‘Your Last Diet’: Working Step 1

Do you consider yourself to be overweight? Have you tried all kinds of diets only to have them all eventually fail? That is certainly the case with me.

As a breast cancer survivor who is now cancer-free aka in remission, I feel extra motivated to fully and safely take off the extra weight so I am never again a breeding ground for cancer cells to grow. Additionally, since I am getting bilateral breast reconstruction surgery using my tummy fat, I wish to lose the excess weight on other parts of my body.

After much investigation, I found a diet plan that makes a lot of sense. This is called "your last diet" for the obvious reason that if you faithfully follow the plan, you will eventually lose weight and help your body to be healthy and whole.

To reach my 2012 weight loss goals, I am working on step one of the seven steps detailed in at least two of Kathleen DesMaisons' books written for those of us who might be what she calls sugar sensitive.

The first book was revised and updated in 2008. The original version was written in 1999. It is called Potatoes not Prozac. The front cover of the book states that this is "a natural seven-step program to balance your sugar sensitivity." It also states that by following this food plan or way-of-eating plan, you can "lose weight, heal depression, and stop cravings."

The second book was written in 2001. It is called Your Last Diet. Kathleen DesMaisons' cover description is as follows: "The Sugar Addict's Weight-Loss Plan. Your Last Diet. Make your brain and body chemistry work for you. Eliminate cravings. Lose weight permanently. Discover the unique challenges for sugar sensitives."

I have read both books in their entirety as I wanted to see the whole picture in advance. She, however, urges her readers to take it one step at a time. She suggests you do not proceed to the next step until you have achieved a full comfort level with the previous step or steps.

This is not a quick fix weight loss food plan. The author suggests that the reason why many of us have held onto the 'spare tire' belly fat and excess weight on other parts of our body is more due to a chemical imbalance inside the body rather than a lack of willpower or discipline. She basically states, "it is not your fault" if you are overweight. That is indeed soothing to the ears.

Her food plan and exercise plan, which could take six to eighteen months to completely implement, depending on our personal comfort level and pacing of the program, could not only lead to permanent weight loss. It can also balance out what she calls our "sugar-sensitive biochemistry." This gets done because the food plan she describes will balance out our blood sugar, serotonin, and our beta-endorphins.

The author talks about how many weight loss programs only focus on one or two of those three factors. That is why many people lose weight and then gain it all back later on. Her plan works, she reports, because it addresses all three issues.

In other words, this is a permanent life-style change rather than some quickie diet.

I suppose some people might be intimidated by the steps. That's why she urges you to not jump ahead to future steps until you have thoroughly achieved a comfort level with all previous steps.

So, in January of 2012, I am 'working step one', as I have decided to phrase it.

What is the first step?

Step one is to "eat breakfast with protein."

The author states that we need to eat breakfast within one hour of getting up. The breakfast needs to contain some protein. It also should contain some complex carbohydrates. It can also contain other things as long as you include those two important ingredients.

This may sound pretty simple for some people who work a normal nine-to-five and enjoy more typical-type breakfasts.

As a freelance writer and professional storyteller, this will be more of a challenge. On the days I remain home writing, I often don't eat breakfast or brunch until I have been up for 2 or 3 hours. I might sip on some water, but I don't have much of an appetite when I first get up. Also, I have never been much of a cereal eater. I have even been known to eat cookies or cake for breakfast. So this will require a concerted effort on my part.

Part of learning to follow this program is becoming familiar with foods that contain protein and foods that contain complex carbohydrates. I am finding this part of the process quite fascinating and fun.

The author explains how our body works in a very picturesque kind of way. In fact, this is the first author who has ever explained the way we digest and process food in a manner that I can actually grasp and understand. I highly recommend both of her books. See the resource section for more information.

To be continued … .

Resources:

1. Radiant Recovery website by Kathleen DesMaisons
   
2. Amazon link: Potatoes not Prozac by Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D., Addictive Nutrition
   
3. Kathleen DesMaisons' Radiant Recovery website: Potatoes not Prozac by Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D., Addictive Nutrition
   
4. Amazon link: Your Last Diet by Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D.
5. Kathleen DesMaisons' Radiant Recovery website: Your Last Diet by Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D.

• 'Your Last Diet': Working step 1 (see above)
  
• 'Your Last Diet': Step 1's breakfast adventure part 1
• 'Your Last Diet': Step 1's breakfast adventure part 2