The Digest Diet: The Best Foods for Fast, Lasting Weight Loss

By Liz Vaccariello

The Digest Diet is a 21-day weight-loss plan based on groundbreaking science and newly discovered foods and habits that help your body to release fat. Reader’s Digest sifted through all the weight-loss science to pick the foods, recipes, and habits that truly slim you down quickly and safely. We reviewed cutting-edge nutrition advances and myth-busting articles. We discovered some new reasons fat creeps on—and reliable ways to get it to fade away quickly. The Digest Diet targets surprising fat increasers in three key areas—eating, environment and exercise—and gives you the tools you need to turn the tables and shift your body into fat release mode.

The eating plan is organized in three basic stages: Fast Release, Fade Away, and Finish Strong. Every phase loads you up on fat releasers. But the calorie and macronutrient ratios shift in each so as to maximize fat release—and results!

Fast Release (12-minute exercise routine) is a four-day fat releasing jump start. The Fat-Release Workout combines both strength training and HIIT (high intensity interval training) into a 12-minute workout that’s amazingly effective for fat burn and muscle growth.

Fade Away transitions you into lean proteins and micronutrient-rich greens. For this 10-day stretch, you continue to have a shake a day, but the lean-and-green focus gives your body what it needs to help you release fat and build muscle, while lowering your intake of carbohydrates for faster fat fade.

Finish Strong is the last week of the plan. The meals and recipes show you how to enjoy a balanced, healthy, wholefoods diet rich in fat releasers.

The Digest Diet provides a list of 13 fat releasers, which include Vitamin C, Calcium, Protein and Coconut Oil, as well as an easy cheat sheet of fat releasing foods that can be eaten during the diet, such as broccoli, grapefruit, mozzarella cheese, almonds, fish, beef, red wine, dark chocolate and avocados, to name a few.

Inside the Digest Diet, you will also find a 21 day meal-plan, 50 fat releasing recipes with full color photos, a 12 minute fat release workout, a fat release workout calendar, before and after success stories, “laugh it off” sidebars to help keep perspective and sanity, and a free online destination for tips, videos, shopping lists and daily food and exercise journals to help make your weight loss goals easy and achievable. www.digestdiet.com

To prove the 21-day eating plan truly works, we put a dozen men and women on the diet—and their results will astound and inspire you. Our top tester lost 26 pounds in 3 weeks!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trusted Media Brands
• Release date: Sep 27, 2012
• ISBN: 9781606525456

Liz Vaccariello

ABOUT LIZ VACCARIELLO Liz Vaccariello is the editor-in-chief and chief content officer of Reader's Digest, one of the world's largest media brands, with 26 million readers. A journalist with 20+ years experience in health and nutrition, she's also the coauthor of the #1 New York Times bestselling Flat Belly Diet! and The 400-Calorie Fix. Vaccariello regularly appears on national programs such as Good Morning America and The Doctors, and has been featured on The Biggest Loser, Today, Rachel Ray, and The View. Previously, Liz was the editor-in-chief of Prevention. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and twin daughters. Her blog, Losing it with Liz, lives on rd.com. She has over 3,000 followers on Twitter (@LizVacc). ABOUT READER’S DIGEST RDA is a global media and direct marketing company that educates, entertains and connects more than 130 million consumers around the world with products and services from trusted brands. With offices in 43 countries, the company reaches customers in 78 countries, publishes 91 magazines, including 50 editions of Reader's Digest, the world's largest-circulation magazine, operates 78 branded websites and sells 40 million books, music and video products across the world each year. Reader's Digest, the world's most read magazine with 26 million readers, 2.7 million users on ReadersDigest.com, and more than 1 million Facebook Likes. Further information about the company can be found at www.rda.com.

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Introduction

If I could lose weight and be the healthiest I can be, my self-esteem would be better.

—DANA MIELE,

LOST 8 POUNDS

You'd be hard-pressed to find someone who walks around feeling more grateful than I do. Every day, I get to be a mom, a wife, a friend. I'm a sister and a daughter. An employee, a manager, a colleague. A runner and a reader. A writer, editor, and an occasional television personality. Just like you, I'm passionate about each of my roles and put my heart into all that I do.

