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• The 3-Apple-a-Day GI Diet is a balance of lean proteins, low-GI and high-fibre carbohydrates, and essential fats.
• Eat three apples per day, one before each major meal.
• Apples are full of fibre—4 to 5 grams each—and fibre has been shown to be effective in weight loss.
• Being overfat, not just overweight, brings a higher risk of obesity-related diseases.
• Avoid the scales for measuring your fitness progress. Use the tape measure instead.
• Genetics has only a small influence on becoming overfat. You have 70 per cent control.
• Muscle tissue burns more calories than does fat tissue.
• Weight training builds muscle tissue.
By the age of 35, you will have lost approximately 5 pounds of muscle. For each pound of muscle lost, you lose the ability to burn 40 to 60 calories per day. So 5 pounds of muscle times 40 to 60 calories per day equals 200 to 300 calories less that your body is able to burn per day. By the age of 50, you may have lost 25 pounds of muscle, reducing your calorie-burning ability by 1,000 calories. You may begin to notice that you eat less, but you are getting fatter. Although this may be somewhat exaggerated, I think you get the point.
But all is not lost. Weight training increases muscle mass, which increases your ability to burn calories. It’s possible to minimize, even reverse, some of the damage from inactivity—if you start now!
If your goal is permanent fat loss, weight training is the answer, and it is a vital part of the 3-Apple-a-Day GI Diet (see Part IV on exercise).
PART II MENTAL PREPARATION (#ulink_34b80ba1-731f-5893-8eb1-8dc14898b13f)
CHAPTER 4 (#ulink_f80c481c-9bbf-54b6-a7d0-41f7d7617901)
You Have the Power! (#ulink_f80c481c-9bbf-54b6-a7d0-41f7d7617901)
If your eating habits have been less than healthy, you have the power to make the change! Every step you take to improve your health will get you closer to adding life into your years. The foods you choose, along with your activity level, will determine whether you become fat or not. The most notable causes of being overfat or obese are lack of proper diet and lack of physical activity. Thank goodness these are things you can change. If you can visualize it, you can become it!
Being an obese, out-of-control Type 2 diabetic, I talked with my doctor, who said he could no longer help me, I had to help myself. Then I heard the words “train like an athlete”. So I started practising being an athlete—started a food and exercise journal, joined the gym, bought athletic clothes so I could look like an athlete, and after work and days off I would change into my athletic clothes to feel like an athlete. So who cares if I looked like the Pillsbury Doughboy
? In my mind I was an athlete.
—Donald Housden, age 55, lost 33 pounds,
and is now an athlete
Getting and staying motivated
How do you get motivated and stay motivated? Motivation comes from within. Webster’s Dictionary defines “motivation” as “a mental force to induce an act or purpose”. “Inspiration” is any influence that inspires thought or action. What inspires you?
I have found that my clients are inspired by money, family, and other people’s successes. In the beginning, you may be motivated to win (through a bet) or to look like someone else (if they can do it, so can I), or you may believe that if you can make a change it will help inspire your family to change. But what will really keep you progressing towards your goal is how good you’ll feel as the changes add up.
Some people are naturally self-motivated and others need a little extra help from outside influences. Here are a few ideas that may inspire you to get started:
• Try a walkathon.
• Train for a marathon.
• Shape up for your class reunion.
• Work out with your significant other.
• Decide to improve your family’s eating habits.
• Aim to fit into your smallest clothes size.
• Read the success stories in Part V.
TIP: Find something or someone that inspires you. Health clubs can be inspirational because you’re surrounded by people with a common interest—getting healthy!
Are timelines a good thing?
Does focusing on a short period of time, such as 12 weeks instead of a lifetime, prove unsuccessful for permanent fat loss? It all depends on whether you are enjoying the experience of getting fit or struggling throughout the entire process. You may be highly motivated when you first start a new diet or exercise program, but maybe your motivation dissipates over time if you cannot see or feel results.
Most people who start the 3-Apple-a-Day GI Diet adjust over the first few weeks and are excited by how good they feel. For some, it’s more difficult, especially if they’ve never exercised or been aware of their eating habits. On the other hand, if they finish the 12 weeks, they are thrilled with their progress. And more important, most of them maintain their results.
Twelve weeks will pass by anyway, so why not do something during that time that will make a difference in how you look and feel? Think of 12 weeks as just the beginning of a lifetime of healthy behaviours.
TIP: Set small, realistic, short-term goals that will lead you to your major goal. If you bite off more than you can chew, it can be overwhelming!
