We are on a diet. I think I have mentioned this before, but it preoccupies our minds somewhat. We mainly want to lose the spare tyres around our middles. Which could lead to health problems, I know. This is important. And I am vain also, as all my new clothes do not look so good with a bulging stomach.
When we arrived in Houten we found that Kylie was also on a diet, so of course, this meant by default that we were on a diet too. Good news. We need support.
But Kylie's diet is quite an eye opener, as it goes against our natural instincts about the food we should eat when dieting. In fact this diet is more about changing the way we eat, and it is very exciting.
So out of the window goes Weight Watchers Diet and Count your Calories Diet. All so punitive and self flagellating in their approach to dieting. I might as well get the whip out.
Kylie is following an eating plan which includes cream and butter, and lots of it too. Plus bacon and plenty of eggs. And lots of vegetables. However there is no sugar at all, and no carbohydrates. Or milk. And no tea or coffee (caffeine) or alcohol (it has sugar in it). But Kylie is never hungry on this eating plan. And amazingly it is working and she is losing weight and feeling so much better without all the sugar in her system. And she looks tremendous. Of course she is also working out at the gym three times a week. Spin classes. Very demanding. This makes a difference too.
So we are eating the most marvellous meals, with lots of butter and cream. Smaller helpings of course. However, we are not going to be purists. The morning coffee is a must, the highlight of our day. We cannot give that up. Just one cup a day though. And the wine. Definitely no. But we have modified our intake somewhat. This should help. Sugar. Well we have mostly given that up. Tea. No problems there for me. I have changed over to a lemon drink in the morning and herbal teas (organic of course). And we are only eating a small amount of very good bread, multigrain of course.
Do we feel better? Too early to tell, as we have only been on this new diet for six days, but we are eating extremely well. And riding out bikes solidly for an hour a day. This must definitely help.
On a more serious note, I have also just read a book called, appropriately for us, 'Fat around the middle' written by a nutritional therapist called Marilyn Glenville. She is also a doctor with a PhD as well. While the book is a little too technical at times, it does support a much more reasonable approach to dieting. And a must to read before even approaching a change in eating patterns, or when contemplating a diet. For all those people who think that eating food which is labelled low fat, low calorie or 'diet' will help them lose weight. Well this is a fallacy as they contain artificial sweeteners and other food enhancers, which can make you want or crave even more food. These foods could also end up damaging your health in the long term. Diet drinks are especially bad. I always wondered about this when I went on a Weight Watchers diet, some years ago.
While on the subject of food. There is a farm close by, where they sell their produce through a vending machine. You can buy eggs, potatoes, onions, fruit juices, jams and our favourite, appel moes. The money goes into a slot, then the number of the product is pressed, the door opens and out pops the item requested. Very efficient. Typically Dutch.
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