No Rules About the Food... Who would have thought?

Hi,

I'm still curious about other "diet" programs and I found one that is chock full of really practical advice about losing weight. I mean REALLY practical. It is one of those reads that continually turns on the light bulb above my head. It is almost hard to put down, it is that good. It is called: The "Anything Goes Diet," and was written by John Barban and Mike Cecchin,

(Here is a link to their blog, but it is not as good a read as the AGD system, itself:  http://www.anythinggoesdiet.com/blog/ -- once you get there click on "AGD System" near the top of the page and view their commercial -- try leaving the page for a better offer, too.)

I found out about AGD from an e-mail from the guy who wrote "Eat Stop Eat" (Brad Pilon) who said that if he had written the food side of his "fasting" program it would have been the AGD system. You know me, I'll bite, just to see what gives and I am really glad I did.

Their premise is that there is no "bad food." It does not really matter whether you eat low carb, high carb, low fat, or high fat, high protein, vegan, carnivore, five meals a day or three.... What matters is less calorie intake all together. But they don't advocate "counting calories" either, they recommend "calorie guessing."

They propose that it has been proven that people always underestimate how many calories they consume in a day or week, and overestimate how many calories they burn through exercise. They couple that with the fact that the calorie counts on processed food labels have to be "at least" what is listed on the package, but could be more, and often are. So no one really knows exactly how many calories they consume anyway -- there are just too darn many variables to know -- so calorie guessing is as close as a person can get.

Then they start with the hints and tricks that might actually help you cut down on your calorie intake without depriving yourself of any particular food group or food that you enjoy eating. You also do not have to eat any food that you do not personally like.

They share dozens of tips and practical ideas, but I am only going to reveal this one as an example of how far out of the box they think: They recommend that you buy your gas at the pump. Why? Because if you never go inside the quick mart, you are not tempted by all the calories that line the walls and shelves. Out of sight. Out of mind. -- Out of mind. Out of mouth. -- Out of mouth. Off the waist. Period.

So what about those of us who know they cannot have a bag of cookies in the house because the whole bag will be inside the stomach before it gets a chance to actually "be" in the house? They show you a method that will help you address this problem yourself. If you actually do as they suggest, it is bound to work. You do not have to follow someone else's meal plans and eating guides. They help you make your own.

They show you how to actually eat less food and give you plenty of guidelines to make this happen for yourself. There are no imposed rules. They help you figure out what works for you, so you can actually DO what works for you. You eat the food you love, in smaller, more practical portions and you begin to lose weight.

What you get when you buy their program is five different PDF books of various sizes that help you to understand the program, and also apply it to your life. I was especially attracted to their "Thinking Thin" and their "Social Eating Guide" pamphlets and I was not disappointed with their very practical methods. I was, in fact, quite amazed.

Look. I know this sounds like I'm selling their program, but, again, as you know, they don't know me, and I have no affiliation with them. I am simply excited to have found something that I think might actually work for me. As usual, I will have to try it out, to find out for sure, but so far, it looks very good to me and I'm excited about it.

I have discovered that I can do 16 hour daily fasts for many days in a row without too much hassle. I did not know that before.  I've discovered that fasting is natural and is nothing to be afraid of. I'm actually beginning to prefer the feeling of fasting more than the feelings I get after having eaten -- but, if during the eight hours a day that you eat, you over eat, like a Sumo Wrestler, you will continue to look like a Sumo Wrestler. So, it is not as much about the fast, as it is about the quantity of consumption in between the fasts. But, you also do not have to starve yourself. You just need to eat a little bit less, to see results that make you smile. That is my take on the matter.

In the AGD they help you figure out how many calories per day will create a calorie deficit (and weight loss) for you, personally. The only thing I had a problem with was their generic metabolism charts. I've actually had my resting metabolism measured at my doctor's office and discovered that I burn 2400 calories every day, just laying around breathing so if I were to consume 2200 or even 2000 calories, I should lose weight. If I had not known that, I would have been stuck trying to live on 1400 calories per day. I know me. I need more food than that and cannot stick to a diet that is 1000 calories less per day. I really do begin to feel like I'm starving and in a very short time I will abandon that program.

So here is what Marcia recommends: Don't use their generic charts. Go to your doctor and find out what your actual resting metabolic rate (RMR) is for real and then base your program on a calorie deficit that you can live with. If you can't live with it, you won't do it. Plain and simple. My doctor had a machine that I stood on in my bare feet, while I placed my hands on two electrified handles (don't worry, I did not feel a thing). It then printed out all kinds of information about me that I did not know before.

If your doctor does not have this kind of a device, then find a place that does. There are some health clubs and weight-loss centers that can do this, but I don't know how much it might cost. They often have an apparatus that you breathe into as you sit in a chair which will give you an accurate reading of your own RMR.

Changing your weight will be so much easier to do if you base your caloric intake count on real information and not those generic charts that only take your gender and your height into consideration. There are equations that can be done that are based on your gender, your height, and your weight but they are formulated for "normal" sized people and may not be accurate for the obese.

I feel very confident in saying that I think the AGD system has lots of useful stuff that will help you accomplish the task you've so long desired to accomplish: losing weight and keeping it off.

They have a 365-day money back guarantee, too. So... try it and see if they don't have a system that works for you. If not, then get your money back.

They even recommend that you eat as they suggest, and add to that a once a week 24-hour fast to really speed up your progress.

I'm hoping it works for me.

I'll be letting you know.

Be back soon,

Marcia