Bob Harper, the Blue Team trainer on NBC’s The Biggest Loser, has heard every excuse in the book for gaining weight. But in his book, Are You Ready! Take Charge, Lose Weight, Get in Shape, and Change Your Life Forever, Harper reveals the reason most diets fail has nothing to do with eating and exercising habits.
“It’s about emotional roadblocks,” says Harper. “It’s having a self-defeating attitude and saying, ‘I can’t do it. I’ll never be able to change.’” And in Are You Ready!, Harper explains how to take control of the emotional and mental aspects of fitness.
The first step? “Embrace what you see in the mirror,” he says. “You want a healthy, realistic relationship with your body.” And bad habits must go. “The old routine is why you’re out of shape and unhealthy,” he says. After taming those diet demons, the rest falls into place, he explains.
How to complement a positive attitude Bob Harper recommends eating well: 300-calorie minimeals (about five in all) every four hours. His plan does not officially define breakfast, lunch or dinner – but each meal should contain an energy-boosting, filling protein (which takes time to digest). “If you want to eat turkey on whole wheat at 6 a.m.,” he declares, “do it!”
The calorie shifting trick Harper also offers suggestions for varying the 300 calories. One of his breakfast recommendations is a cup of instant oatmeal, three egg whites and a whole egg scrambled together and a sliced apple. Lunch could be a turkey burger on a whole-wheat bun with low-fat cheese, and dinner could be a 4-ounce beef fillet with a side of sweet potatoes and a salad.
At snack time, maybe spread a tablespoon of peanut butter on some apple slices, or eat a cup of cottage cheese with eight to 10 cherry tomatoes or a cup of nonfat yogurt mixed with a cup of berries.
But if a diet overhaul just seems too daunting, Bob Harper advises simply reducing portion sizes at each meal. “Eat only half of that fattening food,” he says. “Seeing the scale go down will provide the necessary motivation.” Plus, it will be the starting point for a lifestyle commitment. “The idea isn’t to get a six-pack in six weeks,” explains Harper. “It’s what you can do, day to day, for the rest of your life.” [via]