Losing Weight: A Personal Research Comparison of Diet Plans

"I'm fat," I whisper as I look in the mirror. So begins the daily discussion with my husband. "No you're not," he responds, trying to reassure me. But no matter how many times he tells me he loves me and that he thinks I'm beautiful, I don't believe him. I'm not sure there is anything he could say to convince me otherwise.

I haven't always been overweight. As a child I was the kind of person who could eat and eat and never gain weight. In fact until I was 16 my maximum weight was 120 pounds, perfect for my frame and height. All that changed when I got a job working at Rally's. They had the best french fries! Over the entire time I worked there I gained about six pounds a month. I worked at Rally's for ten months. That's 60 pounds added to my small frame. The depression that I already suffered got even worse and comments from people around me caused my self-esteem to plummet.

Throughout the rest of high school I maintained a weight of 180 pounds. And then came college. Have you ever heard of the freshman ten? It's a widely-known but never studied phenomena where girls gain ten pounds their first year of college. That ten pounds had packed itself onto my butt by January!

I weighed 190 pounds when I got pregnant with my son and dropped out of college. I only gained twenty pounds during my pregnancy and lost ten of it after having my son. That put me at an even 200 pounds. That was 1997.

Fast forward to 2006. As I begin this project I weigh 225 pounds. My ideal weight is somewhere in the range of 115 to 125 pounds which means I am 100 pounds overweight. 100 pounds. It has taken me over a decade to put it on but I don't want to wait that long to take it off. I'm not sure where to start though.

I know that I need to lose weight. My grandmother is nearly 150 pounds overweight, has Type II Diabetes directly attributed to her obesity, as well as hip and knee problems. I don't want to end up like that. Am I at risk for diabetes? I know I've already got some of the symptoms of diabetes, is it possible I've already developed the disease? That's one big reason for me to lose weight.

I know that I need to exercise and have begun a workout program through the Super Circuit Training class offered here at Mott. But I also know that a huge part of losing weight is diet. But which diet? There are literally hundreds to choose from and some of them completely contradict the others! Should I go on the high-fat/low-carbohydrate diet? Which one? Or perhaps the low-fat/high-carbohydrate diet? Maybe the Zone or the Blood Type Diet? With so many diets to choose from I'm a bit lost.

To add to the difficulty of choosing a diet plan I'm on an extremely tight budget and have a family to feed as well. I've got a tough time trying to figure out what diet plan to follow. This is where my search begins. Finding a diet that is healthy, will promote maximum weight loss, that I can maintain even after reaching my ideal weight and that I can afford.

So with all the varied diet plans available today, which is the right one for my lifestyle to help me promote weight loss in a healthy manner?

~*~

I'm not the only person in the world who wants to lose weight. The billion dollar weight loss industry proves that. Every day we are bombarded with ads for diet pills, weight loss programs and new fitness books. Infomercials for exercise machines and workout programs can be seen at almost any hour. I have to admit that I've tried a few of them. A NordicTrack and fitness glider sat collecting dust for two or three years before I gave them away. I've tried belly dancing for fitness, yoga, Tae Bo and even aerobic striptease. Well... I never actually tried the aerobic striptease. I bought the DVD, watched it and thought "Holy lord, I'm not that flexible!" It has been on the DVD shelf ever since.

Looking back at the fitness programs I've tried over the years I realize that I haven't been very motivated to get fit, to lose weight. I'm lazy, or am I? I like to move, but some types of movement require a great deal of effort. Just walking up the stairs to my bedroom leaves me struggling for air. I seek to avoid discomfort so it's not so much laziness as it is being out of shape. Intellectually I know that the more I move, the easier it will get to move even more. But the mind doesn't motivate, the heart does. Emotion, passion, is what provides the greatest motivation for any endeavor. I need to find my passions to motivate myself to move.

My first passion is my son. He is the joy of my life and I want to be there for him as long as I can. But I want more than that as well. My grandmother is by no means healthy. At over 250 pounds she has developed Type II Diabetes and has had one hip replaced. She now has to have the other hip and both knees replaced. She has been a large woman for as long as I remember. She rarely moves. Someday I will have grandchildren. I don't want them to remember me the way that I will remember my grandmother. I want to be healthy now and for a long time to come. When my son asks me to go outside and play with him I don't want to have to make excuses because just a bit of movement exhausts me.

My second passion is my husband. I want to be healthy for him as long as possible. I want to feel attractive for him. He assures me that he is attracted to me and I am working on believing him. But I want to have moments where some stranger gives me that "WOW" look and my husband smiles because he gets me and no one else does. It's only after I get fit that I'll get those "WOW" looks.

