And it’s still true that the safest, most effective way to lose weight and keep it off is to do so slowly. But all of us occasionally feel the need to drop pounds fast—like in time for that second honeymoon sneaking up in three short weeks. If that’s the case, remember what the weight loss experts say: Not all crash diets are created equal. Juice fasts, cabbage soup plans, and herbal fat-burning pills are still big no-no’s. Instead, consider the following less extreme methods used by the nation’s top weight loss experts. Their crash diet and weight maintenance secrets are safe, effective—and sure to work for you, too. Kara Gallagher, PhD Assistant Professor of Exercise Physiology at the University of Louisville What gets me off track Vacations. I just gained four pounds in Paris. I walked everywhere—almost 30,000 steps a day—so I thought I could eat everything, even creamy cheeses and desserts at night. (I suspect the reason French women are thin is not because they’re eating right—it’s because they smoke!) In the end, I was still consuming more than I could burn off. [sidebar]Crash diet plan Salads—they’re the perfect antidote to a week of no-holds-barred eating. I also ban desserts, so if my sweet tooth is aching, I’ll eat strawberries, raspberries, kiwifruit, or melon, which curb my cravings for rich, high-calorie desserts. Starch is out, but protein is in; lean meats, fish, and yogurt promote weight loss because they sit in your stomach longer, so you tend to stay full longer. Another way to feel full on fewer calories is to keep fat between 20 and 25 g a day. That’s the equivalent of a few slices of avocado, a 4-ounce piece of salmon, and a handful of walnuts or almonds. Maintenance plan I weigh and measure the food I eat, so I don’t overpour the olive oil, salad dressing, or wine. When we go out to eat, my boyfriend and I split an entrée (unless we’re in Paris—hey, sometimes prix fixe meals are too good to pass up!). I also exercise six days a week: I tend to do a 40-minute run and some sort of weight training at the gym four times a week, and a mind-body fitness class, such as yoga or Pilates, once or twice a week. [pagebreak] Caroline M. Apovian, MD Director, Center for Nutrition and Weight Management at Boston Medical Center What gets me off track Drinking. A few years ago, I would frequently have one or two glasses of wine at night with dinner, at about 120 calories per glass. Not coincidentally, I weighed 10 pounds more than I do now. Crash diet plan Stop drinking empty calories. I never drink soda, but I make sure I kick fruit juice and alcohol, too. Liquid sugar is not satiating, and your brain doesn’t register that you’ve consumed calories the way it would if you actually ate food; cutting it out is the quickest, easiest fix I know. Maintenance plan Exercise every day for at least an hour—if I don’t do that I know I’ll blow up. Luckily, I love physical activity, and because on a typical day I either run for six miles or swim for an hour, I don’t worry about food. That’s my secret: Work out like you were born to do it. Oz Garcia, PhD Nutritionist and author of Look and Feel Fabulous Forever What gets me off track My love affair with carbohydrates. I crave the Cuban food I grew up on—rice, beans, and fried bananas—and I also love high-quality chocolate desserts. Crash diet plan A low-carb, high-seafood diet. Fish is high in protein and low in saturated fat, and it’s rich in a nutrient called DMAE, which is good for your brain. I cut out all starch such as potatoes, bagels, cereal, and pasta. I grill fish, lobster, and shrimp in olive oil, because I don’t worry if there’s a little fat in my diet—as long as it’s not saturated fat from butter or red meat. I’ll balance the fish with a fresh Greek salad or a salad made with roasted vegetables and firm stir-fried tofu. Maintenance plan Lots of simple, fresh ingredients and fewer processed foods. If I’m craving starch, I’ll have basmati rice or a seven-bean soup instead of bread, because these foods are lower on the glycemic index, meaning they’ll stick with me longer. I also try to keep up the fish diet by having sashimi (sushi without rice) for dinner a couple of nights a week. I reach for healthy snacks such as nuts and dried fruit. The linchpin of this whole routine is walking to and from work—4 miles a day—then heading to the gym two or three times a week for upper-body training and some ab work on a stability ball.