A few years ago, when I was the editor-in-chief of Prevention magazine, I'd just come home from the road promoting my first book, Flat Belly Diet! At the time, my twin girls were about to turn four. They'd overheard me talk about my weight-loss plan quite a bit.

Now, I've always believed that food is a blessing. Not only is it our bodies’ key supplier of health-promoting nutrients and energy, but it's the cornerstone of memory-filled holidays, nightly family dinners, and some of the finest moments with friends. As the mother of daughters, I've wanted to model for them only a healthy relationship with food, ever so watchful that Mommy writes about weight loss not translate into body-image issues. Determined to protect them from that type of self-defeating, navel-gazing anxiety, I have never uttered the too-common refrain of women everywhere: Ugh, I feel fat. So naturally my antennae sprang up when I heard my girls in the backseat of our car.

It began as a simple request for pen and paper. Happy to keep them busy, I told them where they could grab it from a bag I'd packed earlier. Then one asked me, Mommy, how do you spell olive? Followed by, What about chocolate? Mommy, can you spell nuts? I asked them what they were doing, and Sophia replied, We're making a diet list!

My blood went cold. I tried to remain calm when I asked them, For what, girls?

Because we're going to go on the Flat Belly Diet! Olivia announced.

My head began to spin. My beautiful, perfect babies want to go on a diet? At four?!? What have I done? Taking a deep breath, I asked, Um, why? then steeled myself for an answer like because I'm fat or because my belly's too big.

Then Sophia replied, Because we want to be healthy!

Healthy. They wanted to be healthy. We talked a little while longer, and it was pretty clear that the message they'd been hearing me recite during television and radio interviews for months was the one I intended—that the foods on the plan were filled with nutrients that keep you from being sick or tired. And that reaching your ideal weight means you'll have more energy to do the things you love. They'd absorbed the crucial message that is the bedrock of who I am and what I do in my role as an author: Eating wholesome, nutrient-rich food leads to good health, and good health is one key to a happy life.

I share that story with you because it's my mission to help others get the information they need to live better. I want you to be healthy, and I don't want it to be hard. My role as editor-in-chief of Reader's Digest provides me with an extraordinary platform to fulfill that mission.

For more than 90 years now, Reader's Digest magazine and books have been part of people's homes, families, and daily lives. We've enjoyed that privilege because you, our readers, tell us that each page delivers inspiration, humor, and trustworthy information that both surprises and enlightens you.

If you read Reader's Digest magazine, you know that we sort through all the information out there on the subjects you care about most. Then we curate and condense it so that you don't have to.

We've always brought you the best of cutting-edge medical breakthroughs and advances in nutrition, as well as myth-busting and eye-opening health journalism. We sift out the gimmicks and the fads and present the science and the breakthroughs that really work. Often, we make it fun and present information in bite-size nuggets to ensure that it is easily processed. You want actionable insights that you can trust and use immediately.

That's what I've done with the Digest Diet. I've culled through all the diet hype. I've read the science and watched the trends. I've discovered some new reasons fat creeps on—and tracked down the latest research on how to get it to fade away quickly. With two-thirds of Americans overweight, we couldn't wait any longer to get this information to you. We asked: How can we help solve this problem by doing what we do best? How can we make it easy? The plan here is the answer.

If you picked up this book, you're likely concerned about your health and unhappy with your weight. Well, we're going to address those things together. The book you hold in your hands is going to kick-start your weight loss in a very real way. And, while it identifies quite a few areas where fat gain is caused by lifestyle and environmental factors, at its heart the Digest Diet is a plan about food: specifically, the healthy, natural foods that have been scientifically proven to shed fat. (You'll read about the specific health-enhancing benefits of individual foods in special boxes called Digest This.) We've put it all together in a fast, effective plan that will help you drop pounds quickly—and safely.

To prove it, we put 12 men and women with different weight-loss goals on the plan. Their results will astound and inspire you. What you're going to eat—and how you're going to eat it—is going to put you on a path to lower body fat, better health, and improved energy. At the end of our 21 days together, your pants are going to fit better, the scale will make you smile, and your stamina and spirits will soar. Your doctor might even pat you on the back as she sees your health markers improve.

