Jump start your weight loss From Dr. Oz: a high-energy plan to lose 10 pounds this month (no hunger pangs!) By Sarah Mahoney photographs by jim wright i f winter has left you feeling as energetic as Jabba the Hutt—and in about the same shape as the rotund Star Wars villain—Mehmet Oz, M.D., has two “F” words (good ones!) for you: “food” and “fun.” “This plan delivers plenty of both,” he says. “You’ll get lots of delicious, nourishing foods—meals that are also easy to prepare. And you’ll get the energy you need to enjoy your day, not just endure it.” Trust us: This expert knows what he’s talking about, and not only because changing others’ lives has won him Emmy Awards for The Dr. Oz Show and made seven of his books, including You: The Owner’s Manual, cowritten with his friend Michael Roizen, M.D., best sellers. Nor is it simply because he continues to save lives in his work as vice-chair and professor of surgery at New York–Presbyterian/Columbia. It’s also because the slim, handsome Dr. Oz loves food as much as his fans do, and he is as April 2013 g o o d h o u s e k e e p i n g 39 passionate about his favorite meals (skewered lamb with basil, for example) in person as he is on TV. Together with Good Housekeeping’s nutrition team, Dr. Oz has cooked up a plan that gives you all you need to feel great: You’ll consume 1,450 calories per day, spread over three meals and three snacks. And though the pounds will come off quickly—you can drop 10 in a month—you’ll feel more nourished and energized than you have in years. Really. WHO SAID DIET? Orzo Salad with Chicken Meatballs For this easy recipe and more, see page 44 You g et more food Eating enough to keep your weight-loss rate in the safe range of two to three pounds per week is the only way to win at the diet game. “You just torture yourself if you shave off too many calories,” Dr. Oz warns. “Your thyroid knows it, and within 36 hours, it thinks, Famine! and slows down your metabolism to conserve fat.” And no, you can’t simply tough it out. “Willpower will never trump the biology of blubber,” he explains. “You can’t just undo millennia of biological programming.” There’s plenty of hungerb u s t i n g p r o t e i n Roast beef, shrimp, smoked salmon…the plan is engineered to provide about one-third of the day’s calories from protein. That’s higher than what some diets call for, but still within the safe guidelines established by the Institute of Medicine. There’s a reason for these yummy additions: The latest nutrition research confirms that while carb-limiting diets are often more Sure you’re hungry? successful than others, it’s not just the lower carbs but the dieters’ higher protein intake, too, that moves the numbers down on the scale. Eating protein-rich meals generates a greater feeling of satiety, producing peptides that tell the brain, I’m full. The brain then releases other chemicals that suppress the desire to eat. Another plus: Your body burns more calories digesting proteins than fats or carbohydrates—and, as a 2012 Dutch study reported, when higher-protein diets are sustained over three days, even sleeping metabolic rates go up. You won’t be bored Woman does not live by (garlicky) shrimp alone. You’ll also pile your plate high with whole grains, vegetables, and fruits. The whole wheat pitas, oatmeal muesli, quinoa, and other grains in this plan You know those sensations that cry, “Chips!” and “Cookies!”? Research suggests they’re actually signs of withdrawal from sweet, artificially flavored foods (also called “toxic hunger”). In experiments conducted by Joel Fuhrman, M.D., a medical-school classmate of Dr. Oz’s, 80% of participants reported that after several months of eating healthy foods, they had fewer hunger pangs and, when hungry, weren’t as irritable. Two quick tests to see whether you’re genuinely in need of bites: Photographs by MARK LUND, prop styling by Stephanie Hanes (food insets). why this plan works 5-day high-energy meal plan thursday friday Photographs by istockphoto (silhouettes) wednesday tuesday monday breakfast Each breakfast is about 300 calories; lunch, 400; and dinner, 500. We’ve maximized flavor, fullness, and nutrition here, but feel free to swap within categories. See the snack picks on page 43. lunch dinner Powered-Up Purple Smoothie Smoked-Salmon Sandwich Chipotle-Honey– Glazed Pork Tenderloin* Quick Cereal Blend 4 oz. each fat-free milk and nonfat plain Greek yogurt, 2⁄3 c. kale, 1 c. blueberries, 1⁄2 banana, 1 tsp. ground flax, and 1 tsp. honey. Mash 1⁄4 avocado with 1 tsp. lemon juice. Spread on half of a toasted Thomas’ Whole Wheat Bagel Thin. Top with 2 oz. smoked salmon; 1 hard-cooked egg, sliced; 2 thin tomato slices; several sprigs watercress; 1 slice red onion; and other bagel half. Have 1 c. Nature’s Path Organic Optimum Slim Low-Fat Vanilla Cereal (or 1 c. Wheat Chex); 1⁄2 c. strawberries, sliced; and 6 oz. fat-free milk. Curried Chicken