Fitness : Beauty and Fashion Tech

Ten Years Thinner by Christine Lydon, MD. One Month Later Review

It has been about 5 weeks since I finished the six week Ten Years Thinner diet and exercise plan. So here is my promised update.

I spent plenty of time cheating lately by having wine or beer with dinner and going out to eat a bit more. But I otherwise eat fairly well and according to the plan. I also lost 2 more pounds over the past 5 weeks, while my measurements stayed about the same.

I still do the exercise plan a couple of times each week, but have replaced it on other days with a more traditional weight program at the gym, dance class, yoga, and some intervals on the cross trainer. I like the program in the book, but I also like to have a bit more variation and I enjoy the gym. So I do the book program on days when I need to be at home or don’t feel up to going to the gym.

Overall, a month or so out, I still feel that the Ten Year’s Thinner program is a good choice. It provides a nice guide and solid program to jump start weight loss and leave the dieter with a solid foundation when the six weeks are finished. So I give it a big thumbs up!

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Ten Year’s Thinner by Christine Lydon, MD: Week Six

I now have week six of the Ten Years Thinner diet and exercise plan done, which marks the end of the formal program laid out by the book. Of course, that doesn’t mean that I get to return my old ways. But it will mark the end of my weekly updates. I will post back in a month with a final follow up.

I had a pretty good final week. Despite a bit of cheating by having wine with dinner a few times, I lost 2 more pounds and found that I have also gone down a full clothing size. I did not have any measurable changes in inches this week. Here are the totals:

Total weight lost in week six: 2 pounds

Total weight lost through six weeks: 12 pounds

Total inches off so far: Thigh 1 3/4, Hips 1 1/2, Stomach 2 3/4, Arm 1/2, Chest 4.

The six week experience has been good. I still feel that the Ten Year’s Thinner program is a good choice for both weight loss and general fitness. The diet is effective and builds good eating habits, while also being fairly flexible once the initial few weeks are finished.

The exercise program is a great alternative for those who do not, or cannot, go to a gym. It also is easily adaptable for varying levels of fitness. However, those who are already fairly fit may find themselves adding extra exercises or cardio time to the program. I have settled into adding a couple of interval training cardio sessions and a heavier weight routine at the gym each week. I also add several gluteal and thigh exercises to the end of the home program.

I will post something again in four weeks to report on the longer term effects of the program.

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PreDiet Writeup
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Ten Years Thinner by Dr. Christine Lyndon, M.D.: Week Five of the Diet and Fitness Plan

I have now finished week five of the Ten Years Thinner diet and exercise book, by Dr. Christine Lydon, M.D. I have one week formally left to go.

This week essentially saw no changes. No gain, no loss, either in weight or size. I found that interesting because while I did cheat with Easter dinner, I wasn’t terrible about it–I kept portion sizes low, especially on the high glycemic items. I also felt that the week went particularly well in terms of exercise and I feel stronger despite the lack of any results this week.

Total weight lost through five weeks: 10 pounds (most lost generally in the first 2 weeks)

Total inches off so far: Thigh 1 3/4, Hips 1 1/2, Stomach 2 3/4, Arm 1/2, Chest 4 (losses were generally spread across the weeks).

The diet now allows grains and high glycemic vegetables in limited amounts and allows a bit of dark chocolate. I found that I adore Planter Nutrition Energy Mix, which has Almonds, Honey Roasted Sesame Sticks, Peanuts, Walnuts, Pecans & Dark Chocolate Covered Soynuts. That would not be compliant with the first 4 weeks, but I think is OK now. The calories are slightly higher with it than other nut mixes, although not horribly so. If other chocolate is not added, it does not add any more calories than a person would get following the diet and adding chocolate separately. I still am eating a more standard nut mix for some snacks as well.

I also found a decent eating out option. Outback Steakhouse has a chopped ahi tuna salad that is terrific. It is a basic chopped lettuce salad with chunks of cucumber, and it comes with a light wasabi vinaigrette. Thin slices of rare ahi tuna are laid across the top. The salad does include crunchy tortilla strips, so ask for those to be left off in weeks 1-4. It also is a rather large salad, so consider saving half. The hardest part about eating at Outback for me was not eating the bread. Somehow I managed to stop myself. My husband, however, ate the entire loaf and then asked for a second!

Next week will mark the end of the 6 week program and will be my last weekly update. However, I will likely update again one month after that.

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PreDiet Writeup
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Book Review: Ten Years Thinner: Week Four of the Diet and Exercise Program

I have now finished week four of the Ten Years Thinner diet and exercise plan, by Dr. Christine Lydon, M.D. This week saw another illness, which made me miss a number of days of exercise. I lost no weight, but my measurements continued to shrink. For those confused how that could happen, keep in mind that muscle takes up less space, but weighs more than fat, so I assume that I replaced some fat with muscle. That is good with me!

Weight lost in week three: 0 pounds (no gain either, I just stayed the same).
Total weight lost through four weeks: 10 pounds

Inches off in week four: Thigh 1/2, Hips 1/2, Stomach 1 (Yay!), Arm 0, Chest 0.
Total inches off so far: Thigh 1 3/4, Hips 1 1/2, Stomach 2 3/4, Arm 1/2, Chest 4.

