Tara Diversi - The Good Enough Diet: Where Near Enough is Good Enough to Lose Weight

Where near enough is good enough to lose weight

Tara Diversi & Dr Adam Frasier

First published 2011 by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd

42 McDougall Street, Milton Qld 4064

Office also in Melbourne

Typeset in ITC Giovanni 10.5/13pt

Tara Diversi and Adam Fraser 2011

The moral rights of the authors have been asserted

National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication data:

Author: Fraser, Adam.

Title: The good enough diet: where near enough is good enough to lose weight / Adam Fraser, Tara Diversi.

ISBN: 9780730375722 (pbk.)

Notes: Includes index.

Subjects: Weight loss. Reducing diets.

Other Authors/Contributors: Diversi, Tara.

Dewey Number: 613.25

All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (for example, a fair dealing for the purposes of study, research, criticism or review), no part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, communicated or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission. All enquiries should be made to the publisher at the address above.

Cover design by Studio131 www.studio131.net

Cover image istockphoto.com/Misko Kordic

Printed in Australia by Ligare Book Printer

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Disclaimer

The material in this publication is of the nature of general comment only, and does not represent professional advice. It is not intended to provide specific guidance for particular circumstances and it should not be relied on as the basis for any decision to take action or not take action on any matter which it covers. Readers should obtain professional advice where appropriate, before making any such decision. To the maximum extent permitted by law, the authors and publisher disclaim all responsibility and liability to any person, arising directly or indirectly from any person taking or not taking action based upon the information in this publication.

Dedication

For Mike and Diane, who have always enthusiastically supported me in following my dreams ~ T.D.

For Dougie and Di, who are the perfect embodiment of love, support and devotion ~ A.F.

About the authors

Tara Diversi is an accredited practising dietitian with additional training in psychology and business. She has helped over 6000 clients on their weight loss journeys. As well as her Masters of Nutrition and Dietetics, Tara holds a Graduate Diploma of Psychology and an MBA. She is a lecturer at the University of Sydney and her business, Health Management Dietetics, is located in Cairns. She regularly provides expert comment for the media and is a spokesperson for the Dietitians Association of Australia.

Dr Adam Fraser is an accredited exercise physiologist with a PhD in Metabolism and Glucose control. He is the CEO of The Glucose Club, a company that guides and supports individuals towards a lifestyle that will improve their quality of life and their mental and physical wellbeing. Each day The Glucose Club works with some of Australias most influential business leaders to keep them at the top of their game. Adam is the author of the best-selling book Sugar Daddy , which focuses on the lifestyle management of diabetes. He is also one of Australias most in-demand presenters. In the last five years he has delivered more than 600 presentations to over 50 000 people. Most importantly he is married to a woman who is far brighter than he is.

Acknowledgements

This book would not have been possible without the help and support of many people.

The support we receive from our families is amazing. We often argue about who has the most wonderful, supportive and generous parents. We agree that we are both very lucky to have Doug and Di Fraser and Mike and Diane Diversi on our sides, and they have always surrounded us with opportunities, sporting activities, education, kindness and, most importantly, love.

Christine Armarego made this book better. She has been a fantastic supportive wife to Adam and friend to Tara. She helped with research, writing and sharing ideas throughout the process. She is a brilliant exercise physiologist and her experience with clients was also very helpful.

We feel lucky to have had Mary Masters work with us to refine our ideas and develop them into a workable manuscript and book. Thank you to the team at Wiley, including Kate, Kristin, Georgie and Elizabeth, who all gave valuable suggestions and support throughout the publishing process.

Our title fits the personality and attitude we wanted for our book exactly. We have Matt Holt to thank for this, as well as for giving us invaluable advice throughout. Callan Taylor brought the book to life with a wonderful cover concept that conveys the sentiment of the book.

Thanks also to Julie Winterbottom from O2 Speakers for her enthusiasm, diplomacy and support, and to Kate Faber, Meghan Hall and Melissa Carmody: three incredible practitioners who helped with research and who will make a positive difference in the health world as their careers develop.

Friends who supported us through the journey include in particular Peter Sheahan, Shannon Meiklejohn, Campbell Pool, Neisha Graham and Meika Foster, who would listen to different parts of the book as it unfolded, as well as our trials and tribulations, and still act interested throughout the process.

We would also like to thank colleagues at the Human Nutrition Unit at the University of Sydney and Health Management Dietetics. In particular, we would like to mention Camey Demmitt and Kate Rogers, senior dietitians whose experience helped refine some of the concepts within this book.

Last but not least we would like to thank the clients who were a source of inspiration for this book, particularly those who allowed us to share their stories to help inspire others.

Introduction: Is near enough good enough to lose weight?

You are busy.

You are working.

You are travelling.

You are looking after children.

You are completing extra study.

You are stressed.

You are enjoying life.

You are trying to be healthy.

Oh, there it is trying

You should lose weight.

You should eat better.

You should eat less takeaway.

You should eat less, period.

You should exercise more.

You should walk instead of driving.

You should get up early to exercise.

You should drink less alcohol.

You should drink more water.

You should sleep six to eight hours per night.

You are trying to lose weight but

When youre busy theres no time.

When youre working you have social functions.

When youre travelling you eat conference food.

When youre with the kids they need treats.

When youre studying you cant exercise.

When youre stressed you emotionally eat.

When youre enjoying life you want to relax with your food and alcohol.

When youre trying to be healthy, trying to lose weight you can never seem to be perfect all the time.

So, this is why you cant lose weight, right?

Wrong!

Whats wrong with dieting today?

Dieting thrives on making us feel like failures. We switch on and off our diets with every little circuit break that comes along, like a work meeting or a birthday celebration.

We know that weight loss means youre either a success or a failure. But what if you could strive for something in between? Something that allowed you to still lose weight and still be healthy while achieving your career, financial and personal goals. What if you could really have your cake and eat it too!