Sylvan R. Lewis [Lewis - Diet and Exercise Made Easy

PUBLISHED BY:
Lifetime Periodicals, Inc.
2131 Hollywood Blvd.
Hollywood, FL 33020-6750

ADVERTISING SALES
Vicki Heil (954) 925-5242 Ext. 14
National Advertising Manager

EDITOR
Sylvan R. Lewis, M.D.

PRODUCTION
Brian Feinblum

ART DIRECTOR
Chris Pearl

PUBLISHER
Donald L. Lessne

Copyright 1996

All rights reserved. No part of this work covered by the copyright may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or information storage and retrieval systems without the permission of the publisher.

Printed in Canada

Diets do not have to be difficult, nor do they have to be dull. The newest United States Department of Agriculture food values are included in this book so that you can choose from a wide variety of foods in planning your own individual menus to suit your own particular needs and tastes. Also included are sample menus which contain delicious, nutritious, low-calorie meal and snack ideas.

Exercise does not have to be difficult, nor dull. Why not consider time spent exercising as your own private time for mental reflection? As you walk, run, or play sports your body becomes stronger and your mind is free to soar. Exercise can help use up nervous energy and make you feel more relaxed. You will feel good about yourself, and this will show: people will notice a new sense of vigor and vitality about you. To assist you in getting underway, there are specific exercise programs which you can adapt to your own particular lifestyle. A chart showing the average number of calories expended per hour for a variety of activities is also given.

Remember, you have a commitment: diet and exercise. And you may choose to begin Immediately. It is important, however, to remember to start slowly if your body is not used to exercise. If you overdo, you can become stiff and sore a good excuse to halt your exercise program. To avoid this unpleasant possibility, begin with a program of simple walking, and advance yourself slowly from there. To be successful, diet too must be approached slowly and carefully.

Lose ten pounds overnight! Try the amazing water diet! Eat grapefruit to burn that fat off! Eat all you want, and still lose ugly fat! Have you ever fallen victim to one of these or other crash diet claims? It is true that a crash diet can result in rapid weight loss, but most of this is loss of body fluids rather than body fat. Crash diets rely on dehydration for the semblance of rapid weight loss. The lost fluid and weight rapidly returns once the crash diet is discontinued. These types of diets are unhealthy, self- defeating, and very discouraging. And weight losses are only temporary. Think about it:

• How many crash diets have you been on?
• How successful were they?
• Why do you need to diet now?

Diets based on thyroid extracts, diuretics, amphetamines, or other pharmaceutical compounds are unethical and may prove dangerous. Diet clinics are costly, and results are usually only temporary; once weight is lost and visits to the clinic are halted, motivation often dissolves. With both drugs and diet clinics, any weight lost often returns, while good health and monetary expenditures usually do not!

The diet and exercise programs given below are based on the medically proven method for safe and effective weight loss: calorie reduction and increased exercise. As long as the program is followed, you should lose 1 to 3 pounds each week and keep the lost weight off, permanently. Again, the key is commitment. You deserve to look and feel good! With the proper attitude, and the proper diet and exercise program, that excess fat will simply melt away!

NOTE: The lowest daily calorie level included in this book is the 800-calorie diet. With such a caloric restriction, it is difficult to obtain all the nutrients your body requires in the proper amounts. If followed for longer than one week, this low-calorie level can be considered a crash diet. If you do desire rapid loss of accumulated body fluids and want an inspirational method to begin dieting, try the 800 calorie diet for the first week of your program. But for the sake of your own good health (which is why you have made this commitment in the first place), increase your caloric intake to 1000 or 1200 calories after 7 days. Your body and your psyche will thank you for it!

A calorie is the unit of measure used to express the amount of energy provided by foods. Calories in the form of protein, carbohydrate, and fat provide our bodies with energy. Any excesses in caloric intake whether in the form of protein, carbohydrate, or fat will result in the accumulation of body fat.

On a weight basis, food fat has more than twice as many calories as either protein or carbohydrate. One gram of carbohydrate provides around 4 calories, as does a gram of protein. One gram of fat, however, provides 9 calories. Obviously, food fat is a concentrated source of energy. Food fat is available as visible fats (butter, cream, fatty meats, lard, oils, and shortening) and as hidden fats (in cheese, fried foods, milk, nuts, and many prepared foods).

Good sources of protein which are relatively low in fat and calories are given in the PROTEIN FOOD SELECTIONS list. Good sources of other nutrients which are relatively low in fat and calories are given in the other lists in the PLANNING COUNTER.

Weight loss or gain depends on a simple balance: calories taken in versus calories used up. If you take in more calories than you use up, you will gain weight. And if you take in less calories than you use up, you will lose weight. It is this latter form of caloric imbalance that you now need to adopt.

The key number to remember is 3500. There are 3500 calories of energy in one pound of body fat. To lose one pound of body fat, you have to use up 3500 calories. To gain one pound of body fat, you have to consume 3500 calories more than your body needs. This may seem like a large number of calories, but small daily excesses can accumulate. And as the years roll along, the fat rolls can gradually appear!

If in addition to the calories required to maintain your weight you included any one of the above foods in your weekly diet in the given amounts, you could gain more than 10tpounds over the course of one year. On the other hand, if you eliminated any one of these foods in the given amounts, thereby decreasing your weekly caloric intake by over 700 calories, you could lose more than 10 pounds in a year. Add in some regular physical exercise, and those extra fat rolls will simply roll right off!

Suppose that you decide to lose 10 pounds in one month. Remember that 1 pound of body fat is 3500 calories worth. In order to lose 10 pounds, you must use up 10 3500 or 35,0 calories. This means using 35,000 30 or 1200 calories per day by a combination of reduced calorie intake and increased activity level. You may choose to decrease your caloric intake by 500-700 calories per day, and exercise by walking, swimming, playing tennis or racquetball in order to use up an additional 500-700 calories per day. With this sensible combination of diet and exercise, you can easily lose 10 pounds in a month.