January 10th…  you’ve made some resolutions and probably broken a few already. But isn’t it time you worked on that dreaded weight loss issue? Yeah, you’ve thought about it… you’ve tried it once or twice… and then you gave up. Time to start again, but this time I’ll help you use the Fast Diet  which isn’t so much of a diet as it is a lifestyle change. And it worked for me and my husband, so it ought to work for you, too.  I’ll make it easy by giving you menus to use, with photos and recipes, too. And handy tips. And encouragement to get through it.

Let’s start with how this works. On Monday and Thursday, you will eat a total of 600 calories. That’s called calorie restriction. You may think that will kill you, but it won’t. The rest of the week, you eat a normal menu.  The amazing thing about this way of life is that you are not depriving yourself of your favorite foods day after day. If on a FAST Day you have a hankering for something that’s not on the menu, you can always have it tomorrow! And the weight will come off. ‘Well, yeah,’ says you, ‘I will have starved to death by then — I’ll never stick to that!”    Hold on, take one day at a time! Start this Monday:

Shirred Egg: 147 calories… 8.5 g fat… 2 g fiber… 10 g protein 10 g carb 106 mg Calcium NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages. PB GF – if using GF bread I learned to prepare this dish when working on my Girl Scout ‘Cooking’ badge. I still eat it because it tastes so good. Easy to serve to guests, as well.

++ One 2-oz egg ++++ 1 Tbsp half&half/whole milk ++++ salt & pepper to taste ++++ 1½ tsp Parmesan cheese ++++ half a slice of 70-calorie whole-grain bread, toasted ++++ 1 oz melon ++++ Optional: blackish coffee  [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] ++++ Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories] ++

Heat the toaster oven to 325 F. Spritz a 1-cup ramekin with cooking oil or spray. Break the egg into the cup, and pour the half&half on top. Sprinkle with cheese, add salt and pepper to taste. Bake for 12-15 minutes, then let sit 2-3 mins. Plate with the toast and fruit. Serve with your choice of beverages.

Recipe for Breakfast Smoothie:     THIS IS ENOUGH FOR 2 SMOOTHIES                                         Put 6″ of banana [3.5 oz], 1/2 cup plain yogurt, and 2 oz. [1/2 cup] sliced strawberries or raspberries or blueberries in a blender with 7-8 ice cubes. Blend until smooth. Drink half today.  HINT: freeze the rest for Thursday.  Don’t want the smoothie? Then double up on the fruit and have  a full slice of bread.

HINT: How to survive until dinner? Drink water; drink your favorite tea; distract yourself.  If you are used to a snack at a particular time of day, go for a walk or get involved in a project that will keep you busy until the urge to nibble passes.  You could eat a little raw fruit, but that might make you hungrier! You have some calories available to eat some apple slices or grapes if you need to.

White Fish Baked with cheese: 145 calories… 6 g fat… 0 g fiber 33 g protein… 0.2 g carb… 129 mg Calcium … PB GF Another winner from the Fast Diet book. There are those who say that one never serves fish with cheese….and this recipe proves them to be wrong.

++ 6 oz firm white fish fillets such as haddock or cod ++++ ½ oz cheddar cheese, grated ++++  Your choice of vegetables to add up to 125 calories: ½ cup pickled beets [74 cal]—- 3 oz green beans [26 cal] —- ½ cup peas [62 calories] —- ½ cup carrot coins [12 cal] —- 3 oz broccoli florets [30 cal] —- 2 oz parsnip, sliced as coins [42 cal] —- 1 cups salad greens + ½ tsp lemon juice + 1 tsp olive oil [48 cal] —- 3 oz tomatoes [15 cal]—-

Heat oven to 400 F. Put fish in an oven-proof dish which has been lightly smeared with olive oil. Sprinkle the cheese on top. Bake for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables of your choice. How easy it is to be healthy!

I sure hope you’ll try this.  Otherwise,  what will you eat on Monday?