CHAPTER 5 (#ulink_15c3a40e-76bc-58eb-9494-25cd32503b6e)
The Importance of Setting Goals (#ulink_15c3a40e-76bc-58eb-9494-25cd32503b6e)
Health versus fitness
What is your goal in following the 3-Apple-a-Day GI Diet? Do you want to improve your health or improve your fitness? This is an important question because the answer helps determine what goals to set. You can improve your health by making simple or major changes such as adding or increasing activity, improving diet, quitting smoking, reducing stress, getting adequate rest, and laughing.
Yes, laughing. According to William Fry, MD, professor at Stanford University, who has conducted 50 years of laughter research, laughter conditions the heart muscle, exercises the lungs, works all the abdominal thoracic muscles, boosts the immune system, and even increases adrenaline and blood flow to the brain. Humour can add years to your life! Many of these changes will show up in improved mental health status but not necessarily as a noticeable physical change.
Fitness improvements may take more effort. But the resulting change in body fat, increased muscle tissue, cardiovascular and respiratory efficiency, and improved mental alertness will all be worth the extra sweat!
That said, fitness goals require fitness-oriented strategies, including a regular exercise routine, a well-balanced meal plan, adequate rest, and a plan of action. The 3-Apple-a-Day GI Diet is designed for fitness-oriented people, but most people can use this plan for health improvements, too.
Determining your goals
Do you want to run to your goal or walk? In other words, do you want to achieve your goal quickly or make gradual changes? Goals need to be set according to what you are planning to accomplish. The 3-Apple-a-Day GI Diet was designed for people who want to lose body fat and keep their muscle tissue. The following examples may give you some ideas for setting goals:
1. Although weight loss should not be the primary focus, most health experts agree that 1 or 2 pounds of weight loss per week is safe and healthy. Rapid and extreme weight loss can also result in muscle loss, which is often associated with low-calorie meal plans.
TIP: Make your goals specific and measurable so you’ll know what you’ve achieved.
2. Reducing your clothes size is a measurable goal. Get out your smallest-size clothes so they’re visible. If you can see it, you can achieve it!
3. Waist, hip, and thigh reduction—measure those areas and try to lose one inch per month in your “problem” area (waist or hips).
4. Lower your cholesterol, blood pressure, or blood sugar by starting a regular exercise routine.
5. Increase your daily energy by improving your eating exercise and habits. You can measure your progress by keeping a food and exercise journal (see the section on journaling later in this chapter).
6. Gain strength or increase lean muscle tissue through weight training. Improvements can be measured by increased weights lifted or body composition testing.
7. Commit to eating breakfast every day.
8. Switch the nightly food binge to fruits, vegetables, or lean proteins only.
9. Reduce body fat to the healthy range—women 17 to 24 per cent, men 14 to 20 per cent.
10. Exercise for 20 minutes during your lunch hour every day.
The list can go on. It may take several small goals to achieve your results. I call these “mini-goals”.
Put it in writing
A great way to launch a new health-and-fitness regime is to commit yourself to it on paper. That’s what the 3-Apple-a-Day Personal Contract is all about.
When filling out your contract, first start by determining what you’d really like to achieve—your ultimate goal. All mini-goals will be set to lead to your main objective. Think of it as walking up stairs—eventually you reach the top. How long it takes will depend on what your ultimate goal is. Take some time to think realistically about your goals. If you decide you want to lose 50 pounds but you’ve never been that light, then this type of goal may not be realistic in a short time frame. An example of the contract is on the next page.
Tammi’s Personal Contract
1. Tammi Flynn, plan to accomplish my ultimate goal of competing in a mini-triathlon. To reach this goal, I have established several mini-goals, which are as follows: 1. Continue the 3-Apple-a-Day GI Diet.
2. Start swimming on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 6 A.M.
3. Increase my biking to four days per week, 45 minutes each. I am beginning my journey on Monday, July 5, to reach my ultimate goal by September 18. I will continue to move forward and redefine my goals. My motivation level is extremely high. As I reach each of my mini-goals, I will reward myself weekly by getting a massage.
Signed by: Tammi Flynn
Date: July 1.
Support person: husband, Dan
The 3-Apple-a-Day GI Diet Personal Contract
I, __________, plan to accomplish my ultimate goal of _______________. To reach this goal, I have established several mini-goals, which are as follows: 1._______________. 2. _______________. 3. _______________. I am beginning my journey on this date: _________________________. I would like to reach my ultimate goal by this date: _________. If I don’t make this date, I will continue to move forward and redefine my goals. My motivation level is [circle one] high very high extremely high. As I reach each of my mini-goals, I will reward myself
by ______________________________.
