I hope you enjoyed the first installment.

The goal of future iterations is to offer more granularity to the discussion.

Part 2 of TMC’s Master Series on Dieting provides usable information seeing to the success of beginners and advanced dieters alike.

In helping people diet and also facing the rigors of dieting myself over the last 13 years, I’ve come up with a 6 step list which if followed and monitored correctly should ensure the success of most dieting approaches.

6 CRUCIAL STEPS SEEING TO THE SUCCESS OF A DIET

1)Controlling the body’s insulemic response. This is the most important thing any dieting human needs to understand relative to their own condition.  In lay terms, every time you consume a carbohydrate, protein or fat your body biochemically responds by releasing insulin into the bloodstream.  It is difficult to predict the insulin secretion from any particular food, due to assorted digestive interactions and the differing effects on insulin release.  You have to measure this yourself and learn what foods cause problems for you.  Stabilizing blood sugar to control hunger/appetite allowing for feedings of healthy nutritious kcals at regular intervals is of paramount importance to the success of any diet.

2)Maintaining Consistent Eating Patterns(Frequency/Stability of Feedings)-We’re all so busy in our normal lives it becomes quite difficult to eat at regular intervals 7 days a week.  Look no further than dieting fitness and body building competitors to get first hand knowledge of how one prepares food to eat every 3-4 hours.  Even as a busy professional you can set reminders in your outlook calendar, or even your google calendar on your PDA to remind yourself to eat every 4 hours.

3)Beneficial Environment(Surrounding oneself with foods useful to the diet)-Anyone whose ever dieted before understands the importance or ridding “trigger foods” from your pantry.  If there is nothing bad to snack on in your house, how much easier will it be to maintain your nutrition?

4)Positive Peer and Societal Influences(Friends/Family)-I could write for days on this component but it stands to reason if you don’t surround yourself with like minded people, your diet is going to fail.  If you think you can diet and go out with your peeps on Friday and Saturday nights and drink in excess, you’re dead wrong.  You will set an entire weeks worth of dieting back from one Saturday night bender.

5)Preparation of Food and Meals/-Without this crucial step mastered, you have no chance to succeed.  Every successful dieter knows they have to prepare an entire weeks worth of meals on Sunday.  Stacking the tupperware baby.  Make meals with clean healthy proteins combined with green veggies or clean low glycemic carb sources like sweet potatoes, brown rice, quinoa etc.

6)Proper Ancillary Supplements/Consistency of Using Them.-I could argue that supplements are worthless if not used in conjunction with the right diet/eating philosophy.  But for dieters obsessed with losing body fat, utilization of certain supplements at key points in the day is crucial.  EFA’s, Fiber, Vitamin/Minerals and Thermogenics can all play a vital role if used intelligently and dosed at precise times in the day.  Some with meals, some in between and some without any food whatsoever.   Learning how and why to use them is a worthwhile endeavor.  Research their usage or ask a qualified competitive body builder or physique/fitness competitor for insights.  Most of the time these folks are happy to share their knowledge.

Next up is a look at my diet as I prepare for my Photo Shoot with Sharon Polsky Wbff Pro.

Stay tuned!

MIHWCS