Sample Day's Diet.

So what exactly do I eat on the Duh Diet?

Well, right now I'm aiming to lose weight, to get to the weight I want to be, and then to find out how much is the right amount for me to maintain that weight.

So right now, it's all very simple.

• I drink water before and during every meal and most snacks--that's five to eight 8 oz. glasses a day. Indeed, when I'm hungry the first thing I do is drink a class of water.
  
• I eat small portions. I don't think about filling up; I think about what is a reasonable amount of food--usually not more than 4 oz. of any one thing.
  
• I emphasize fruits and vegetables. Most snacks have one, and most meals have one or two servings of fruit or vegetable.
  
• I then add low-fat protein--e.g., soy, chicken, yogurt.
• I reduce or avoid fat--in dressings, cooking, etc.
• I include a certain amount of fiber.
• I do not eat until I am full. I eat a reasonable amount and stop.
• I emphasize 'real' food over prepared, processed things--but I will eat a protein-rich and low-calorie bar as a stopgap, such as when I'm sick of eating fruit.

Breakfast.
8 oz. water
multivitamin supplement
1 small orange
1/2 c. oatmeal, cooked
1/4 c. non-fat yogurt with raspberries

Snack.
8 oz. water
Zen bran cake
8 oz. sugar-free soy milk

Lunch.
8 oz. water

Salad consisting of:

• 1 chopped apple
• 1 chopped pepper
• 3 oz. chicken breast
• 4 oz. spicy peanuts

With dressing consisting of: 1/4 c. nonfat yogurt, 1 T. sesame oil, 1 t. hot sauce, 1 T. soy sauce.

Snack.
8 oz. water
Luna bar
Nonfat latte

Snack.
6 oz. decaf coffee, 6 oz. low fat milk

Snack.
8 oz. water
6 oz. carrots
8 oz. soy milk

This is about 1400 calories. That's a really small amount. But I ate many times a day. My lunch salad was HUGE. And adding just a tablespoon of fat would add another 120 calories.

Indeed, my breakdown suggests it's: 33 grams of fat, of which only 7 is saturated; 84 grams of protein (which is a ton), and nearly 40 grams of fiber. (The Zen bran cakes have 13 grams of fiber. An apple, poor thing, has just three.)

(Yes, I keep a diary right now of how many calories and grams of this and that I'm eating. It's to educate myself, to discover what I'm really eating, and to make sure I get enough protein to stay healthy.)

That's more fat than Ornish would allow. I didn't count carbs, but it's way more than Atkins. But, like the Zone, it's very heavy in protein. Unlike Atkins, it's much lower in fat.

Now this particular day I didn't really have dinner. It just happened. I wasn't super-hungry at night. And I was content to eat some small snacks.

Also, I somehow find 100 calories or so of nonfat latte or coffee with low-fat milk actually fills me up and satisfies me quite well. Maybe it's the hot liquid.

Also that 6 oz. of carrots in the evening actually did fill my stomach nicely. YES I could have eaten more. I could have eaten a couple nice slices of pizza. But I did not need to eat pizza. I ate what I knew was reasonable, nutritious and low in calories. I wanted that more.

No actual weight loss today from yesterday. But after losing almost ten pounds in about two weeks, the weight loss slows down. The next five pounds--which will take me beyond where Atkins could ever get me--may itself take two weeks. But it will be worth it.

I already fit into my clothes better. And I know somehow that eating fruits and vegetables and lots of water must be pretty darn good for you.

And although bread's still a bit too processed and caloric for me, I still get to eat grain (oatmeal) and may even include some brown rice pretty soon.

--E. R. O'Neill