I ask you now to think about what good health means to you. It's important to know what your true goal is before you begin any journey. Good health, to me, is about wringing as much enjoyment out of life as I can each day … for as many years as I possibly can. It means being surrounded by family, friends, and work I love. It's about appreciating the body that moves me through each day. Health and happiness go hand in hand. If you've ever had the flu or a bad head cold, you know firsthand that it's hard for you to feel great when your body feels awful; just like it's hard to feel miserable when your body is running on all engines and feeling strong and fit. People say the number one thing they can do to be happier is to get healthier. Guess what? Not only is that true but it also works in reverse: The happier you are, the healthier you will be.

Is it possible to be happy on a diet? Yes. Here you'll discover just how intertwined excess fat and decreased emotional well-being are, as well as how to flip that equation.

Laugh your way to good health? Yep. Throughout, we've sprinkled humorous stories from our readers to help you keep perspective and give you a chuckle along the way (just look for the smiley faces).

Take care of yourself without guilt? Yes, again. We're not the diet police, just committed to helping you enjoy lifelong good health.

If you choose to begin your journey to better health and happiness by losing weight, this diet is the simplest, safest, and most trustworthy way to get you there. I wouldn't put a diet into anyone's hands if it didn't embody those three elements: simple, safe, and trustworthy.

I wouldn't write it—and Reader's Digest wouldn't stand behind it—if the Digest Diet weren't breakthrough, health-promoting, and easy to live by.

And I couldn't bring it home if it couldn't stand up to the most personal test of all: my girls in the backseat of that car.

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE

My Energy Is Soaring!

Adrienne Farr

Adrienne Farr

WEIGHT

Before: 209 pounds

After: 191 pounds

Total: 18 POUNDS LOST!

INCHES

9.5 total inches lost!

3 inches of belly fat lost!

HEALTH GAINS

• I am a lot less anxious.

• Reduced back and knee pain

• Blood pressure decreased from 128/82 to 104/68

• Reduced total body fat by 6.4%

Adrienne's busy lifestyle as an executive assistant has made it difficult to find the time for healthy habits. But she was ready to change when the scale climbed past 200. Her back and knees hurt, and she was worried about her health: I knew that my cholesterol was high and my blood pressure (although normal) was creeping higher. A former high school gymnast, Adrienne, 36, yearned to be fit again.

Her first step to success? Healing her mind: Sadly, even when I was fit and in great shape, I still thought I was fat. Now Adrienne says, I feel strong and healthy mentally; I want my body to match.

Within days of starting the plan, her energy was soaring. I literally jumped out of bed at five a.m. I have never done that. She also found that her food tastes naturally shifted. I craved greens—spinach, broccoli, fennel. That's new for me.

At her first weigh-in, Adrienne lost an amazing seven pounds in four days. When I saw that happen, I thought, ‘Obviously it is working!’ Cupcakes, candy, junk food outside my office—I ignored it. I didn't want anything to derail me.

Another big surprise: Bringing more fun into each day helped the pounds melt off. "I loved watching old TV programs—Rhoda, Good Times, 227, All in the Family, Three's Company—it made me laugh out loud." To add more movement to each day, she woke up early each morning and danced in her living room.

She enjoys knowing that her success was achieved by doing something grounded in science. This didn't feel like a fad diet at all. I never thought it was possible to lose so much weight so quickly and in such a healthy way. This is something I can do for the rest of my life.

But most of all, she likes how this way of taking care of herself makes her feel both physically and emotionally. I feel healthy. My skin is glowing, and I don't have headaches anymore! I feel completely optimistic. And five months after the test panel ended, Adrienne is still losing—she's down a total of 50 pounds and counting!

Chapter 1. Fat: The Good, The Bad, and the Unhealthy

The great irony: Successful weight loss comes when you respect your body at any weight and stop demonizing fat.

I've been very stressed and put my children's needs above my own. I'm finally ready to concentrate on myself.

—SABRINA LORENZI,

LOST 9 POUNDS

I know you're ready to get started. And I'm excited for you to begin. First, I want to spend a few precious minutes flipping the switch on our attitudes. Attitude toward what? you may ask. Toward fat.

