I have been making some changes in my life that are geared towards losing weight and improving my health. We moved out here to the country where I can indulge in all of the outdoor activities that I love, and I’ve been cooking whole foods from scratch. While I can definitely tell a difference in the way that I feel, I’m not losing any weight. Its time to raise the bar.
The first new change I’m making is in the realm of exercise. By getting a green horse that requires daily training, I’m committing myself to five to ten hours of exercise per week. That’s a big jump from the hour or two of yard-work per week that I’m getting now.
The second big change that I’m making is tracking my daily food intake. Right now I can tell you that most of my food is home cooked and healthy, but that’s about all. I have no idea how many calories, how much fat, or how many servings of various food groups that I am eating. That’s got to change.
I’m going to be using two tools to help me figure out the data on what I’m eating. I’m using NutritionData.com to determine the nutritional values of my home cooked meals, and I’ll be using Prevention’s Millennium Diet as a guide to my daily food goals.
The Millennium Diet was published in the January 2000 edition of Prevention Magazine. It focuses on telling you what to eat instead of what to avoid. I did this diet for awhile and lost quite a bit of weight. I was eating all day long, every day, and never was able to eat everything they said I should each day.
It is almost impossible to find the back issue that contains this diet and it is also very hard to find online, so I’m going to reprint it here:
Prevention Millennium Diet
Daily servings
veg and fruits, 9 servings (5 veg/4 fruit)
whole grains, 3-6 servings
high-calcium, 2-3 servings
Weekly servings:
Beans – 5+
Nuts – 5
Fish – 2
Serving Sizes
veg. & fruit
1 serving = 1/2 c. chopped fruit
1/2 c. cooked or raw veg.
1 c. raw green leaves
3/4 c. veg or fruit juice
Whole Grains
1 serving = 1 slice whole wheat bread
1/2 rice or bulgar
1/2 c whole wheat pasta
Calcium 1 serving = 1 c ff or 1% milk
1 c ff yogurt
1 c calcium fortified O.J.
1 oz. reduced ff cheese
Supplements
100% DV multivitamin/mineral
500 (under 50) to 1000 (over 50) mg. calcium
100-400 IU Vit. E
100-500 mg Vit. C
Keep calories to 1500 a day – 250 cal. per meal. Eat 6 small meals a day. Do not exceed 42 fat grams per day.
Drink 8 glasses water and 1+ cup of tea daily.
No Comments