I took two weeks off Lite'n'Easy over the Christmas/new Year period because it would all pretty much go to waste otherwise. I also planned to set up for my transition to the Real Age weight loss program from January 1st, with the theory that long-term health strategies are more important than BMI. I still believe that, but think I'm not ready for that just yet for two reasons, and with one caveat.
The last first - the Real Age program and website are most definitely aimed at an American audience, which makes sense because that's where their market is and where they're based. It does, however, mean that some of their empirical research is less relevant for an Australian consumer. There is, for example (and wholly understandably) no information on kangaroo meat, which is high in protein, very low in fat (around 2%), high in conjugated linoleic acid, and an environmentally sound product.
Differences in farming practices here and in the US also mean that Real Age restrictions on dairy products, particularly milk, are not supported by research, because our cattle are predominantly and primarily fed on grass, while US cattle are far more likely to be grain-fed, which significantly alters the nutritional composition of both the meat and the milk - products of grain-fed cattle tend to be generally higher in fat, particularly saturated fat, higher in cholesterol, lower in antioxidants and omega-3, and lower in vitamins A and E.
The Real Age weight loss diet, featured in the book and on the website, provides 1032 to 1624 calories per day. However, according to their calculator, I need to consume 2,820 calories to maintain my current weight and 2,360 calories per day if I'm aiming to weigh 75k; if I'm looking at an end weight of 60k (which is more in line with my 'ideal' BMI) then it's 2,129 calories a day. If I up the exercise from Active (3-5 times per week) to 'Very Active (6-7 times/week) those counts become 3,349 calories, 2,802 calories and 2,528 calories respectively.
That all sounds like too many calories to me, but it also sounds like there's a bit gap between their diet and the energy requirements they calculate I need.
In addition, like the majority of diet programs, there's a variety of menu options, all of which are difficult for a single person to juggle - soup recipes serve four, some meals provide eight portions, and my freezer's only so big.
The biggest reason that I'm holding off before embracing the Real Age program in toto, though, is my reaction to going shopping on Christmas Eve. I decided to take some cheese and dip in to work to celebrate/commiserate our night. My supermarket visits over the past twelve months have all been focused - I've gone in to buy a specific item: milk, breakfast cereal etc. December 24th was the first time I'd gone to the supermarket to browse in three months, and I found the experience curiously overwhelming. There was just so much stuff, and so many options! I ended up spending about $100, on three kinds of (relatively low-fat) dips, brie, crackers, corn chips, cherry tomatoes, peas, dried apricots, baklava, and delicious peanut butter and puffed rice balls enrobed in Belgian chocolate.
As I wrote yesterday, one of the most valuable aspects for me of Lite'n'Easy is not needing to make any decisions about what I'll eat, except for five minutes a week, at a time when there's no imminent food as a result (as opposed, for example, to ordering from a menu at a restaurant).
I don't think I'm ready to meal plan, at least not full time. Instead I've decided to go with a transition stage - for the rest of this week I'll do a little targeted grocery shopping, combined with making room in the freezer. I can see my chicken soup featuring a few times, and a couple of kangaroo kebabs, as well as perhaps some fresh fish and maybe even a little haloumi on a bed of baby spinach. I've also got edamame in the freezer, alongside a bag of Quorn mince - I'm sure I can come up with something to cook there. though not, perhaps, using both ingredients.
Then I'll go back to Lite'n'Easy five days a week, so that I don't have to think about what I'm eating on work days; the other two days will feature Real Age suggestions blended with my own creations. The scale will determine where I go from there - if my weight loss at the end of January has been is stable or accelerates I'll continue, and if it drops off I'll return to all Lite'n'Easy all the time. I know weight loss begins to plateau in time, but I'm compensating for that by returning to exercise. I only hope I haven't lost a lot of ground in the past month. - Alex
The last first - the Real Age program and website are most definitely aimed at an American audience, which makes sense because that's where their market is and where they're based. It does, however, mean that some of their empirical research is less relevant for an Australian consumer. There is, for example (and wholly understandably) no information on kangaroo meat, which is high in protein, very low in fat (around 2%), high in conjugated linoleic acid, and an environmentally sound product.
Differences in farming practices here and in the US also mean that Real Age restrictions on dairy products, particularly milk, are not supported by research, because our cattle are predominantly and primarily fed on grass, while US cattle are far more likely to be grain-fed, which significantly alters the nutritional composition of both the meat and the milk - products of grain-fed cattle tend to be generally higher in fat, particularly saturated fat, higher in cholesterol, lower in antioxidants and omega-3, and lower in vitamins A and E.
The Real Age weight loss diet, featured in the book and on the website, provides 1032 to 1624 calories per day. However, according to their calculator, I need to consume 2,820 calories to maintain my current weight and 2,360 calories per day if I'm aiming to weigh 75k; if I'm looking at an end weight of 60k (which is more in line with my 'ideal' BMI) then it's 2,129 calories a day. If I up the exercise from Active (3-5 times per week) to 'Very Active (6-7 times/week) those counts become 3,349 calories, 2,802 calories and 2,528 calories respectively.
That all sounds like too many calories to me, but it also sounds like there's a bit gap between their diet and the energy requirements they calculate I need.
In addition, like the majority of diet programs, there's a variety of menu options, all of which are difficult for a single person to juggle - soup recipes serve four, some meals provide eight portions, and my freezer's only so big.
The biggest reason that I'm holding off before embracing the Real Age program in toto, though, is my reaction to going shopping on Christmas Eve. I decided to take some cheese and dip in to work to celebrate/commiserate our night. My supermarket visits over the past twelve months have all been focused - I've gone in to buy a specific item: milk, breakfast cereal etc. December 24th was the first time I'd gone to the supermarket to browse in three months, and I found the experience curiously overwhelming. There was just so much stuff, and so many options! I ended up spending about $100, on three kinds of (relatively low-fat) dips, brie, crackers, corn chips, cherry tomatoes, peas, dried apricots, baklava, and delicious peanut butter and puffed rice balls enrobed in Belgian chocolate.
As I wrote yesterday, one of the most valuable aspects for me of Lite'n'Easy is not needing to make any decisions about what I'll eat, except for five minutes a week, at a time when there's no imminent food as a result (as opposed, for example, to ordering from a menu at a restaurant).
I don't think I'm ready to meal plan, at least not full time. Instead I've decided to go with a transition stage - for the rest of this week I'll do a little targeted grocery shopping, combined with making room in the freezer. I can see my chicken soup featuring a few times, and a couple of kangaroo kebabs, as well as perhaps some fresh fish and maybe even a little haloumi on a bed of baby spinach. I've also got edamame in the freezer, alongside a bag of Quorn mince - I'm sure I can come up with something to cook there. though not, perhaps, using both ingredients.
Then I'll go back to Lite'n'Easy five days a week, so that I don't have to think about what I'm eating on work days; the other two days will feature Real Age suggestions blended with my own creations. The scale will determine where I go from there - if my weight loss at the end of January has been is stable or accelerates I'll continue, and if it drops off I'll return to all Lite'n'Easy all the time. I know weight loss begins to plateau in time, but I'm compensating for that by returning to exercise. I only hope I haven't lost a lot of ground in the past month. - Alex
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