How I Lost 100+ lbs Twice!
I’m almost 60 years old, and there have been two times in my life when I weighed well over 200 pounds. At 5'4", that put me at the extreme end of morbidly obese.
One occasion was after my divorce, when I gorged on food out of sheer heartbreak. The other was after giving birth to my first child (I gained over 90 pounds during pregnancy, and the scale went up until I decided enough was enough).
My diet evolved out of knowing myself. I’d never been successful on a diet after trying dozens of them. I wondered, “Why not?” I realized that I couldn’t handle another thing in my life — not one more thing. Dieting was too big of a project, and I sucked at it. I couldn’t face another failure.
So, I developed a diet that was simple, easy to follow, and would give me something to look forward to in the very short term. It was filled with a reward every TWO DAYS! Providing myself with a grand reward helped me kick the bad habit of non-stop, unregulated eating and binging.
That being said, it’s important to stress that this diet MUST BE FOLLOWED EXACTLY TO THE LETTER — according to the rules — NO EXCEPTIONS. The weight drops FAST, but that can sideline you if you think you can stop or modify the diet.
I stuck with the diet until I was at my desired weight. Then, I modified it slowly to introduce the dieting me back into a life of no dieting. I’ve included my 8-Week After-Diet Plan as a bonus.
It goes without being said, but I’ll say it anyway: Never attempt this diet if you are pregnant, sick, or following a medical diet while under a doctor’s care. As with any diet, check with your physician first.
THE 3 RULES DIET by Kelly Fox
RULE NO. 1: Eat one meal (dinner) EVERY OTHER NIGHT. Period. This is the only solid food allowed while following the diet.
However, that dinner is: Anything you want — All you want. Every. Other. Night. No exceptions — not for holidays, special events, etc.
Notes: At first, I ate whatever dinner my heart desired — even if it was fried seafood or five cheeseburgers and onion rings. As the diet progressed, I consciously made those dinners more nutritious and healthy.
Don’t kid yourself, though. Eat all the dinner you can at ONE SITTING. Don’t camp out in an all-you-can-eat buffet for three hours. Eat until you are completely full. Then — sad as it might be — you’re done for 48 hours. I remember counting the hours until my next unrestricted, fabulous meal.
Surprisingly, you can’t eat as much as you think at one sitting. And it gets better as you progress. You start to think about what you eat, you start to make better choices, and your stomach just can’t hold what it used to.
My reasoning in allowing an Anything-and-Everything Dinner was that dieting has always been an impossible endeavor. I didn’t have the energy, self-control, or tenacity needed! Looking forward to an all-you-can-eat buffet every other night KEPT me on the diet. That’s what I needed at first — the routine of sticking with the diet. Those first dinners were my rewards for staying with it.
As I dropped the weight and saw results, I naturally and easily turned to healthier options during that precious meal, eating foods that nourished me and made me feel better.
RULE NO. 2: The rest of the time, ONLY DRINK LIQUIDS.
This can include shakes (like chocolate shakes from McDonald’s, etc.), smoothies, a commercial vitamin beverage, soda, fruit juice, vegetable juice, water, tea (sweet iced, hot, etc.— it doesn’t matter), coffee, sports drinks, Kool-Aid, etc. That’s it: Only. Drink. Liquids.
Notes: I limited thick liquids — such as shakes, smoothies, commercial vitamin beverages, vegetable juices, fruit juices — to no more than two per day OF EACH KIND — So, I could have two McDonald’s shakes a day PLUS two smoothies a day PLUS two vitamin beverages a day, etc. NO LIMIT ON: Coffee, tea, water, soda, Kool-aid, etc.
I did limit sports drinks because I know that they can be harmful if you drink too many — too much sodium and too many electrolytes. Follow sports drinks’ recommendations about daily limits.
Believe me, that’s a crap ton of liquids. The thick liquids helped keep my stomach from growling and missing food. The unlimited lighter liquids kept me hydrated, but also kept my mind, mouth, and hands busy so that I wasn’t tempted to sneak food.
If you sneak food, you are DONE. This diet requires faithfulness.
Liquids were my saving grace. As I lost weight, syrupy sweet McDonald’s shakes and sugary sodas no longer appealed to me. Drinking tons of water after a strenuous workout felt like I was transforming — and I was! Hot tea with honey was a heavenly treat — and I could have it any time I wanted.
RULE NO. 3: Exercise for a minimum of 30 minutes at one time every single day.
No exceptions. Every. Single. Day. It can be more, but NEVER less.
Notes: Exercising for 30 minutes a day, all at one time, was a chore at first. It took great effort to complete because I was so obese. There were times when all I was doing was walking or standing still, lifting my arms up and down. However, the success of the diet gave me the fortitude and strength to work hard and stay at it for longer periods of time.
Tip: I enjoyed watching myself work out in a mirror after I started losing weight. I marveled at the changes.
These were my only three rules!
I couldn’t believe how quickly the weight fell off. I’m not one to stick with long, protracted diets. For me, it’s get in, get out.
Here’s how I got out:
The 8-Week After-Diet Plan
After I reached my target weight of 135 pounds, I transitioned to a regular healthy diet over an 8-week period.
- First 2 Weeks: Eat dinner two nights in a row, skipping one night in between every two nights of dinner. Keep all other meals of the day confined to the liquid diet. Still required: a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise every single day, all at one time.
- Second 2 Weeks: Eat dinner every evening (no more skipping dinner), but keep all other meals of the day confined to the liquid diet. Still required: a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise every single day, all at one time.
- Third 2 Weeks: Introduce a light, nutritious breakfast each morning. The period between that breakfast and dinnertime remains liquids only. Still required: a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise every single day, all at one time.
- Fourth 2 Weeks: No more regimented times and restrictions regarding food. Fit in lunch and snacks whenever you need them. However, consciously choose to eat healthy, nutritious foods because you love your new body and want to protect it. Still required: a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise every single day, all at one time. Forever.
Notes: Whenever I feel myself putting on unwanted pounds, and before it gets out of hand, I go back to the After-Plan Diet and work my way forward.
Please feel free to use the comments section to ask questions or to clarify anything.
May the fork be with you!
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