Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Successful Dieters Master The Art Of Food Preparation


Body For Life Challenger (Before & After) 12 Weeks!


I have previously mentioned consistency as an important element in success. This is especially true with weight loss. It's quite common to make a step forward with a week of positive habits and then take a step back (or two) by letting yourself slide for a few days. Many dieters never get to see the true potential of a consistent, healthy, whole foods diet for two main reasons.

1) They decide to give up because they have unrealistic expectations. Many dieters believe weight loss is perfect. They expect 1-2 pounds of weight loss every week. That means in four weeks they should have lost up to 8 pounds. And if they only have lost 2 pounds by week four, they give up altogether. Sounds reasonable, right? I've seen 5, 6 and even 7 pounds literally fall off individuals on week eight. If you're consistently doing the right things it will happen, just not always the way you expect it.

2) The second and probably the biggest detriment to successful weight loss is lack of meal preparation. In order for your body to decide hormonally to let go of stored body fat, it must have a consistent and adequate nutrient supply being delivered. That means small meals spaced throughout the day. Unfortunately, it takes a lot of work. Most of us have busy schedules with family and work obligations. The only way to be successful is to plan ahead. That means you will have to have some degree of preparation.

A Lesson From Body For Life

One of the most successful diet system I've experienced is the Body For Life program. Actually, Body For Life is a complete transformation system that completely changed those that took their "challenge". When you first viewed before and after photos of the participants your first thought was disbelief. I would show people the results that were possible and it was common to hear," that's not even the same person"or " that photos been altered". The transformations were that outstanding. After trying their system over 15 years ago for the first time I became convinced that steady nutrition is the foundation for how our body looks . The results from the consistency of diet and a progression exercise program were truly unbelievable.

The key component to the Body For Life program was a perfectly balanced diet. The system called for 6 evenly spaced meals throughout the day. Each meal consisted of a high quality protein and a high fiber carbohydrate. Every meal was between 300 - 500 calories and mainly consisted of whole foods such as lean/low fat meats, lots of vegetables and moderate amounts of starches as whole grains.


Those that took the BFL challenge were everyday people with families, jobs and personal lives. In order for them to stick with their diet, the program ask them to prepare all their weeks meals on Sundays. On Sunday they would cook Breakfast, Lunch, dinner and healthy snacks for the entire week. It was a lot of work that all those that were successful did. When it became time to eat they had their food ready. This meant they were less likely to grab fast food or equally worse not eat. These successful people didn't have super human will power to stick to their diet. They had preparation!


Planning meals, preparing meals and being ready for the days nutrition is the number one skill/habit to practice for weight loss. Once you develop a consistent dietary regimen, your weight will drop dramatically. Unfortunately for many, they start but never finish. Three or four days of proper nutrition will never bring permanent changes. Like exercise, you must dedicate yourself everyday. Never the less, no body's perfect. There will always be bad meals and missed workouts, but it should be infrequent. Maybe once every few weeks, not every few days.


Remember, your physical self is a picture of your lifestyle. Heavy smokers and drinkers will look like heavy smokers and drinkers. Marathon runners will look like marathon runners. Mother Nature can't be fooled. You must work at changing your lifestyle to change your body. Extraordinary accomplishments can take place in a short period of time when you dig in and give it all your focus. The excitement you feel when you see the dramatic results and reach your goal will stay with you forever. You will feed off that great feeling and never look back.



In good health,



Brian Autry

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