In this opening statement, it is important to mention certain facts that set the scene, for people that wish to lose weight, because it is ultimately in their best interest to do it in a way that they will be able to keep/maintain the successful outcome forever into the future.

It is assumed that people will agree that this rather difficult exercise should ideally be undertaken only once in our life, as it is really not desirable to gain the weight back and to have to go through this pain ever again.

To begin with, therefore, one should realize that this is not a diet, but a Regime. This might be considered by some, as a small detail, and a debatable distinction, but nevertheless, is crucial that this is accepted by those that wish to practice it.  What will follow, it is both a nutritional as well as a wellness plan, that in a sense is for life, although once a person has reached the right weight in accordance with his or hers age and physique one can deviate from this Regime on occasions or even for a short period of time, provided that he/she is mindful that they should go back to the plan, so as to keep that lower weight for good.  It is called a Regime and not a diet, because one does not have to follow any specific plan, nor should one abstain from what is usually known as fattening foods.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE FOLLOWING THIS REGIME

The Regime

1. The basic definition of this Regime is that one can eat everything, i.e. meat or fish, any salads or vegetables, oil and butter, and fruit and nuts such as walnuts, cashews, peanuts in moderation, except for the following.
   1. Bread, cereals, and anything else made of flour.
   2. Sweets and deserts and anything containing processed sugar.
   3. No pasta, potatoes, etc
   4. No alcohol
2. For within reason, one does not have to watch the quantity of any of the allowed ingredients, although large quantities are not recommended anyway. As a matter of fact, one will discover that as the weight comes off, the stomach shrinks, and one fills full, with less amount of food.
3. One of the advantages of this Regime is that there is no set menu, there is no weighing of ingredients, and there is ample freedom to select any food except those mentioned under (1) above. This affords tremendous flexibility in one’s selection.
4. In practice, one will find that this flexibility affords one the possibility to find what to eat in almost any venue, i.e. invitations to private dinners, cocktail parties, restaurants, trips onboard airplanes, ships, or trains, etc. There is always enough variety for people to choose from, even in set menus.
5. Once a decision has been taken to follow this Regime, the secret of success is in having the will power to stick to it and not deviate from it until the desired weight is achieved. That may sound difficult to do, but in fact, it is easier than many people think, because of the variety of ingredients that one can eat, almost at any venue.
6. One will also find that almost in all establishments, even during formal dinners, at hotels or restaurants or other venues, one can ask for fruit instead of dessert, and in over 90% of cases, people will be able to respond positively.
7. When one is well along their way and has started to lose weight, it will become evident, that slowly but steadily, portions will automatically be reduced, not through self-discipline, but because hunger will be more easily satisfied, and one would feel full, plus the fact that one, again slowly but steadily looks forward to the last course, i.e. a fruit plate, which could contain a larger portion of fruit than one would normally have had if he/she was not following this Regime or was not on any diet.
8. There is no fruit that should not be eaten, although some under certain diet plans would be considered as fattening because they contain a lot of sugar, such as for example, watermelon, grapes, bananas, etc. The reason why fruit under this plan is not fattening is that it contains natural sugars, i.e. not processed.
9. Avoiding alcohol is extremely important, not only because of its sugar content but also because it affects metabolism, it slows it down.
10. Doctors always say that exercise is important, and this applies to this Regime as well, but not because the combination of following this Regime together with exercise produces results, but rather that exercise is very good from a health point of view.
11. Exercise has many advantages as regards wellness.
    1. It helps keep a person fit.
    2. It increases the metabolic rate.
    3. It conditions the muscles
    4. It improves one’s outlook in life, making him/her more positive and optimistic
    5. It can reduce the risk of major illnesses, such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer, and lower your risk of early death.
12. Loss of weight through a Regime such as this, which is slow, steady, and gradual, first helps to reduce the fat around the human organs, which is vital for health and longevity. According to doctors, this is the first fat that is lost, which is really good news for our health
13. The weight loss is usually more rapid in the beginning, and it slows down after a few weeks or months, but as one perseveres, the weight continues to drop. There will come a time however when one would feel that they have hit a stone wall, but this is because either one has attained the normal weight for one’s age and physique and/or because one is close to that weight, and the progress is extremely slow for any additional loss.
14. Faith and belief in this Regime are important or even crucial because there will be days when weight loss will be reversed, and the scale will be going up instead of down. This is a normal reaction by the body, but one must not lose heart, because the weight loss will resume.  This increase in weight is normally due to water, which the body retains at times so as to adjust to every step of this Regime and the new weight.  Thus, one needs the strength of character and willpower to continue to follow the Regime religiously knowing that the results will come.
15. Weigh yourself daily, wearing the same clothing. It is important, both as an encouragement when you see the weight go down, but also as a warning if the weight goes up in case you have deviated from the Regime, and thirdly because it is crucial to get into the habit of accepting the discipline.  There is a fourth factor, and that is, that as the days and weeks pass, you gain experience, and you can judge what has affected your weight loss and/or sometimes your temporary weight gain.  Also, you must be aware that, the body out of self-preservation will check the downward trend from time to time, so you must not be discouraged.  It is a natural reaction.
16. Within 2 to 3 months, apart from the actual weight loss, one will notice an appreciable difference in their measurements, and that includes the entire body. The change will be more noticeable after say, 6 months and it will affect not just the waist, but also the feet, legs, hands, arms, the body, the neck, and the face.  This realization brings enormous satisfaction and a new resolve, and this is what makes people want to continue until they reach their ultimate goal.
17. It is extremely important that people do not overdo it by forcing themselves to eat less, and they should consult their doctor at any point they feel unwell. Eating less, you might think will result in a bigger weight loss, but that would be a mistake.  In a sense, this would be like following, what is usually prescribed in diets, which as most people know well by now, would result in people gaining all their weight back the minute they stop.  Rapid weight loss is wrong for many reasons that are well understood, and this is not what has contemplated hereunder this Regime.
18. Everyone should consult their doctor before they begin, and it is advisable to carry out all the normal examinations and tests that one’s GP would prescribe. It is also advisable that throughout the period that one follows this Regime, that he/she regularly consult their doctor, and it is quite probable that the Doctor himself may feel likewise, i.e. to want to see his patient, to see how they are doing and that medically everything is well.
19. No one should start this Regime if the Doctor is opposed to it.
20. As the Regime does not restrict the amount of food one can eat, one normally does not feel hungry, but if one does, the best way to alleviate hunger is to eat fruit or nuts, but ultimately any other food they desire, in moderation.
21. Water should be the order of the day.  No drinks such as sodas, coca-cola, lemonade, etc, and orange juice, even fresh orange juice are not recommended.  It is ok to eat an orange, but it is not recommended to drink the juice of the orange. This is because eating the fruit positively affects the metabolism, whilst the juice does not.  Coffee and tea, with or without milk, but without sugar are fine, as is tomato juice, with or without spices.

As a final comment, the beauty of this Regime is that although one should follow it religiously and not deviate from it, is that you get results by eating as much as you want of most of the foods, in any combination, without weighing ingredients, without measuring portions, without any written diet, prescribed breakfast, lunch and dinner for each day of the week, and without any prior planning of any kind.  One leads a perfectly normal life, and the only discipline is to avoid what is mentioned in paragraph (1).