[pagebreak] Madelyn Fernstrom, PhD Director, Weight Management Center at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center What gets me off track Stress. When I’m overwhelmed, I munch mindlessly on snack foods like Hershey’s Kisses and pistachios, especially at night. Then my pants get a little snug, and the number on the scale is the reality check I dread seeing. Crash diet plan Structured eating instead of stressed snacking. I make sure I’m sitting down to three complete meals, at more or less the same time each day, and two small snacks. Spreading out my food intake throughout the day means I’m never ravenous. Speedy weight loss comes when I eat more fruits and vegetables and minimize starchy carbohydrates—even fiber-rich varieties like whole grains. The reason: The body needs more water to digest the nutrients in starch, so eating less of it creates a fluid loss, which means I’ll lose a pound or two almost immediately. That’s enough to give me a mental boost. Because I’m a night eater, I try to give myself a bit of a treat every night so that I don’t feel deprived. One of my favorite evening treats is a 100-calorie package of microwave popcorn or chips, which I eat one by one. Maintenance plan I monitor my weight by tuning into the difference between “head hunger” and “biological hunger.” Chances are, if I ate recently, it’s the former and has a psychological cause: Am I bored? Stressed? Tired? I work to solve that problem without food.[pagebreak] Carolyn Williams, RN A weight loss coach in the department of endocrinology at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, AZ What gets me off track Going home for a visit. I’ve always been pleasantly plump, but after graduate school my body inflated. I remade my life and lost half my body weight, but maintaining my new weight of 165 pounds is a constant challenge. Flying home is especially tough, because eating is what my family always did together. As soon as I step into our rural Pennsylvania kitchen, memories of comfort food ignite my cravings, and before I realize it, my hand will be in the cookie jar and my sister will be bringing out double-fudge something. Then we’ll head over to the all-you-can-eat buffet, and boom—I’ve gained back five pounds. Crash diet plan Extreme portion control. With every meal, I make sure I’m eating just enough protein to fit into the palm of my hand. Protein promotes weight loss because it’s more satiating than carbs and your body burns more calories digesting it. I’ll also drink lots of water—at least 75 ounces a day. It doesn’t always make me feel less hungry, but it does make me feel healthier, which, in turn, makes me desire wholesome food. I aim to consume about 500 calories a day less than normal, and I’ll try to burn an extra 500 calories a day, which means I can probably lose almost five pounds in two weeks. Maintenance plan I eat the foods that I love—like pizza—but I prepare them so that they’re low in calories. After seeing a psychologist, I learned that I’d never be successful at maintaining my weight loss until I learned to work within what I like to eat. For example, Atkins didn’t work for me. Now I know it’s because I don’t really like meat. I worry too much about the cow that had to die to feed me. What I do like: bread and carbs. It took years, but I’ve finally come to terms with my need to eat pizza. But instead of ordering the heavily crusted kind that’s brought to your door, I make it myself and load it with veggies. It’s almost as easy and much healthier, but it also takes more forethought, which wards off mindless eating.[pagebreak] John Foreyt, PhD Director, Behavioral Medicine Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine What gets me off track Traveling. Recently I went to California for a conference, and I started sneaking desserts and pasta with lots and lots of butter. The extra calories and fat combined with no exercise had an immediate impact on my waistline. Crash diet plan Meal replacements—a 180-calorie SlimFast for breakfast, and, if I’m really in a hurry to lose, I’ll have one for lunch, too. For dinner, I’ll prepare a salad with oil and vinegar, a lean steak, and grilled vegetables. If I do that for a couple of weeks, I’ll lose weight like gangbusters. Certainly, a lot of it is just water weight, but it will improve the way my clothes fit, and it’s extremely motivating to see that number drop on the scale. Maintenance plan I like to have a SlimFast for breakfast, because it’s fast, preportioned calories. Then for lunch and dinner, I try to eat a normal, balanced meal, such as grilled chicken, a baked potato, and a vegetable and salad. I try not to have more than 2,200 total calories for the day. If I eat dessert one night, I make up for it by doing two meal replacements—using either SlimFast or a bowl of cereal—the next day. More from Prevention: How To Lose The Last 10 Pounds For Good
