Have not heard of it, but would like to.

....Jane

I will chime in because I am not a proponent of dieting . His claims that one can gain 12 # over the course of a holiday and then lose it in 17 days may have a very small bit of truth in it. Weight that is gained that quickly would primarily be fluid from high salt foods. It would be pretty easy to lose it as it would not be long term fat gain. That isn't possible in that short a time.

Think about it...if you are a normal weight , you don't have anything that you need to lose ... you then stuff yourself over a week or 2 and gain 12 #....come on...very unlikely that a person with healthy eating habits is going to gorge like this.

The person he is appealing to, wrongly I feel, is the person who has gained weight...for example your 20 # ,and wants to lose it. Now think how long it took to gain this weight. Most people pick up a few pounds a year for years. It took time to gain it....it takes time to lose it. Add to that the slowing of metabolism as we get older and you have your work cut out for you.

The one GOOD thing he stresses is exercise. He walks with his patients. The bad thing is they say to do 17 minutes of exercise a day. Sorry...that won't accomplish anything...it is a start but it will have to increase dramatically to have any effect on weight loss .Permanent change is what the person has to achieve. Lifestyle changes are the hardest to accomplish and the MOST rewarding.

Eating a well balanced and very modest intake of food and increasing your activity is the only way to lose weight and keep it off. Portions are the hardest thing to change. Folks eat WAY more than they think they do and they exercise way less than they think they do...for the most part. There are always exceptions.

See your MD first. Get a partner to help you stick with this. Keep a dairy of every single thing you put in your mouth. Start walking. Increase no more than 10 % per week of your activity level. Get good shoes and wear comfortable clothes. Do not weigh every day. Do not expect miracles. Expect to lose no more than 1-2 # a week and expect to hit flat places . Get a partner ! Good Luck ! You are already on the way....you want to lose the weight. c

Thank you trailrunner for your insights. You are right that it took me many years to put on 20#'s & I should not expect to loose them in a month or two. I know I need to increase my activity level. I started on my exercise bike a few weeks ago & injured the bottom of my foot, so definitely need to get good shoes before beginning again. I think I'll take your advice & for now start exercising & try eat smaller portions. Thanks!

Ruthy, I wish you all the best on your weight loss journey! I too echo Trailrunner's thoughts - I really don't like the thought of a diet; for me, the only thing that's ever really worked is changing my lifestyle. Kudos to you for getting on that exercise bike, and keep it up - with the proper shoes, of course! I also think that weight training is very important, especially for women as we age. And it's not only eating smaller portions, but making wiser choices about what we eat in the first place that makes the difference. You can eat so many natural, whole foods until you're satisfied, but "diets" are always so limiting and people feel they're missing out.

Hey ruthy...I am so sorry you hurt your foot. There is nothing more frustrating than being ready to get more active and then having an injury.

One other thing to consider as far as exercise. You have to move your body weight from one place to another. I hope this makes sense. Any activity that allows you to be stationary is OK for increasing your heart rate but that is all. You will see calories burned on the display. BUT....in order to get true fitness combined with weight loss as well as the benefit of bone health you have to actually pick up your body and move it. Swimming, treadmill and real cycling and walking outdoors all contribute. Unfortunately I see lots of folks using the stair master and the stationary bikes and the elliptical machines...they have very limited roles in fitness.

Make sure as Jen says and do weight training with guidance from someone who truly knows how to use weights. The benefit is 2 fold. You get increased muscle which burns more calories ( yeah) and you get bone health from weight bearing.

Wise choices in what we eat is so important as Jen states. That is why the diary is such a good idea. No one really wants to see that they have written down " 3 pieces of pepperoni pizza, 2 scoops chocolate ice cream..." LOL. So it does cause some serious re-thinking of diet.

Another consideration is " mouth feel" when eating. This is why the French woman's book was so popular years ago. When you eat small amounts of really good food it is WAY more satisfying than eating lots of diet artificial food. There is no equal to a well prepared meal that contains all healthy foods .

Please do post back and report your progress...you are already on your way with such a great outlook. c

trailrunner, who is the French woman you're referring to? TIA.

Hey Fly....here is a link to her website. She has some really good ideas and recipes. Her whole theory is that you should eat small amounts of " real" food prepared very well. Mouth feel and satisfaction are the keys to eating well and not gaining weight. Some folks tend to eat LOTS of cheap stuff to fill up instead of a few bites of something truly delicious. Works for me !

Here is a link that might be useful: Why French Women Don't Get Fat

An important thing to remember with any diet is that there is no "magic". It takes a 3500 calorie deficit to lose one pound. Likewise, you must take in 3500 calories more than you expend to gain a pound. Therefore you will lose one pound a week if you cut your calories by 500 below what you expend (500 x 7 = 3500). If you burn an additional 500 calories a day through additional exercise you should be able to lose 2 pounds a week. Any extra weight loss or gain should be attributable to excreting or retaining water.

What is the 17 Day Diet? (I know I could "google" it and find out myself, if I really wanted to!)

The last couple years, I've put on 15 pounds, much of it during the holidays. I'm 48 and am sure the extra weight is mostly a function of my age; I really haven't changed my eating habits much, although I certainly am guilty of stress eating at times. This year (2010 holidays), I resolved not to gain weight during the holidays. I was extra aware of what I ate, and I started a very modest walking program early in November, walking just half a mile every morning after watching my child get on the school bus. I weighed myself January 1, and my weight was the same as it was in November. So I met my goal of not gaining weight over the holidays this year. I knew better than to expect to actually lose weight during the holidays!

Since then, I've continued the walking and now have joined our local YMCA. Now I'm gradually adding some weight training and additional walking on their treadmill, as well as doing some stretches on my own at home. I weighed myself two days ago and had lost two pounds. I've decided to set a goal of losing two pounds each MONTH, rather than each WEEK, because I think I can maintain the gradual lifestyle changes which this slow weight loss would require. A best case scenario for me would be to lose around 15 to 20 pounds this year, at a rate of two pounds per month.

While walking this a.m, I noticed how much I was enjoying the walk and how good I'm starting to feel, even though I haven't made abrupt, sweeping changes. Slow and steady is the way for me, at my age!

gardening...everything you are doing is PERFECT ! Wow....you are following a plan that will meet with permanent success and you will be with out injury or problems throughout the program you have adopted. Congratulations....c