Salad Combine 11⁄2 Tbsp. nonfat plain Greek yogurt, 1 Tbsp. light mayonnaise, and 1 tsp. curry powder. Add 3⁄4 c. cubed chicken breast; 1⁄4 apple, diced; 1⁄4 stalk celery, diced; 1 Tbsp. raisins; and 1 Tbsp. almonds, chopped. Serve over lettuce with 3 Triscuits. Garlicky Shrimp & White Beans* Tropical Paradise Parfait Snappy Roast Beef Sandwich Lentil Salad with Roasted Veggies* Overnight Muesli Black Bean Salad Crunchy Salmon with Apple & Baby Kale Salad* Layer mixture of 8 oz. nonfat plain Greek yogurt and 2 tsp. chopped crystallized ginger with 2 Tbsp. Wheat Chex, 3⁄4 c. pineapple chunks, and 8 almonds. Mix 1⁄3 c. old-fashioned oats with 2 dried apricots, diced; 4 oz. nonfat plain Greek yogurt; 1⁄4 c. fat-free milk; and 2 tsp. chopped nuts. Refrigerate; in A.M., add 1⁄2 c. berries. Cherry-Nut Granola Square* Serve with 1 c. fat-free milk and 1 kiwi fruit or medium tangerine. Spread half of a toasted whole wheat bagel thin with 1 Tbsp. light mayo and 2 tsp. horseradish. Layer on 3 oz. deli-sliced roast beef (no nitrites or nitrates added), 1 slice roasted red pepper, and 1⁄4 cucumber, sliced. Serve with 20 grapes. Combine 1⁄2 c. cooked brown rice, 1⁄2 c. reduced-sodium black beans, 1⁄4 c. corn kernels, 2 Tbsp. salsa, 1 Tbsp. crumbled feta, 1 Tbsp. chopped cilantro, 1 Tbsp. lime juice, and 1⁄2 tsp. olive oil. Serve with 2⁄3 c. pineapple chunks. Soup & Sandwich On a 100% whole wheat wrap, spread 3 Tbsp. hummus. Add 4 olives, chopped; 2 oz. turkey (no nitrites or nitrates added); and 1⁄2 roasted red pepper. Side: 1 c. Pacific Foods Light Sodium Tomato Soup. Orzo Salad with Chicken Meatballs* * For easy recipes, turn to page 44 Distract yourself for five minutes and see what happens. Toxic hunger will pass, says Dr. Oz, but true hunger will intensify. When you do eat, pay close attention to how your food tastes. “When we are truly hungry, our taste buds are stimulated. Food tastes good,” says Dr. Oz. If you barely taste what you’re eating, he adds, chances are you’re feeding toxic hunger. deliver a number of energy-boosting B vitamins and lots of fiber. Not only is that good for your heart, but it also aids in digestion (it’s hard to feel energetic when you’re bloated or constipated). And the fruits and vegetables pack a one-two punch: You get the vitamins and minerals your body needs plus tummy-filling volume. Dr. Oz, who grew up eating a largely Mediterranean diet, can’t say enough about the benefits of munching on a wide variety of produce: “Fruits and veggies have pigments to protect them, and those colors provide a whole range of different nutrients.” He laughs as he acknowledges that plenty of people don’t share his enthusiasm for vegetables— especially broccoli. “Seriously, I adore it,” he says. His suggestion for reluctant vegetable eaters: Experiment. “One of my daughters makes broccoli with garlic and coconut oil; she also steams cauliflower with cinnamon,” he says. His point is, you can trick your taste buds: “If you find a way to prepare vegetables with just the zip you like, they won’t be diet foods anymore. They’ll be fun to cook and fun to eat. They’ll become the food you want.” beyond the table get off the couch (and into the park) To get the best re- sults on this plan, Dr. Oz suggests engaging in 30 minutes of activity every day. It doesn’t have to make you sweat, “but it does have to be enough exertion to make you breathy,” he says. Translation: You’re able to say a few words to your walking pal about energy move Even he has an occasional off day, and when he does, Dr. Oz relies on this simple stretch: 1 Bend from the waist, reaching your fingers toward the floor. Hang there, doing a few deep breaths, until you feel tension release in your lower back. 2 Slightly bend first one knee, then the other, alternating as you breathe deeply. “It’s energizing,” says Dr. Oz, “because we store so much tension in our hips.” the newly sprouted tulips, but you don’t want to dissect last night’s episode of The Good Wife. Thirty minutes can sound daunting, but not if you break them up. “I get up seven minutes early and do my stretching-and-calisthenics routine,” says Dr. Oz. “It’s my replacement for coffee. That gives me confidence that I can control what I do; all day, I can brag to myself that I at least did some exercise.” While Dr. Oz is lucky to have a job that keeps him on his feet throughout the day, he says we can all increase our activity levels as long as goals are small and achievable. “Wear sneakers to work, and walk up the stairs or park farther away,” he suggests. “As long as you think of activity in 10- or 15-minute increments, you’ll get there every day. In fact, when we look at people who are ‘naturally’ thin, it’s the movement built into their daily lives that’s the secret.” Make your exercise fun and varied, too. “On weekends, I do longer workouts, including running and weights. But I also play—maybe basketball