Here's what I mean: I'm not perfect.

I understand that this may come as a shock to nobody, so I'll clarify: I have bulges on either side of my hips that are not attached to anything important, like muscle or bone, and they jiggle when I move. Two scars the size of grapes live proudly on each knee (one from an incident at gymnastic camp when I was a kid, the other from a fall when I was seven months pregnant with my twins). Every evening, I feel the throb of the bunion on my right foot—the one my mother hilariously suggested I might want to remove when I get my double chin looked at. I have pale freckle-prone skin, thick thighs, bony knees, and a bump on my nose that's evidence of a collision with my then two-year-old daughter.

Yep, that's my body in all its imperfect glory. And I adore it.

Do I sound vain? I hope not. I begin a book about losing weight by telling you that I love my body because how you feel about yours is essential to the journey upon which you're about to embark. Finding a place where you are inspired to take care of yourself, but not inspired to beat up on yourself, is crucial to staying on track long-term. Accepting not perfect is a great first step.

I've spent the better part of my 20 years in journalism studying health, nutrition, fitness, and the ways that the body does or does not respond to the food we put into it and the movement we ask out of it. As a writer, editor, and author, I've put my body through the most rigorous (and often ridiculous) regimens in an effort to get strong, lean, and fit for myself, as well as to learn what works for others. I've met and mentored thousands of men and women (at book stores, gyms, and sometimes virtually) to both offer encouragement and share a heart-to-heart about the genuine obstacles that can make change hard to achieve. I've been fortunate enough to meet and applaud the many people who've followed my work and succeeded on its advice.

I weigh myself every day (if only because I've found it's easier to focus on not gaining weight than living in a cycle of trying to take it off). Over the years, the number on the scale has been as low as 135 (woohoo!) and as high as 173 (yikes!). You may not think that's heavy, just like I may look at you and think the same: What's important is to be comfortable in your skin and to not listen to well-intentioned but wrongheaded people on the subject of your weight. A wardrobe stylist who was dressing me for a television appearance once said to me: You have a pretty good shape under there. If you lost 20 pounds, you would rock these clothes!

Did I look in the mirror and imagine what she meant? No. I had a sandwich. And I rocked the outfit anyway. Thing is, I've learned never to look at my own body—or anyone else's for that matter—with disdain. Whether I have 20 extra pounds, too many lumps and bumps, or more aches and pains than I should, I appreciate what God gave me. And I'm here to tell you that this positive mind-set—approaching the amazing miracle that is the human body—is one of the surprising keys to health, happiness, and, ultimately, a shape you'll be proud to live in each day.

There is a subtle but distinct difference between wanting to lose weight and loathing the weight we have. I've met too many dieters who think of their bodies as the enemy. These are the people who won't look at pictures of themselves, who won't go to a beach, who refer to themselves as disgusting. These are the folks I've watched cycle through an endless loop of deprivation, success, and retreat as they fall back into the self-loathing habits and behaviors that got them into trouble in the first place. It's tragic. It's bad for our bodies and our souls. And it doesn't have to be that way!

If this has been you, that's okay, because I know a secret. It's the secret of successful dieters, and by that I mean the people who lose weight and keep it off. Here it is: These people love and respect their bodies, excess fat and all. They think of their bodies as sacred and worthy of respect, attention, and love. It's an attitude—a mind-set—and it works. People who report feelings of aliveness and energy, who, in effect, feel more positive toward life and their daily endeavors, are more successful at staying motivated and at losing weight long-term.¹

 LAUGH IT OFF

Following his motivational talk at a Weight Watchers meeting, my father noticed one client's small son climbing onto a scale. Don't go on that, Joey, warned the boy's slightly older brother. It makes people cry.

—CARTER DICKERSON

If you're one of those people who need a ’tude up, start here.

TIME FOR AN ATTITUDE CHANGE

Pause for a moment to think about all the myriad tasks and functions your body performs: It breathes. It digests food. It pumps blood. It loves and learns. It creates the miracle of life. Impressive, right? Yet I've seen people fall into