Just Tell Me What to Eat!
The Delicious 6-Week Weight Loss Plan for the Real World
Timothy S. Harlan, MD, FACP has counseled thousands of his patients on healthy, sustainable weight loss. Now he's compiled his best tips and recipes into a six-week plan for you to learn how to eat great food that just happens to be great for you.
Get the prescription for better health as well as healthy weight loss, including:
- What to eat
- How to cook it
- When to eat it
- What to eat at a restaurant
- What to eat if you're in a hurry
- and best of all....
- Why eating great food is the best health decision you'll ever make.
Elaine's Blog:
Following the Just Tell Me What
to Eat! Plan
Tips for the Maintenance Stage
It's been six months since I began the Dr. Gourmet Just Tell Me What To Eat! plan. I'm maintaining my weight at 134, a 14-pound reduction from my starting weight of 148. Perhaps more significantly, I'm not using medication to control high blood pressure and cholesterol. Here's what I'm learning that I want to share with others:
1. After you master weight loss, get started on a strength-training routine.
2. Keep drinking the water: at least a full bottles-worth every day at work.
3. Eat at home.
4. Be prepared to spend more at the grocery store at first (and less at restaurants). Your grocery bill may be a shock to you but don't let that deter you. It takes time and resources to maintain health and preparing meals at home and enjoying them with your family is an important part of good health.
5. To save money on produce, we shopped at Walmart (Yes!).
6. Your pantry is going to change over time as you acquire the right kinds of oil, equipment and spices.
7. Plant herbs: cilantro, parsley, thyme, oregano, and chives. You will need them for the recipes and dried herbs are not a substitute for fresh.
As the quality of foods in your pantry improves, you will find that you have the ingredients on hand for most meals, to the point that you are gradually spending less at the grocery store. For example, this week we selected three recipes on Sunday (our new routine). We only needed to purchase about six ingredients to prepare three meals.
8. Purchase the equipment you need and keep your knives sharp. This includes a food processor, a good grater, an implement to zest lemons and limes, a juicer, pizza stone, 10" cast iron skillet, large non-stick skillet, a good thermometer which can gauge water at 110 degrees (for pizza), a container which measures 2 quarts (for preparing pasta), measuring cups for liquid and dry (not the same) and measuring spoons, containers to store the dry beans, legumes, nuts and grains you'll be purchasing, a spice rack to help you locate all the spices you'll use, and a non-stick spatula for your non-stick pan.
Finally, 9. One of the most important tips of all: Train your husband to prepare meals!