CHAPTER NINE
Managing the Skip A Day Diet
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If you need to lose a large amount of weight, take it slowly and be satisfied when you lose only two or three pounds per month. Eventually your weight loss rate will pick up as you become slimmer and more active. The slimmer you become the more fat your body will burn. The muscle you gain from exercise will help you lose weight because lean body mass is metabolically more active than fat.
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As with any other diet, you may modify the Skip A Day Diet.
There are several ways the diet can be modified:
1. Eat light snacks (such as a green salad) before meal times on eat-day.
2. Eat your larger meal for lunch and a smaller meal for dinner.
3. Delay eating your first meal until after 12:30 p.m. on eat-day
4. Have some of your dinner meals without meat.
5. Have a healthy tomato-and-cheese sandwich for lunch.
There is no doubt that you, as a creative dieter, will come up with other modifications, so feel free to make adjustments to suit your needs.
In your pursuit for a healthy lifestyle, learn what you can from this program, follow the guidelines, and do the recommended exercises.
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Just like fasting, managing diet-day is both a physical and mental exercise that requires care and planning. Skipping a day of eating is much easier that fasting, but you will still have to deal with the problems people have while fasting. Over the years, they have come up with ways to manage the problems that come with missing meals. Some of the recommendations given for fasting, work well with the Skip A Day Diet:
1. Stay hydrated. Try drinking fluid throughout the day even if you aren’t thirsty. Also, when you get the symptoms that come with hunger, sip water. Plain clear, cool water is best because it also helps control the appetite. If you prefer, add lemon juice to the water to give it a taste. Stay away from coffee and other drinks that have caffeine, because caffeinated drinks can be dehydrating and may trigger your appetite.
2. In all cases, try not to be sedentary during the day. Keep active, but do not exhaust yourself. If you normally work out in the morning, only do light stretching exercises and drink water throughout the day. Strenuous exercise is not recommended on diet-day because you might become hungry and tired.
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The different foods you consume on eat-day could help your blood sugar remain stable and give you the energy you need all day on diet-day. That is why it is important to eat a wide variety of food on eat days. While you are dieting, provide your body with enough nourishment to compensate for not eating one full day. Use plenty of whole grains breads, fruits, vegetables, and lean meat for protein.
Since it takes the body about twenty minutes to register when the stomach is full, stop eating when you have had enough. By eating more bread with your meals, you will put more stress on your stomach as it gives you volume. Do not overeat on eat-day in an attempt to make up for the food you missed on diet-day. Your body will have provided stored fat to help cover your nutritional needs.
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You may want to experiment with different foods and eating schedules to find what works best for you. If you have trouble when you first start dieting, keep it simple until you find something that works. By eating well the day before, you will have enough nourishment to last all day on diet-day.
Give the Skip A Day time to work. Enjoy yourself and be patient especially when you have your meals with friends and family. Always participate and have fun but continue to manage your diet.
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If you find yourself with extra time during the day, walk around and get fresh air, but avoid strenuous activity. You will actually feel better if you get up and move around occasionally rather than sitting at a computer or watching television all day.
Start eat-day by drinking fluids first, which will be absorbed quickly by an empty stomach. When you have dinner, start with soup and bread first. Then have the rest of your meal. Keep a record of the foods that work best for you and use them regularly. Pretty soon, you will have the Skip A Day Diet down pat.
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The Skip A Day Diet makes sense for two main reasons:
You will have all the nutrients your body needs from day to day, and you will not be hungry. This makes the plan nutritionally sound and healthy. With successful weight loss, you will be pleased with the way you look and feel. When you have to face other health problems, you will not have to beat yourself up with guilt. You will not have to say things like, “I should have tried to eat healthier.” This is how the Skip A Day Diet can help contribute to your success in having a good quality of life.
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The best way to control your appetite while on the Skip A Day Diet is to remind yourself that it is not the day or time to eat. For instance, some people get up from watching television and automatically go to the refrigerator during commercial breaks. If you find yourself standing in front of the refrigerator with the door open, just say to yourself, “Oh, I just ate yesterday.” This works most of the time. Other times you may grab a glass of water and take a few sips to satisfy your habitual appetite.
Stay away from places where food is cooking or where people are eating and do not take food that is offered for free. Consider this; a two-for-one special does not mean you should eat more. It means that the store can make more of a profit if it can sell two items and a soda at the same time to the same person. The sale is for the benefit of the store, not to help you. The price you pay will be for two items at a reduced rate. Nothing is free. You get what you pay for, and with fast food, you usually get more than you need.
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Social activities and functions can be devastating to a diet plan because some people see it as a time to enjoy a free meal. While at social functions, learn to say “no” without offending the person who is pushing desserts and snacks. If you are at a party, and someone keeps insisting that you try desserts or treats, just say, “No thank you, I’m on a sugar-restricted diet.” Most people will understand and will defend you if someone else tries to give you something you should not have. So, you will do much better in a group if you let others know about your efforts to lose weight.
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