The Basics for Weight Control

Before you begin the Changemaker High Energy Plan or any other weight control plan, integrate these steps into your plan.

A. You are the best person to create your own weight loss plan.

B. There are no food restrictions placed on you except for those foods that you know you have trouble controlling the amount that you eat at one setting.

C. Every day’s menu must include whole grains, milk, meat and beans, vegetables, and fruits as recommended by the United States Department of Agriculture. Your daily food plan will include a reduction in the number of calories you are presently eating.

D. The only real way to determine how many calories you are using is to have a food journal and faithfully record everything you eat for 5 days. Forget about counting carbohydrates, fat, or anything except calories. Get an average calories consumed for the 5 days by adding each day’s amounts together and dividing by 5.

E. Check the calorie calculator to see how many calories you need to maintain your present weight.

F. If you want to weight less, you will need to consume less. Measuring calories is the most effective way to lose weight.

G. Add exercise—we recommend walking because it can be done wherever you are—in the 2nd week. If you are already exercising, continue.

H. If you’re not exercising, get your food plan straight before adding anything else.

I. Before you begin, clean out all foods that will tempt you. After the basic four-week plan, you may begin reintroducing foods that the rest of your family can enjoy. Do this only with one food product at a time. Ask your family to be part of your support system for this first month.

J. You will be drinking at least 64 ounces of water each day. A big part of my success at losing weight I believe is lemon water. I also love Winn Dixie’s Clearly Prestige sparkling water beverage. It comes in 1 liter size with flavors: mandarin orange, white grape, country strawberry, zesty strawberry, key lime, and mellow peach. Wal-Mart also carries the flavored carbonated water with flavors of peach, black cherry, raspberry, strawberry, white grape, etc. Remember that the water is essential and no other liquids other than the flavored diet water may be used.

K. Everyday I reuse some of the empty water bottles to make my lemon water. I use Real Lemon concentrate to make a 2 quart Rubbermaid pitcher of lemon water daily. I fill water bottles 1/2 full nightly with the lemon water and freeze them for the next day. I keep the 2 quart pitcher in the refrigerator with lemon water and fill the frozen bottles with more lemon water. The frozen water is messy as it defrosts so I use wash cloths wrapped around them or under to catch the excess water.

L. Always use the calories needed chart to evaluate the calories you need to eliminate daily. If you deduct 250 calories from diet and increase your physical outtake by 250 calories, you will lose a pound weekly. Adjust your calories needed as you lose weight as your need will change as you lose weight. Use the calorie calculator to see how many calories you need with the weight loss.

M. Before you begin, clean out all foods that will tempt you. After the basic four-week plan, you may begin reintroducing foods that the rest of your family can enjoy. Do this only with one food product at a time. Ask your family to be part of your support system for this first month.

N. You will be drinking at least 64 ounces of water each day. A big part of my success at losing weight I believe is lemon water. I also love Winn Dixie’s Clearly Prestige sparkling water beverage. It comes in 1 liter size with flavors: mandarin orange, white grape, country strawberry, zesty strawberry, key lime, and mellow peach. Wal-Mart also carries the flavored carbonated water with flavors of peach, black cherry, raspberry, strawberry, white grape, etc. Remember that the water is essential and no other liquids other than the flavored diet water may be used.

O. Everyday I reuse some of the empty water bottles to make my lemon water. I use Real Lemon concentrate to make a 2 quart Rubbermaid pitcher of lemon water daily. I fill water bottles 1/2 full nightly with the lemon water and freeze them for the next day. I keep the 2 quart pitcher in the refrigerator with lemon water and fill the frozen bottles with more lemon water. The frozen water is messy as it defrosts so I use wash cloths wrapped around them or under to catch the excess water.

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2nd Phase of Weight Control

Today I begin the second phase of losing weight. From the end of February, 2006 until the beginning of May, 2006, I lost 20 pounds while using the Changemaker Weight Loss Plan. I wanted to lose weight in several stages to see if I had a weight gain when I started eating more calories.

So, today, October 1, 2007, I begin my second stage to lose 20 more pounds. I keep tempting foods to a minimum at all times. I weighted myself daily throughout the two months interval to make sure that I wasn’t regaining any weight. I begin today the modified fast that the Changemaker Weight Loss Plan recommends by only eating fruit and/or Dannon Light ‘n Fit (Vanilla at 80 calories for a whole cup or Strawberry at 100 calories for a cup). I make sure to have available several choices of fruit.

