Weight-Loss Plan: Calorie Counting vs. Exercising
What's the most effective way to drop the pounds? Two MC staffers sign up for a 30-day challenge — one revamps her eating plan, the other joins the gym — to see who comes out the biggest loser.
Photo Credit: iStock
CALORIE CRUNCHER: Amy Grippo, 29
THE STATS:
Goal: Lose 10 pounds
Starting weight: 139 pounds
Height: 5'1"
Starting BMI: 26.3 (overweight)
Final BMI: 24.4 (normal)
Pounds lost: 10
THE CHALLENGE: I'll be honest: I hate to exercise! I count walking as my only form of real physical exertion. Yet I was eager to trim down for an upcoming vacation to Puerto Rico — and wanted to do it without hitting the gym. While I've never been one to crash diet, my relatives are big fans of low-carb/high-protein plans (like Michael Thurmond's regimen), so I've often followed along in the past — losing, then inevitably regaining the pounds when I stopped.
THE STRATEGY: I wanted a healthful, long-term plan, but I also needed to be bikini-ready in just six weeks. I gravitated to the Mayo Clinic Diet, the trusted hospital's first-ever weight-loss book, because it isn't a rigid eat-this-not-that meal plan, but more of a food-pyramid-inspired puzzle. And thank God, it also doesn't rule out alcohol. I could consume 1200 calories a day, which were divvied up into servings: four or more servings of fruits and vegetables, four servings of carbs, and just three servings of protein, dairy, and fats. It was up to me to decide how to make meals out of these. (And while the plan does recommend exercise, I didn't make any significant changes to my physical activity, save for walking instead of driving when doing errands, which totaled less than three miles in a week.) Still, I needed help getting started, so I called up Jennifer Nelson, R.D., and coauthor of the book, to coach me through it.
THE HARD PART: I leveled with Jennifer from the start — the weekends have always been my waistline's worst enemy. I dine out most Friday and Saturday nights with friends and have standing Sunday dinners with my Italian in-laws. This translates to three days of fried foods, pasta, and Amstel Lights. Plus, portion control has just never been in my vocabulary. Weekdays are better — my husband and I make an effort to cook everything or rely on Sunday's leftovers (of which there are plenty) as a way to save money. But I typically work late two weeks out of every month and often resort to gluttonous takeout, like steak tacos from the nearby burrito spot.
THE EXECUTION: I quickly realized that planning ahead was the key to a healthy routine. I even started brown-bagging dinner on nights I was putting in overtime at the office. Sunday evenings became dominated by three hours of prep work to make a week's worth of meals from Mayo's accompanying Fix-It and Enjoy-It! Healthy Cookbook. The morning glory breakfast muffins and turkey meatloaf proved to be both satisfying and tasty. And each recipe comes with a helpful servings and calories breakdown, so there was never any guesswork. Since alcohol is considered a sweet — which the Mayo plan recommends keeping to 75 calories or less — I had to cut back from another meal in order to have more than one glass of Pinot Grigio with dinner. No exceptions.
THE RESULTS: The calculated effort paid off. Within the first four days, I lost 2 pounds. I hit a plateau in the third week — the scale wouldn't budge past 134 pounds — but a week later, I was able to crack it and dropped down to 132. All without any concerted exercise! I was diligent about my diet but not perfect — I snuck meatballs and pumpkin pie at Sunday dinners, but skipped the seconds. The scale speaks for itself.
THE FUTURE: While I'll let myself veer off course in Puerto Rico, I vow to keep going when I return. Besides, my husband keeps begging me to remake the Italian bean and potato salad. Maybe I'll bring it to the in-laws'.
CALORIE FACT: 85 PERCENT OF DIETERS LOST 10 TO 50 POUNDS WITHOUT EXERCISING, ACCORDING TO A STUDY AT TUFTS UNIVERSITY.
NEXT PAGE: IS EXERCISE THE KEY TO WEIGHT LOSS?
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