Today I want to explain the final Key Concept for weight loss week which I call, Light Days. Now you don't have to do this to lose weight and it's probably the most 'diety' part of the Stealth Health programme. I only include it for those who really want to accelerate their weight loss. If you just keep going with Calorie Awareness and Volume Control I'm sure you will see results, but if you are keen to get to your target weight that bit quicker then give it a bash.
Light Days are when you more consciously try and restrict your calorie intake beyond just being calorie aware. It's almost but not quite intermittent fasting because the calorie restriction isn't as extreme and there's no requirement to have a 12 hour 'fasting' period (btw I usually eat dinner at 6.30 and have breakfast at 6.45 so I often get a 12 hour fast in overnight anyway!!). I don't want to confuse you - this is not intermittent fasting but it shares the same premise that a concentrated calorie deficit a few times a week is a good way to lose weight.
On a Light Day I will stick pretty much to fish, eggs and lots of fruit and veg, no snacks and no booze. If you do this three days a week, can be any days of the week you like, then you should see results pretty quickly. I usually do Monday, Tuesday and Thursday because they work for me. Doing 1-2 Light Days a week is also a good way to stay at your target weight once you get there.
So what should you actually eat on a Light Day? Well I don't want to be too prescriptive about it but I have various cookbooks I use, not least of which is my own, The Midlife Kitchen but also these (hope this video works ... actually I just tested it and I can watch it on my phone but not my PC, it's mp4 format)
You probably have a load of recipe books on your shelves with calorie counts in them so dig them out and dust them off. If you aim for around 300 cals for breakfast, 300 for lunch and 400 for dinner that's about right, just drink water and tea or coffee (not lattes!) and you're there.
Oh and I almost forgot (how could I?), the books Mimi did for the Fast Diet are brilliant. I don't have the hardcopies with me, but I have them on kindle; you can download the kindle reader app on your computer - it's much better for reading cookbooks on than an actual kindle because it's in colour. Here they are:
Remember, we are all different, we all respond to different things in different ways. The aim of this blog is to give you the tools you need to have a better relationship with food. You can use whichever tools are effective for you, if Light Days are too hard, don't do it, maybe Eating with Awareness is enough or perhaps Carb Sense is the most effective tool for you. There are 8 Key Concepts, we've covered 7 now and I hope you are finding at least some of them are helping you approach your health and weight loss goals in a more positive way.
Join me tomorrow when I am taking a look at target weights, what is a realistic weight to aim for? What's healthy? What is Health at Every Size (HAES) ? .... lots to discuss!
Sam xx
Absolutely, for me too. 500 cals is pretty hard and also I don't want to watch the cals that closely!!
Yes it worked for me and just wanted to say I'm finding these posts really helpful. Love the concept of lighter days and it feels just a bit more doable rather than only having 500 calories 2 days a week but that's probably just me!
Oh great, must just be my stupid computer then!!
Morning Sam - it has worked for me on my laptop, am finding the blog so helpful. Thank you
Did the video work? I seem to be able to watch on my phone but not my computer 🤔