For lunch (from 12 pm to 3 pm depending on when I am physically hungry), I will have a sweet potato (microwaved for 5-6 minutes). On the sweet potato, I use dark brown sugar (15 calories per teaspoon) and Land ‘o Lakes Fresh Buttery Taste spread (80 calories per tablespoon). I count the potato with the margarine and sugar as 300 calories. I use really large potatoes as this meal is the main meal of the day.

Beginning in the morning, I use 6 8 oz. water bottles and alternate them in the freezer for how ever long it takes for ice to begin to inside the water bottle. If I allow the bottle to totally freeze, I have to put it in the refrigerator to partially thaw out. The reason I use 6 bottles is to keep my supply of icy water available at all times. Water is so vital not only for health purposes, but also because it helps to satisfy my thinking that I am hungry when I’m not physically hungry.

Many times the hunger impulse comes because we need water instead of food. If you feel that impulse, be sure to have a cold, icy bottle of water handy.

If you are sure that the hunger impulse in not satisfied by water (be sure to always try water first), have a piece of fruit. Some days after I have been on the modified fast for several days, I will be physically hungry when I get up. Then I have the yogurt with the fruit.

Beginning Weight Control

Before you begin the High Energy Diet Plan, integrate these steps into your plan.

A. You are the best person to create your own weight loss plan.

B. There are no food restrictions placed on you except for those foods that you know you have trouble controlling the amount that you eat at one setting.

C. Every day’s menu must include whole grains, milk, meat and beans, vegetables, and fruits as recommended by the United States Department of Agriculture. Your daily food plan will include a reduction in the number of calories you are presently eating.

D. The only real way to determine how many calories you are using is to have a food journal and faithfully record everything you eat for 5 days. Forget about counting carbohydrates, fat, or anything except calories. Get an average calories consumed for the 5 days by adding each day’s amounts together and dividing by 5.

E. Check the calorie calculator to see how many calories you need to maintain your present weight.

F. If you want to weight less, you will need to consume less. Measuring calories is the most effective way to lose weight.

G. Add exercise—we recommend walking because it can be done wherever you are—in the 2nd week. If you are already exercising, continue.

H. If you’re not exercising, get your food plan straight before adding anything else.

I. Before you begin, clean out all foods that will tempt you. After the basic four-week plan, you may begin reintroducing foods that the rest of your family can enjoy. Do this only with one food product at a time. Ask your family to be part of your support system for this first month.

J. You will be drinking at least 64 ounces of water each day. A big part of my success at losing weight I believe is lemon water. I also love Winn Dixie’s Clearly Prestige sparkling water beverage. It comes in 1 liter size with flavors: mandarin orange, white grape, country strawberry, zesty strawberry, key lime, and mellow peach. Wal-Mart also carries the flavored carbonated water with flavors of peach, black cherry, raspberry, strawberry, white grape, etc. Remember that the water is essential and no other liquids other than the flavored diet water may be used.

K. Everyday I reuse some of the empty water bottles to make my lemon water. I use Real Lemon concentrate to make a 2 quart Rubbermaid pitcher of lemon water daily. I fill water bottles 1/2 full nightly with the lemon water and freeze them for the next day. I keep the 2 quart pitcher in the refrigerator with lemon water and fill the frozen bottles with more lemon water. The frozen water is messy as it defrosts so I use wash cloths wrapped around them or under to catch the excess water.

L. Always use the calories needed chart to evaluate the calories you need to eliminate daily. If you deduct 250 calories from diet and increase your physical outtake by 250 calories, you will lose a pound weekly. Adjust your calories needed as you lose weight as your need will change as you lose weight. Use the calorie calculator to see how many calories you need with the weight loss.

M. Before you begin, clean out all foods that will tempt you. After the basic four-week plan, you may begin reintroducing foods that the rest of your family can enjoy. Do this only with one food product at a time. Ask your family to be part of your support system for this first month.

N. You will be drinking at least 64 ounces of water each day. A big part of my success at losing weight I believe is lemon water. I also love Winn Dixie’s Clearly Prestige sparkling water beverage. It comes in 1 liter size with flavors: mandarin orange, white grape, country strawberry, zesty strawberry, key lime, and mellow peach. Wal-Mart also carries the flavored carbonated water with flavors of peach, black cherry, raspberry, strawberry, white grape, etc. Remember that the water is essential and no other liquids other than the flavored diet water may be used.

O. Everyday I reuse some of the empty water bottles to make my lemon water. I use Real Lemon concentrate to make a 2 quart Rubbermaid pitcher of lemon water daily. I fill water bottles 1/2 full nightly with the lemon water and freeze them for the next day. I keep the 2 quart pitcher in the refrigerator with lemon water and fill the frozen bottles with more lemon water. The frozen water is messy as it defrosts so I use wash cloths wrapped around them or under to catch the excess water.

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