The Diet

This diet has been instrumental in the shift in my weight situation. So its time I documented it here.

NOTE: You need to follow all the common sense rules about consulting a doctor/physician who can help evaluate whether this is right for you. Better still you might want to consider a consultation with Anju or her mom Vijaya at the The Health Center in Mumbai. Just because it has had a positive impact on me, does not mean it will work the same for you.

I learnt this from Anju Venkat - here are some links to information about her

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rlz=1T4GGLR_enIN237IN237&q=anju+venkat

Here is an article that explains the fundamentals of her approach.
http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mag/2005/11/13/stories/2005111300190700.htm

I don't know if this is to be customized for each individual - here is what I've been following

1. Fruits, Nuts and Seeds are considered "uncooked" food, or nutrition in its most basic form. You are allowed to have as much of this as you need to feel satiated throughout the day - Breakfast, ideally, should be a generous serving of fruits.
2. The body goes through 3 different 8-hour phases each day. From 12pm-8pm it is focused on digestion (I think), 8pm-4am on absorption and 4am-12pm on elimination.
3. In order to support the body in operating most efficiently - you do not eat any cooked food in the 2 phases that start at 8pm and end at 12noon.
4. "Cooked food" which is anything other than fruits, unsalted raw nuts and seeds can be eaten between 12 noon and 8pm only. In Part 1 - you can have 2 cooked meals. In Part 2, you will drop to a single serving of carb, preferably before 4pm. In Part 3 you willl kick up the metabolism with excercise.
5. There are no hard restrictions on the cooked meal - though its preferable to stay away from fried foods. Potatoes however are considered a vegetable, and are ok.
6. The cooked meal must be accompanied by salad or bean sprouts. And if you've eaten a particularly large meal, followed by a lemon or lime shot - the juice of a lemon with an equal part of water.
7. If you find yourself craving sweets, up your intake of fruit. If you are craving carbs or fried foods (my big weakness), increase the intake of nuts. The fat in nuts keeps you satiated.
8. While following the body's pattern is a good thing, the key is that the fruit and nuts help drive down your appetite - by the 4th week of the diet, I was wanting significantly smaller portions of food. In the 14th week, my interest in food has diminished dramatically.
9. Apart from this it is essential that you sleep well, and de-stress. 30 mins a day of deep breathing is recommended (you can do this in small shots throughout the day, or one 30 min session), but the point is to let your body relax. (Per Anju, stress and the constant call for energy was what caused my body to start storing everything I ate as fat. It was when my body realized that it did not need it, was when it start letting go).
10. Each "Part" lasts 4 weeks, and is followed by a 4 Week maintenance period. So Part 1- Weeks 1-4 where you go to eating 2 cooked meals between 12 noon and 8pm, followed by 4 weeks of the same. (this is also the maintenance plan). Part 2 starts in Week 9, where you drop the evening carb. This lasts for 4 weeks. Week 13 you start a maintenance plan. Week 17 you start a little excercise to help your metabolism along. Week 21 you go into maintenance. By this time you should have lost 12 kilos. If you want to lose more - you will have to ask Anju.
11. I found it useful to add a Part 0. This was a conditioning phase before Part 1 where I tried to restrict myself to eating cooked meals after 12 noon. It was not easy - as I had got very used to the American mantra of breakfast (hot cooked heavy breakfast) is the most important meal of the day. Eating lots of nuts , especially the first few days really helped me make it till noon. There were many days where I did not make it. After I got that down pat (it took a full month) , I started cutting myself off at 8pm.