My final passion is myself. I have poor self-esteem when it comes to my body. I think I'm fat. I don't think anyone could possibly find me attractive. On the other hand, my intellectual self-esteem is great. I'm exceptionally intelligent, funny, friendly and sociable. Most people genuinely like me. So I want to bring my physical self-esteem into line with my mental self-esteem.

My son, my husband, and myself. My life, my love, me. I now have my motivation. It's time to find get going.

~*~

At this point I think it's time to start looking at actual diet and fitness plans. Between the Mott Community College Library and the Flint Public Library, I've found four diet books that look interesting and potentially helpful.

The first one is Eat Right For Your Type by Dr. Peter J. D'Adamo N.D. Dr. D'Adamo is a Naturopathic Doctor which is appealing to me because I would like to work towards a more holistic lifestyle and I had even at one point considered becoming a Naturopathic Doctor myself.

As I started reading this book I ended up with more questions than answers. I got more frustrated than anything else. Dr D'Adamo's belief is that our "blood type is the key that unlocks the door to the mysteries of health, disease, longevity, physical vitality, and emotional strength," (D'Adamo XIII). He also claims that blood type determines how we use calories, handle stress and even our personality (XIII). I've got some pretty out there beliefs, but blood type and personality???? That would mean that the 46% of the population who are Type O would have virtually the same personality! It's just a bit too out there for me. But I decided to press forward to see what his diet would mean for me personally.

I got a bit bored reading the first couple of chapters which tell how blood type developed through human evolution and how food affects us based on our blood type. Dr D'Adamo claims that "lectins" in food react with our various body tissues causing many problems (24-26). While I'm sure that food proteins and chemicals do react with our bodies, if the damage was so serious why has it not been further publicized and made known to everyone? I'm sure that he has the research to back him up, but it still seems far-fetched to me. But I don't really need to know why a diet works as long as it's healthy and easy for me to stick to.

Sadly, I'm not sure this diet is healthy and I'm certain it wouldn't be easy for me to stick to. I am a Type O and according to Dr. D'Adamo my type is "The Hunter" (51). This means I need a lot of physical exercise and should eat mostly animal proteins (52). Looking further into the food plan I find that I'm supposed to eat a LOT of red meat, as much as 6 5-oz portions every week plus 3 portions of poultry (55). That's a lot of meat! But, I'm supposed to avoid pork products. The lists of foods that I should eat and that I should avoid are long and complicated. Dairy is very restricted as are wheat products. The fruits and vegetables that I love are outright banned for my blood type (58-71). It doesn't take long for me to realize that this plan is definitely not for me.

This book was very helpful in one particular way. It made me realize I'm not sure what a healthy diet is. It also made me realize I need to set some personal criteria for analyzing a diet or fitness plan.

~*~

First off, my life is hectic. I'm a full-time student, a mom and a wife. I've got hobbies and personal interests thrown into the mix as well. So I need something that's not complicated. No long lists of foods to remember, no counting calories or tracking points. It's got to be easy.

My family is on a tight budget. There are specialty food plans that require delivery of meals costing $300 a month or more for one person. Others require expensive supplements or weekly fees. I can't afford something like that. It's got to be cheap.

One of the biggest reasons I want to lose weight is to get fit. I wonder if completely restricting particular food groups is beneficial. It's got to be healthy.

Easy and cheap I can figure out with no problems. But how do I know if a diet is healthy? Yikes! Luckily the work's pretty much been done for me. In "The Atkins Ornish South Beach Zone Diet," Dr. Dean Ornish explains what the creators of many diet plans are starting to agree on. These include not eating "bad fats" and "bad carbs" but definitely eating "good carbs" and "good fats" (Ornish 1 of 2).

"Good fats" and "bad fats?" How am I supposed to know what's what? Dr. Ornish says that "trans-fatty acids" and "partly hydrogenated fats" are the bad fats. These help foods last longer on the shelf (1 of 2). I grabbed a couple of things from my cupboard and read the ingredients. Several contained "partially hydrogenated soybean oil," and almost without fail those were foods that would be considered less than healthy. Dr. Ornish reports that "good fats... may reduce your risk of sudden cardiac death... lower your triglycerides, reduce inflammation (e.g., arthritis) and may help prevent cancer" (1 of 2). These "good fats" are Omega-3 Fatty acids and can be found in fish or flaxseed oil.

So how about "good carbs" and "bad carbs?" According to Dr. Ornish, good carbs "are rich in fiber, which slows absorption and fills you up before you take in too many calories" (1 of 2). So eating vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole-grains is good. "Bad carbs" are "low in fiber" so they "don't fill you up." They are also absorbed into the blood stream faster causing "a blood-sugar spike and an insulin surge" (1 of 2). White flour and sugar are examples of bad carbs.