The annoyance this week was that I was ill yet again. A couple of weeks ago I had the flu, and much of this week I had a cold. I am normally very healthy, so back to back illnesses are quite unusual for me. I’m beginning to wonder if the sudden lifestyle changes messed with me enough to make me more susceptible to such things. Regardless, while I did not lose weight, I did continue to drop inches–something I could tell by the fit of my clothes before I even took my weekly measurements.

I was allowed to bring dairy back in this week and used that to switch out eggs for a couple of breakfasts with cottage cheese and fresh pineapple. Otherwise, I didn’t take advantage of the dairy all that much. I added a bit of Feta cheese to a salad, and sprinkled a bit of cheese on some chili, but that was about it. Obviously, I am being good about taking my calcium and magnesium pills since I am not drinking milk like I used to!T

Today marks the start of week five. I am now allowed to have up to 100 calories of high glycemic foods, such as grains, potatoes, or corn with each meal, and 2 ounces of chocolate or dried fruit with each snack. However, I am a bit concerned that because of my two illnesses, I haven’t built up as much muscle by this point in the program as I should have for my body to be ready to handle the high glycemic foods and still continue to lose weight. So I am inclined to wait another week before adding much of those. My hope is to have a full week of normal exercise this week now that my cold is subsiding.

Amazingly, I don’t miss the grains now anyway and have pretty much gotten a fruit habit formed. Our beer of the month club shipment came today though and will have to sit in the fridge and wait a few more weeks. I do miss that!

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PreDiet Writeup
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Ten Years Thinner Book and Diet Review: Week Three of the Diet and Fitness Plan

I am now through week three of the Ten Years Thinner diet and exercise plan, by Dr. Christine Lydon, M.D. With the start of week four, I finally get some dairy!

This was a week of cheating for me, so it is no surprise that the numbers are much less impressive than the first two weeks:

Weight lost in week three: 1 pound (maybe 0, the scale kept switching between the numbers so I am giving myself the benefit of the doubt)

Total weight lost through three weeks: 10 pounds

Inches off in week three: Thigh 1/4, Hips 0, Stomach 1/2, Arm 0, Chest 1/2.
Total inches off: Thigh 1 1/4, Hips 1, Stomach 1 3/4, Arm 1/2, Chest 4.

As I said, it was a week of cheating. I had company staying with me to attend a mutual friend’s retirement party, which was dubbed “beer night.” I think you can see where this is going…. I basically skipped the exercise plan the whole weekend, plus skipped yesterday for no good reason. I spent two entire days where I stuck to the items allowed in the food plan, but went way over portion size, and I had wine (several glasses) one night and beer (several glasses) the next. I also had two other meals during the week that met the plan, but again were likely over the proportion size.

The result of all the cheating is pretty apparent. I lost little, if anything. I was pleased, however, to still see another 1/2 inch come off of my waist, which is definitely my trouble area. I put a belt on my jeans just yesterday! I am definitely going to be back to good behavior for the next several weeks.

With legumes added to the diet, I made my favorite white chicken chili and had some green beans with lunch one day. I also found that it is possible to eat out at Chili’s and generally be compliant once you hit week three. They have a low calorie menu with grilled salmon, black beans, and veggies that meets the plan, as long as you ask that they leave the Parmesan cheese off of the vegetables. They also have chicken and shrimp fajitas that can be mixed on a plate with some guacamole, pico de gallo, and black beans (order that as a side), which is fairly compliant if you are careful about not putting too many of the buttery oil soaked onions and peppers in with it. I suspect those don’t come close to any of the cooking guidelines! Tip: paper napkins blot off extra oil quite well.

So, it is on to week four, when I finally get dairy. I am looking forward to switching to cottage cheese instead of eggs for a couple of breakfasts!

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PreDiet Writeup
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Ten Years Thinner: Week Two of the Diet and Fitness Plan Book by Dr. Christine Lydon.

I have now completed two weeks of the Ten Years Thinner diet and exercise plan, by Dr. Christine Lydon, M.D. I get to start eating legumes this week, so I have white chicken chili going on the stove right now!

First off are the numbers:

Weight lost in week two: 4 pounds
Total weight lost: 9 pounds

Inches off in week 2: Thigh 1/2, Hips 1, Stomach 3/4, Arm 0, Chest 1.
Total inches off: Thigh 1, Hips 1, Stomach 1 1/4, Arm 1/2, Chest 3 1/2

Week two consisted generally of more chicken, fish, eggs and various vegetables. I tried out a few fruits that I rarely eat, such as star fruit, and today I bought a fresh pineapple. I always loved my veggies, but I never was a very good fruit eater. This diet seems to be changing my habits in that regard.

Now that I am starting week three, I get to add legumes to the diet. That really makes it easier to work with some foods such as canned soups. Unfortunately, however, I noticed that most of my favorite vegetable soups still add corn to them, which isn’t allowed for a couple more weeks.