or tennis, or horsing around with my kids,” says Dr. Oz. Address your stress Whether exercise alone leads to weight loss may be debatable, but there’s no question that it ups your fitness and tones your body. It’s also one of the best stress-zappers out there—even better than shoe shopping. New research from the University of Maryland reports that working out doesn’t just ease stress, but also seems to prevent it, emotionally buffering us from traffic jams yet to occur. That matters because stress steals our energy and can make us gain weight. As we evolved, Dr. Oz believes, stress wasn’t a reaction to a deadline or a scary Visa bill—it was connected to famine: “So when you have chronic stress, your body thinks it’s thousands of years ago and you are on an arid plain in Africa. You eat anything you can get your hands on, and more than you want to.” Worse, stress hormones then cause weight to be stored as abdominal fat, the type most linked to heart disease and other illnesses. If that has you hyperventilating, Dr. Oz has a prescription: yoga. “You can do it by yourself,” he says. “You don’t need equipment. And it gets you in the mindset for meditating, which is a great stress reliever.” You also need to reset your approach to weight loss. Say “ Om” to your omelet Becoming a focused, mindful eater helps you feel fuller on less food. At mealtime, try these strategies from Harvard nutrition experts. 42 good housekeeping April 2013 1 2 Eliminate distractions, including TV, phones, and newspapers and other reading materials. Take small bites and savor each one, chewing carefully before you swallow. Styling by Katy Robbins. Prop styling by Jen Everett. Hair by Anne Sampogna. Makeup by Linda Melo. On Dr. Oz, opening pages: T-shirt by Banana Republic. Photograph by istockphoto. Illustrations by Mallory Roynon. Dr. Oz’s Photographs by PHILIP FRIEDMAN/Studio D (wrap, ginger, goat cheese, gorp, and yogurt) and istockphoto (grapes, raspberries, popcorn, and almonds). “When you realize that eating well isn’t a sprint but a marathon, and that it’s perfectly normal to make mistakes sometimes, you’ll be far less anxious,” says Dr. Oz. “I like to compare it to using a GPS. When I make a mistake, my GPS doesn’t say, ‘How could you have missed that turn again?’ It merely says, ‘Recalculating.’ ” Every plan, he believes, needs to have room for nonjudgmental U-turns: “So you ate something, and now you regret it. Just hit Reset and start again.” sleep! Lots of folks think they’ve got low energy, says Dr. Oz, when what they really need is more sleep. If you don’t get enough, he warns—“and that means about seven and a half hours per night”—your body will crave carbohydrates, usually of the donut variety. The link between getting too little sleep and being overweig ht is wel l e st ablished , but happily, new research shows that it also works in reverse—a 2012 study from Johns Hopkins found that shedding about 15 pounds results in a 20% improvement in quality of sleep. If you’re sure you’re getting enough sleep but still feel draggy, don’t abandon your exercise, Dr. Oz says: “It should make you feel more alive.” So should the magnesium-rich foods on this plan. Getting too little of this mineral is a major cause of the blahs, says Dr. Oz. “It’s required for building energy stores in cells, and it’s involved in metabolism. And most of the population doesn’t get enough.” These meals, loaded with magnesium-rich greens, whole grains, and nuts, will give you that missing pep while filling you up and thinning you down. Welcome to spring! ick picks Qusnack Choose three a day—two from the 75-calorie group and one from the 100-calorie group. 75 7 Dole Nutrition Plus Chia & Fruit Clusters (any flavor) 3 4 Enjoy a meal without speaking for at least five minutes. 1 mini whole wheat pita with 11⁄2 tsp. PB and 1 strawberry, sliced Turkey wrap Spread 2 tsp. honey mustard on 3 thin slices turkey (no nitrites or nitrates added); top with 1⁄4 c. sliced apple; wrap in lettuce 1⁄2 oz. dark chocolate– covered ginger 1⁄2 c. each fresh raspberries and fresh blueberries 100 One 100-calorie bag microwave popcorn with 5-spice powder 1⁄4 c. Sunsweet Plum Amazins Focus on the sensory details of your meal: colors, flavors, textures, aromas, the sounds foods make as you chew. calorie snacks 20 frozen grapes 1 tsp. goat cheese and a sun-dried tomato on each of 2 Triscuits 2 Tbsp. red pepper hummus with veggie dippers calorie snacks 1⁄2 c. pickled beets topped with 2 tsp. crumbled goat cheese 14 toasted almonds Gorp 1⁄4 c. breakfast cereal used in meal plan + 1 tsp. sunflower seeds + 1 tsp. raisins + 1 tsp. semisweet chocolate mini chips click here 1 mini Kind bar 1 snack cup Healthy Choice Frozen Greek Yogurt For the full week’s meal plan and recipes, PLUS more snacks and dietfriendly frozen entrees, go to goodhousekeeping .com/energy-diet April 2013 g o o d h o u s e k e e p i n g 43