Dr. Ornish also recommends exercising, "eating less red meat," and eating smaller portions of better foods (2 of 2).

~*~

The Zone. It's one of those diets that's been bounced around the media for a few years now. The Zone diet comes from the book Enter the Zone by Barry Sears, PhD. After his father and three uncles died of heart attacks he began doing research into the role of cholesterol and other compounds in heart disease. This led to the development of his diet (Sears ix-x). His record of research is very impressive but the entire book is very cold and scientific, not very inspiring at all.

The basic idea behind the Zone diet is that we eat too many carbohydrates which causes us to gain weight. So if we reduce carbohydrate intake we should begin to lose weight. Dr. Sears promotes an exact ratio of carbohydrates, protein and fat. According to him a "Zone-favorable diet" consists of 40% carbohydrates, 30% fat, and 30% protein (71). Restrictions include all grains and breads with only oatmeal on the approved list (232-239). I like bread a little too much to give it up completely.

The Zone diet has brought up another question for me. Is restricting carbohydrates healthy? According to Patrick Johnson in "The Skinny on Fat" carbohydrate deprivation "can lead to ketosis, and possibly fatigue" (Johnson 70). What is ketosis? I'd heard of this phrase when reading different low-carbohydrate diet books, but I wanted to know what it is and why it might be bad.

Ketosis occurs when there are large amounts of chemicals called ketones in the blood. To understand what ketones are you have to understand what causes them. The brain's primary fuel source is derived from the products of carbohydrates being metabolized in the body (67-68). If you aren't taking in enough carbohydrates your brain has to seek elsewhere for an energy source. Once the carbohydrates in your body have been used up the liver starts converting fat to the chemicals your brain needs. Ketones are what is left over from this process. They are a waste product that the body can do nothing with. Worse yet, when ketone levels are high you can lose potassium and get an increase in blood calcium. Potassium loss causes interference in nerve impulses, which can lead to muscle fatigue, pain and failure. The excess blood calcium is calcium that was taken from the bones (70).

From what I've learned about ketosis and carbohydrate deprivation I've decided that the low-carb diets are definitely not for me, but that still leaves a LOT of options. Almost too many in fact. Thankfully I've narrowed it down to two more books.

~*~

The Sonoma Diet is a relative newcomer to the world of diet books. Created by Dr. Connie Guttersen, a registered dietitian, this diet revolves around ten "Sonoma Diet Power Foods." These foods are rich in nutrients and chemicals that are very beneficial to the heart and other organs. These ten foods are: almonds, bell peppers, blueberries, broccoli, grapes, olive oil, spinach, strawberries, tomatoes and whole grains, all of which I really like (Guttersen 24-25).

What I don't like about this plan is the system of "Waves" and the portion control. The "Wave" that you are in determines what you can and can't eat. "Wave 1" lasts ten days and removes fruits and other foods with a high sugar content. This is supposedly to wean the body from sugars. In "Wave 2" you add fruits back into your diet and stay in this "Wave" until you reach your goal weight. "Wave 3" is for long-term eating. Portion control depends on having a 7-inch plate, a 2-cup bowl, and a 9-inch plate. Your portions are a percentage of the plate (22-23).

I don't like that just as I'd get used to one way of eating I would have to change things again. Dieting should be simple and should build habits that will last a lifetime. I'll keep in mind the "power foods," but the rest of the plan is not for me.

~*~

One thing I've noticed about these diets is that while they recommend exercise they don't have any recommendations for specific exercises to help burn fat and tone muscle. I'm currently following a circuit training regimen, but I would like something I can do in addition to or even in place of that. A change in diet will help me lose weight but I also want to build and tone muscle.

Walking is something I've decided to add to my fitness regimen. Walking is extremely beneficial in many ways. From relief of back pain to posture improvement, from weight loss to body sculpting, walking is an all around great exercise. Walking at a pace of three miles per hour for an hour will burn 300 calories. One pound of fat is roughly 3500 calories so walking at that pace for an hour every day will burn a pound every two weeks (Bricklin 211).

Walking is also very easy to add to my daily routine. I can start taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Walking between classes has already increased the amount of walking that I do. I would like to work myself up to one to three hours a day of walking at a brisk pace. Walking four miles per hour increases your consumption to almost 500 calories per hour, or about a pound per week (211.)

~*~

The last diet I decided to look at is The 3-Hour Diet by Jorge Cruise. Talk about simple! In this book the author explains what kinds of foods are helpful for weight loss and what aren't, and he gives lots of suggestions for foods, meals, menus and even fast food and frozen dinner options (Cruise 268-328). But I don't even have to follow those if I don't want to! If I follow just three guidelines I can lose weight. However watching what I eat will help the weight come off faster and add other benefits as well.

