A common sense approach
The Dorm Room Diet
The Dorm Room Diet by Daphne Oz is a blueprint for a healthy life. Though it's billed as a diet book and the title is certainly catchy, this is definitely not one of those rigid, get-skinny-in-a-week books.
Off to an Easy Start
A lot of the information in The Dorm Room Diet is common sense, but Oz spins it so that it's easy to understand and so that you can read the book and think, "Yes, I can do this."
She starts off suggesting that readers set small reasonable goals. If you drink three soft drinks a day, then cut back to two. She doesn't push a total lifestyle change in one great rush, which is what sends many running (or back to munching chips on the couch).
I decided that I would cut back on sodas. No problem. I hope to eliminate them totally down the road. For now, one less per day works fine.
I have also taken her first steps which include:
- drinking a glass or two of water before eating
- not eating when distracted (like while watching TV)
- trying not to eat closer than two hours before going to bed
Again, these don't sound unreasonable or too painful. I adopted her ideas from the first chapter. So, I was making progress after reading a few pages the first night.
Not About Deprivation
Oz does not advocate totally eliminating favorites. It's all about moderation. She says that store bought cookies aren't worth the splurge, but homemade chocolate chip cookies would be. She just suggests eating one and then stopping. After all, you've got the taste after one. The rest is just extra calories.
As far as red meat (a family favorite here), she notes that it is high in calories. Limit red meat to twice a week she recommends. Again, I'm able to deal with these flexible rules. I love homemade cookies and a great steak on the grill. I can have those — just not every day and in massive quantities.
If you're a chocoholic, then buy a bag of semi-sweet chocolate pieces. Melt some in the microwave and dip fruits like strawberries in the chocolate. You get the chocolate but also some fruit and fill up faster. I gave this idea a try, and the berries with chocolate really are delicious and taste much more decadent than they are.
When you're going to parties or to tailgate events, drink plenty of water beforehand and chew sugar free gum. It's fine to eat some, just don't make that the central focus on the experience. Offer to bring a dessert and make a fruit salad, which will taste great after a heavy BBQ meal. Friends will enjoy the salad, and that will put a healthier dish on the table too.
Food Choices
For day-to-day it's important to have some reasonable treats handy. Otherwise, you're going to be starved and go wild in a cafeteria with loads of selections and unlimited refills.
The lists of healthy snacks are very helpful. In fact, I went out and stocked up after reading the list. The "good" picks are just as convenient as the bag of chips that won't provide any extra fuel and energy during the day. The chips are fine now and then too. Put them in a bowl though suggests Oz. Then, you have a limit and don't end up eating the entire bag.
Healthy foods are usually more expensive. Oz discusses this dilemma but notes that it's certainly less expensive to eat right than to pay medical bills now and to have serious health issues down the road. It's also possible to eat well and pay less if buying with the seasons. Right now, berries are imported and quite expensive in this area. Apples are ripe and going for great rates. I went with the apples.
Since I read part of the book while waiting to see the doctor, the food part including the investment really hit home. I decided that, yes, I would rather pay a bit more and go to the store more often for fresh items than sit in a waiting room wondering why I was feeling like a truck ran over me.
Burn off the Food — You Know That's Key
Oz gives a lot of tips for adding exercise. Her ideas here are just as practical and doable as her input about dealing with food.
If you've got to do some reading for class, hit the treadmill and walk off some calories while knocking out some homework. If you have an extra ten minutes off and on during the day, get moving. Run in place. Do stretches. Try her dorm room exercises, which don't require any extra expenditure or lots of space.
Oz does encourage using the facilities available, and most colleges do have full gyms and lots of classes that will get students up and moving. Get involved. Incorporate exercise — both formal and informal. But, switch it up. Otherwise, you'll get bored and your body will adapt to the program and stop responding as well.
Supplements
Supplements are just that — supplements. Oz advocates using some to fill in the gaps. Those don't replace eating well and regularly. But, study after study has proven that there are benefits to adding some carefully chosen vitamins.
My selections were a general multi-vitamin, C, E, and B. Not very radical. Just a good balance of proven food supplements. There are others listed in the book with benefits. Oz also suggests checking with your medical doctor before hitting alternatives hard. The ones I picked were heartily approved by my M.D.
A Magic Bullet
Most people are looking for the magic bullet. This book is that but not an instant fix. Oz lost 10 pounds her first semester. No. That's not a huge drop. But she continued with her program and is down 30 pounds now and has managed not to yo-yo.
I'm doing well with her approach. Even though I'm not in her target group and though I'm not so sure I'll get out and have a snowball fight to burn some calories, I find her common sense approach to be just the ticket to getting back on track. This book inspires me to act rather than wiping me out just reading huge lists of "yes" and "no" rules.
Oz is not a certified expert. She's a college kid. She did her research. She developed a workable plan based on the information that's out there. It worked for her. I'm finding that her ideas work for me too. I'm losing a little weight and feeling better. It's not been painful. I can do this "diet." If it takes me 6 months to a year to get to where I want to be, then that's fine especially since I'm not suffering in the meantime and when I know that a lifestyle change will work much better than a shake-and-bake, 20-pound sprint to a smaller size pair of jeans which will end up back in the too-small drawer.
