Unlike other dieting books, nutritionist Keri Glassman's "The New You (and Improved!) Diet"focuses on stress-busting tips and other lifestyle issues rather than calories and portion control. While she acknowledges that what we eat is important, she also emphasizes eating as just a single part of any successful weight-loss strategy.
"When a client comes in to see me, they are often very surprised when I start asking them about things like stress and sleep," Glassman told Huff/Post50. "I ask when they last had sex or a massage. You have to look at all areas of your life or you won't lose weight."
The author of "The O2 Diet" and "The Slim Calm Sexy Diet" highlights eight dieting rules in her latest book, each connected to the others. For example, the more you sleep, the more energy you will have to exercise and the more weight you will lose.
"I personally hate willpower. I like people to be positive and to feel cocky and to think they can make decisions about what they eat," Glassman said. "People need to listen to their bodies and that's a hard thing to do. You have to listen to your body telling you that it is satisfied so you don't eat too much."
While calories do matter but that, not all calories are created equal, Glassman told Huff/Post50. A measure of energy, some calories are beneficial and some aren't.
"If calories were truly equal, we would all be able to be strong an healthy eating nothing but Twizzlers," she said.
Beyond eating, Glassman said that all aspects of your life are intertwined. If your apartment isn't clean, for example, you can't go to the gym. If you aren't sleeping enough, your hormones will be out of whack, making you hungrier.
The eating part of weight loss is important but there are so many other areas you need to consider," she said. "If you have taken care of these various other areas then the food part almost happens automatically."
One of her main messages is that anything done for 21 days straight is likely to become a habit for a lifetime.
"If you focus for 21 days on getting at least seven hours of sleep a night, then this will likely become a habit going forward," Glassman said.
When asked what one can do today -- immediately -- to start changing their life, she said, quite simply, to breathe.
"You can do the eight-count breath ... breathe in for eight counts and out for eight counts," she said. "This will help you reduce stress and ultimately lose weight. This is something you can start doing right now."
In addition to eight rules for losing weight and changing one's life forever, Glassman's book is also packed with recipes for dishes designed to be part of any weight-loss strategy.
So what are the rules? Here's a brief rundown.
1. Eat more, not less. Glassman says that eating well isn't about avoiding bad foods but is instead about eating healthy foods. In particular, her go-to foods include sweet potatoes, red grapefruit and yogurt.
2. Breathe your way thin. Do breathing exercises to reduce stress. Also reduce stress by eating stress-fighting foods such as cashews and oatmeal.
3. Sip your way slim. Drink a minimum of eight 8-ounce servings of water each day.
4. Don't get stuck at the gym. Glassman says that until you find an activity you enjoy, exercise is no more fun than flossing your teeth.
5. Feel sexy to slim down. A lack of sex may be sabotaging your diet. Sex is linked to well-being. It also boosts oxytocin, a hormone that helps you manage stress and sleep more soundly.
6. Put yourself first. Glassman says that people often pamper themselves with food. But instead you should find real ways of pampering yourself that won't make you feel guilty later.
7. Always sleep alone. Get at least seven hours of sleep a night and banish all electronics -- your phone, iPad and TV -- so that your bed is simply for sleeping and, of course, for sex.
8. Clean out your closet. If there is clutter on your desk and nightstand, you will become distracted and unable to follow the other seven rules on this list.
Do you agree with these rules? Let us know in the comments section below.
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