So about those three guidelines... The first is eating regularly. Every three hours to be exact. According to Cruise waiting too long between meals causes your body's "starvation protection mechanism" or "SPM" to kick in and you start preserving fat. Instead of burning fat the body starts metabolizing muscle. Eating every three hours keeps the "SPM" from turning on (5).

Advocating what he calls "The 3-Hour Timeline," Mr. Cruise recommends eating breakfast within one hour of getting out of bed, having a snack three hours later, lunch three hours later, another snack after three hours, dinner three hours later followed by a treat (52-66). So I get up at 6:30am and eat breakfast at 7am. At 10am I have a snack, lunch at 1pm, another snack at 4pm and dinner at 7pm with my treat as dessert.

The final guideline isn't what to eat, it's how much to eat. "The 3-Hour Plate" is Cruise's preferred method of portion control. One reason I didn't like The Sonoma Diet plan was that it required specific plate sizes and dividing your portions according to a percentage of the plate. It's hard to visualize what 40% of a 7-inch plate would be when you're sitting at Taco Bell! But three DVD cases, a Rubik's cube and a deck of cards? That I can visualize! For breakfast, lunch and dinner you have three DVD cases worth of fruits or vegetables, a Rubik's cube worth of carbs and a deck of cards worth of protein. Add a water bottle cap worth of fat and you're good to go (87). Yes, simple!

After learning the method and reasoning behind The 3-Hour Diet I decided to implement it with one modification. I'm using Slim-Fast shakes, meal bars and snack bars. This makes it even easier to make sure that I eat every three hours. They aren't expensive so I eat healthy and stay within my budget.

~*~

Before starting this weight loss exploration my day looked something like this:

6:30 am - Alarm goes off, hit snooze

6:39 am - Snooze

6:48 am - Snooze

6:57 am - Drag myself out of bed, get clean and head to class. No time for breakfast, grab a Mountain Dew from the machine

8:00 am and on - Drag through classes and homework, park my butt on the couch and read or watch a movie

11:00 pm - Go to bed...

I was always tired and often cranky. Somewhere in there I'd sneak in something to eat, usually junk food or a convenience meal, nothing healthy. I would drink the equivalent of two 2-liters of Mountain Dew a day.

I still have a way to go but I'm making progress toward my goal. My day looks more like this now:

6:30 am - Alarm goes off, hit snooze

6:38 am - Up and get ready (Yay! Just one snooze!)

7:00 am - Eat breakfast (Slim-Fast shake and ¼ cup cottage cheese with peaches)

8 am - 10 am - Class

10:00 am - Snack (Slim-Fast snack bar)

10:30 am - Workout (Alternating between 2 hours of treadmill and circuit training or 1 hour of treadmill)

11:30 - 1:00 - Study

1:00 pm - Lunch (Sandwich and a Salad)

1:30 pm - Class or other stuff

4:00 pm - Snack (Slim-Fast bar or other snack)

7:00 pm - Dinner with a treat.

10 or 11 pm - Bed.

I have days where I miss my workout and I have times when I forget to eat. But I'm doing a lot better and I'm noticing results, which means I'm inspired to work harder at it. As time goes on I'll probably explore more diet plans and bit by bit change and modify my eating and exercise habits until I reach my goals and even beyond.

So what is the best diet plan for me to lose weight in a healthy manner? More than anything I've found out that no single plan has all the answers. I've learned something from each diet that I've looked at, even if it's that long lists of foods are annoying to memorize! The best plan for me is one that I can easily modify to fit my lifestyle. I'm taking the principles of one diet with some of the foods from another and more foods from a third and working them into something I can stick to and enjoy. The best plan for me is something personal.

Bibliography

Bricklin, Mark. Prevention's Practical Encyclopedia of Walking for Health. Emmaus, PA: Rodale Press, 1992.

Cruise, Jorge. The 3-Hour Diet. New York: Harper Collins, 2005.

D'Adamo, Peter J.. Eat Right For Your Type. New York: C.G. Putnam's Sons, 1996.

Guttersen, Connie. The Sonoma Diet. Des Moines, IA: Meredith Books, 2005.

Johnson, Patrick. "The Skinny on Fat." Skeptic 2004: 66-74. Wilson SelectPlus. OCLC First Search. Mott Community College Library. 24 May 2006 .

Ornish, Dean. "The Atkins Ornish South Beach Zone Diet." Time 21 Jun 2004: 62. Wilson SelectPlus. OCLC First Search. Mott Community College Library. 24 May 2006 .

Sears, Barry. Enter the Zone. New York: Harper Collins, 1995.