weight loss, but it’s more a case of keeping your metabolism up while you’re dieting, and not the calories burned during the exercise.

Feel free to use the attached chart to help manage your own food plan.  And for extra motivation and support, post your scale pictures at Facebook.com/Optimalexercise.  Best of luck with your efforts.