Thin and Thinner

By Ida and Emily Fiorella

This book offers solutions to permanent weight loss in the real world achieved by two experienced dieters. They share with readers practical strategies to losing weight and keeping it off for life. The weight loss plans allow for two levels, with the goal of being either thin or thinner, as the title suggests. The book is filled with detailed meal plans, life experiences, grocery lists, delicious recipes, and suggestions to assist the reader in transforming eating habits in any situation. No chefs or special pre-packaged foods are needed. This book contains all of the tools necessary to lose weight permanently and enjoy being both thin and healthy. The diet is simple and to-the-point, explaining the importance of living a low carbohydrate lifestyle, rich in green vegetables, while avoiding processed carbs. It is a low glycemic, diabetic friendly approach, with references to the latest research and resources available.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ida and Emily Fiorella
• Release date: Aug 2, 2011
• ISBN: 9781466166905

Ida and Emily Fiorella

Ida (Thin) is in her 25th year as an elementary school teacher. Being the same size for ten years (and counting), along with following a healthy eating plan, has allowed her to enjoy a happy life with her husband, 3 grown daughters, 6 grandchildren, live-in parents, family and friends, as well as her active fourth grade students. Emily (Thinner) has been on a diet since the fourth grade. She is very grateful to have found a plan that allows her to be thin, while still having the energy needed to be successful in her career. She has been working in the real estate industry for the last 7 years and is planning her wedding for 2012 with great excitement.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Introduction

Who are we, and why are we qualified to write this book? We are two regular people, mother and daughter. We are not scientists, nor are we doctors. We have battled the bulge since childhood, Emily (Thinner) for about 18 of her 28 years and Ida (Thin) for about 43 of her 56 years. Until now, neither of us had ever experienced a plateau where we stayed the same weight for any length of time. Both of us were either gaining pounds or losing them. We have read scores of diet books and have tried many over the course of time. We don’t need to go for testing to find out if either of us has the fat gene, all we need to do is to open our family photo album! Going by that—we’re doomed! Our relatives, particularly those who have already stuck their spoon in the wall, fall (or fell) into 2 basic categories: those that are on a diet and those that need to be. So, think of us as experienced dieters with 61 collective years of valid experience. We have successfully kept the weight off and have each maintained the same clothing size for 10 years. How have we done it? That is the subject of this book.

We have searched the web for many years, trying to find a longitudinal study of people who follow a low-carb diet. To date, we have not found one. Most studies end within a matter of months. Due to this lack of research, it is difficult to gauge the success of the program. No diet’s effectiveness can be determined in the short term. Losing weight is a challenge. But, keeping it off is the true test of a diet’s value. So, we have begun to study ourselves and represent a microcosm of an informal longitudinal study.

You likely know many people who have lost a significant amount of weight. But, have they kept it off? Probably, very few have. You, or they, may have even tried an approach similar to the one we are supporting here, but were not able to sustain it. It is our contention that it is not terribly difficult to lose weight. Going low-fat, low-calorie, running, and low-carb will all get you to your goal weight. However, the challenge is in keeping it off. Any diet that is not a life plan is truly not worth the effort.

One of us has reached her goal weight three times before discovering the approach to permanent and successful weight loss: twice on Weight Watchers and once on The Bruce Lowell Fat Percent Finder diet. In fact, Ida is a life time member of Weight Watchers. Notice the words reached her goal weight were not associated with the word success. Reaching the goal was not the success. If the weight had been kept off, that would constitute success. Slowly, but surely, each of these times, the weight would creep back up. The difference between this book and the hundreds of other books that are out there is that this one was written by 2 people who are genetically destined to be corpulent, given our western diet, who have successfully and happily kept the weight off for 10 plus years and are willing to share the experience. This book will equip you with all you realistically need to lose your excess weight and never gain it back. It provides the dietary and lifestyle changes for you to discover, realize, and sustain your ideal weight.

So, this is a diet book in that it explains what the ideal diet is for us and could be for you. But, it is not a diet book, in the sense of a temporary eating plan that ends when the goal weight is achieved. Anyone who thinks that once he/she reaches goal weight, the problem is solved is quite frankly—not the sharpest pencil in the box; but, will sooner than later be the fattest pencil in the box.

Chapter 2

The Science Behind the Diet

Here is the simplest explanation of the how the diet works. When carbohydrates are consumed, the body converts the carbohydrates into sugar (glucose). When glucose is present in the blood, insulin is released. The primary role of insulin is to take the sugar out of the blood. Some of the sugar is used for energy. The remainder is stored as fat. This is the same fat that we see on our abdomen, legs, and other parts of our bodies. It is also the fat that leads to heart disease. When it comes to simple carbohydrates, the truth is that our bodies are equal-opportunity fat storers. It does not matter whether the person is ingesting white bread, pasta, potatoes, or a 3 Musketeers Bar; the fat will be stored.

According to Gary Taubes, an acclaimed science writer and author of Good Calories, Bad Calories and Why We Get Fat and What to Do About It, When insulin levels go up, we store fat. When they (insulin levels) go down, we mobilize it (fat) and use it for fuel. In the absence of carbohydrates, the body will utilize proteins and fats to produce energy. Consumption of protein and fat will not spike insulin levels the way that carbohydrates do. If insulin is not spiked, the body will not store as fat the calories consumed.

The whole premise is that you don’t want to wake the sleeping giant, A.K.A. – insulin. To avoid doing so, you simply avoid sugars and starchy carbs. And, this is why the diet is sustainable for life. You do not need calorie counters, point systems, scales, or special pre-packaged foods. All you need to do is limit the carbohydrates.

This is the basic information that led us to embark upon a low-carb lifestyle. And, it has sustained us for the past 10 years and counting.

We would highly recommend that you look further into the science supporting the low carbohydrate lifestyle, for yourself. It will strengthen your resolve, as well as provide you with intelligent responses to questions by skeptics. The following recent books fully explain the science underlying the low carb plan:

Why We Get Fat and What to Do About It by Gary Taubes

Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes

New Atkins for a New You by Dr. Eric Westman, Dr. Stephen D. Phinney, and Dr. Jeff S. Volek

Also, there are other excellent books, listed in the reference section of this book, which give further elaboration on the science behind low carb diets.

Chapter 3

How We Came Up with the Name

For the past ten years, we, Ida (Thin) and Emily (Thinner), have followed the Thin and Thinner dietary and lifestyle plan. However, we have individually customized the program in order to accommodate our unique weight goals and lifestyles, and to sustain a lifelong

commitment to low-carb living. Thinners ideal weight and lifestyle require a more disciplined plan. Thinner eats 6 mini meals per day, has smaller portions that do not add unnecessary calories, and is diligent when it comes to exercise, trying her best to make it to the gym four or five times per week. These habits have allowed her to develop and maintain an extremely lean and healthy physique.

On the other hand, Thin’s goals do not require such a stringent program. Thin eats three meals per day with at least the minimum amount of recommended protein, enjoys a glass of wine with dinner most evenings, and engages in a low key workout on an exercise bike several nights a week (or when she can); all the while, keeping an admirably thin figure and a level of health that has been charted in the top 5 percentile of the US population.

By following our plan, Thin and Thinner, you will soon be thin, and you will have the option to be even thinner if you choose to eat smaller