Signed by: ____________________
Date: ___________________________________
Support person:
(#ulink_cc655a05-e52d-5198-a1a9-eb751cf1db35) _________________________
Find someone to lean on
The Personal Contract has a place for the name of a support person. This person should not only cheer you on but also hold you accountable to your contract for as long as you want him or her to. My husband, Dan, is my support person, and he takes care of the kids in the mornings so I can go swimming. He also checks my training journal each week.
Give yourself a treat
Finally, think about how you will reward yourself for reaching your goals. Just make sure your reward isn’t an unhealthy choice and a step in the wrong direction. Some positive rewards include a massage (my favourite!), a manicure, or a good book. One of my clients hires a babysitter every Friday afternoon for two hours so she can do whatever she wants. It’s usually shopping!
Journaling prevents “amnesia”
Keeping a food and exercise journal is a key way to stick with your plan. Writing down an accurate record of your intake of food and beverages daily and recording the calories, protein, fat, carbohydrates, and fibre will help you become more aware of what is in the foods you eat.
Writing it down will also hold you accountable for what you have been eating or drinking. Although you may have good intentions, what you intend and what you actually do may be two different things. I call this “amnesia”. An exercise journal works the same way. You’ll know if you are making progress by keeping records of where you were when you started. In the Appendix, you’ll find a sample form for keeping a food and beverage record (Appendix (#litres_trial_promo)).
Tips from Past Contest Winners at Gold’s Gym
1. Keep a food and exercise journal. This keeps you accountable and on track.
2. Focus on a specific goal. Visualize your end result. Keep reminding yourself that you are committed to achieving that goal.
3. Plan, prepare, and commit.
Plan what you want to accomplish (goal), how long it will take you (time line), and how you can accomplish your goal (specific program).
Prepare—know what you’ll be eating and when you’ll be exercising daily. Prepare meals ahead of time and plan your workout before you get to the gym.
Commit—make a contract with yourself, spouse, children, or trainer to accomplish your goals. Again, be specific and use this contract to hold yourself accountable.
If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. —Nancy Vanhoven, group fitness instructor, Gold’s Gym of Wenatchee, Washington
Don’t kid yourself
A frustrated client e-mailed me saying she had been following the plan but wasn’t making any progress. I asked if she was writing anything down. She wasn’t. I asked her to keep a journal and send it to me after a few days so I could see where she might be struggling. No wonder she hadn’t made progress! Her journal indicated that she ate almost everything out of a box or a container! Except for eating two apples per day, she wasn’t following the plan at all. In addition, she hadn’t changed her exercise program (walking) for over a year. I made some suggestions in order to accommodate her busy schedule (the reason for her dependence on convenience foods) and food preferences. A few weeks later, she e-mailed back to say, happily I might add, that she had finally started seeing some results.
Again, your intentions may be good, but writing it down is the only way to outsmart your biased and forgetful mind!
Breaking barriers and excuses, excuses, excuses!
Why is it that when we start an exercise or food program we often don’t follow through (as in “it seemed like a good idea at the time”)? There are a few legitimate reasons that may be out of your control that can inhibit you from reaching your goals—such as illness or certain disabilities. But mostly, barriers are excuses that keep you in your comfort zone—or rather, out of your discomfort zone! Changing eating and exercise habits may be one of the most difficult challenges you’ll experience. But remember, the rewards you’ll gain far outweigh those initial struggles.
Here are some of the common controllable barriers that factor into changing your lifestyle habits:
• Not enough time to exercise. Exercise needs to be a priority just like brushing your teeth!
• Too intimidated to go to the gym because you’re out of shape. Start walking or working out at home with exercise videos. But remember that a good gym can offer professional help to guide you to your goals.
• The belief that you need a diet very low in calories in order to lose weight. Eating too few calories is a sure way to lose valuable muscle tissue. Women need at least 1,200 calories per day, and men need at least 1,800.
• Environment. You’re surrounded by a feasting society. Fast foods and quick-food markets are loaded with high-fat, high-sugar, nutrient-light temptations. When you plan ahead and prepare your meals yourself, the temptations will become less, and you will not have to rely on willpower.
• No energy or too tired. The first thing many people notice when they start following the 3-Apple-a-Day GI Diet is that they have more energy. Get started, you’ll see!
