Getting Started: Shock Week

When I was deliberating how to start this whole life-changing process, kind of like testing the water with my toes, I did my fair share of research. I'd never dieted, I'd never been great at keeping momentum over a long period of time, and my biggest problem was that I wasn't sure where to start.

But what a lot of different diet regimes have in common is something I've labeled, "shock week".  Once you've decided when you'll begin (and for me it's easier to start out at the first of the week), then you need to commit to following through for seven days. Short enough for our first commitment, but for the diet-beginner it will seem like a long time half-way into your first day when your cravings kick in. This means checking nutrutional labels, it means no more junk-food gorging, this means soda-prohibition, this means eating the healthiest you've ever eaten in your life. 

SHOCK WEEK:

Stay under 1000 calories each day, and under 10 grams of processed and natural sugar. Low fat, low carbs, low sodium, gluten-free if possible. Increase your water intake to 12 cups. 

(Remember, this is only recommended for the first week, after which you need to maintain a healthy calorie-intake for your size and weight. Use the calculator at everydayhealth.com to find out what yours is. Starting shock week is a promise that you will continue to improve eating habits from this point on. It is very unhealthy to shock diet for an extended period of time and then resume your old eating habits. That typically results in more weight gain. Shock week is meant to jump-start your routine and wean you off all those extra calories that your body does not need.) 

In short, you'll be eating things like egg whites, tuna, chicken or turkey breast, salad, oatmeal, vegetables and go very easy on the fruits just for this week. No frying allowed! You'll be snacking on things like raw almonds and air-popped popcorn and celery. Low-sugar yogurt and Quakes were a real treat for me on shock week. I'd count out ten mini rice cakes and make them last all day - so whenever a craving hit I'd eat one or two. Also, gum saved my life. 

Try to mind your calories as well as you can and keep your intake small and somewhat bland. Being the food lover that I am, and someone who seasons almost everything, that was the hardest part for me. But I made up for the cravings by using lemon pepper on my meats, honey or stevia and cinnamon in my oatmeal, banana peppers or vinegar on my salad, calorie/sugar-free sprinkled seasonings on my popcorn, and things like that. 

During shock week, not only is your mind starting to differentiate between hunger-eating and boredom/stress eating, but your stomach is being trained to want less food, and your palate is being trained not to crave unhealthy foods, particularly sweets, on a regular basis.

At the end of the week, feel proud! Even if you caved in here and there, feel proud - and make sure to reward yourself with a little something yummy. During the rest of your weight-loss dieting you will be able to eat more calories per day...but it's funny, you won't want to go back to gorging because at the end of the week you will feel different. Better. I know I did.

Keep powering through and keep a good attitude. Your hard work will payoff.