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"Diet" is NOT a verb

I was at the gym stretching after my workout yesterday when I struck up a conversation with an older man in the same area. He was soaked in sweat and had been apparently biking his ass off in a spinning class and was now attempting to do swiss-ball crunches.

We got to talking about working out - what works, what doesn't - when he asked: "How do I get rid of this?" as he grabbed a handful of his spare tire. 

I answered simply, "Diet." 

Then I realized I had to clarify what I meant. I didn't mean he had to "go on a diet." After all, that's sooooo 80's. What I meant was that he had to clean up his diet. No more booze - he mentioned an affinity for vodka. No boxed or processed foods. Limit starches. Be careful when you eat out (there's a TON of hidden fat in everything at restaurants).

Loads of low-fat protein - chicken, turkey, fish, eggs; veggies (minus the fattening dressings and sauces); fruit and berries (great fiber!); grains; low-fat dairy such as yogurt and milk; nuts, avocados and other healthy fats...you get the picture.

And for God's sake - don't starve yourself. It may seem like a foreign concept, but you actually have to eat to lose weight. If you skip meals, your body reverts to an evolutionary concept of holding on to every calorie in case it takes a week for you to fell your next wooly mammoth.

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