One odd thing that happened is that I may have discovered a food allergy. I had quite the full blown allergic reaction to my chicken soup, which ended up with me swelling up, breaking out in hives, and running for the Benadryl! Fortunately it went away fairly quickly once the antihistamines kicked in. Right now celery is the top suspect, because it has the potential for strong allergic reactions, I rarely ate it before, and I put a lot of it in the soup to replace the missing potatoes. But the nuts and the star fruit are also potential suspects. Figuring out the culprit with certainty might be an interesting process.

The exercise program has been going well, but I definitely still feel the need to add a few more exercises onto the end for my gluteal muscles. Of most interest to me has been how week my abdominal muscles had gotten. When I started, I could barely do 10 crunches. Now I am up to 20 or so, which is still hard for me. I guess taking a year off from pilates and Irish dancing shows! I have started dancing again, so improving my abs will also improve my dancing skills.

I will post another update next Wednesday. Until then, for those doing the diet or who are considering it, here is a good white chicken chili recipe that is compliant beginning in week three. I estimate that about 6 servings can come from this:

White Chicken Chili Recipe

One package of grilled chicken breast strips (I like the southwest seasoned ones), or several handfuls of chopped leftover chicken breast meat.

One small onion, chopped
Low sodium chicken broth (about one box)
Two cans mild green chilies
One can diced petite tomatoes
One or two cans canelli beans
Spices: cumin, ground coriander, garlic power, chili powder, garlic powder, cilantro: about 1/2 tsp each

Saute chicken and onion in olive oil. Add chicken broth until fully covered and soupy. Also add the can of tomatoes, cans of chilies and spices. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 20 minutes. Add one or two cans of beans and additional broth as needed. Add further seasoning to taste. Bring to a boil, simmer for 5 more minutes and serve. The chili can be simmered longer to further steep the flavors if desired. After week four, a small can of corn can also be added to this recipe.

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Ten Years Thinner: Week One of the Diet and Exercise Plan by Christine Lydon, M.D.

Last week I announced my start of the Ten Years Thinner diet and exercise plan, by Dr. Christine Lydon, M.D. Now that I have completed the first week, an update is in order!

First off, I will go straight to the numbers. After week one:

Weight lost: 5 pounds (color me impressed)

Inches off: Thigh: 1/2, Hips: 0, Stomach: 3/4, Arm 1/2, Chest: 2 1/2. Sigh…. why are the boobs the first to go, and why do they go so quickly?!?!

My experience has been good so far. The first two weeks are quite restrictive–no dairy, legumes or grains, so I ate a lot of eggs and then ate some more eggs. I focused my dinners on grilled chicken or fish with extra veggies and I made chicken soup that provided several lunches. I also premeasured and bagged my daily cup of nuts for snacks, which I supplemented with quite a bit of grapefruit from my recent trip to Texas.

I was stuck eating out one day, but managed to find a great grilled veggie salad at California Pizza Kitchen and I added grilled shrimp. For dinner ,I got pan seared halibut and veggies. The halibut was done in olive oil, so it was fine, but I’m pretty sure that the veggies were not diet compliant–they tasted too buttery good!

Toward the end of week one I got sick, so I’m not sure what effect that had. I ate a bit less than usual and it was almost all soup, so that might account for the quick weight drop. I also missed two days of the workout because of the illness.

The workout is interesting. After a week, I am pretty comfortable with it and feel like it is good at building overall strength and providing some cardio. But I don’t feel like I am getting as winded as I would get from doing sprint intervals, and I also don’t feel like my inner thighs, glutes, or triceps are getting as much workout as I would like. I added an extra set of one of my favorite triceps free weight exercises to the end and I might add something for the inner thigh and gluteal muscals as well. The inner thigh is an area which I need to keep strengthened due to some past hip issues. My glutes? Well, lets just say I would like a skinnier butt!

I also did fine on the supplement regime, which is essentially three prescription fish oil pills (Lovaza), a calcium pill, a multi-vitamin, and a magnesium tablet. I was previously taking all but the magnesium anyway. The difference now is just that instead of forgetting and only taking my pills about once each week, I managed to hit all but two days. Hint: Put your pills in a daily strip container and leave it on the table by where you eat. I only missed with that when I ate out one day and stayed in bed sick all of another, so I didn’t see the pills on the table.

Overall, I can feel a change in my body composition after only a week. I definitely feel stronger and thinner. So I am rather excited and am looking forward to continuing.

For those interested, you can duplicate the great grilled veggie salad that I had:

Spray veggies of choice with olive oil and roast or grill: E.g. eggplant, mushrooms, zuchinni, sundried tomatoes, asparagus, green onion, peppers, corn (beginning in week three). Also grill some chicken breast or shrimp, lightly sprayed with olive oil. Serve warm over a bed of chopped mixed greens and drizzle with a light balsamic vinaigrette dressing. After week three I might add a few black beans or chick peas or green peas.

A good week one compliant side dish: Fry sliced plantain in olive oil and lightly salt. These taste a bit like sweet french fries! Can’t find plantain? Check your local Hispanic grocery or in a pinch, fry green bananas instead.

I will be back next Wednesday with another update!

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PreDiet Writeup
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