“I Flushed Away My Fat!”
Quick and Simple – 12/12/06
Cathy wanted big results, fast, so she tried a fad diet that made good on its promise
Cathy Young can thank her part-time job at a health-food store for steering her toward a successful 56-pound weight loss. At 40, Cathy felt decades older than she was. Once an effortlessly slim 120 pounds, the 5-foot-3 Lake Placid, N.Y., mother of two packed on weight through bad times (when her first husband died) and good ones (after she married her high school sweetheart, George, a terrific cook). Within a year of her second marriage, Cathy’s scale was pushing 180. “I knew I had to do something,” she recalls.
Leaving the Fat Behind
Around this time, a book called The Fat Flush Plan, by Ann Louise Gittleman, was creating a buzz at the health-food store where Cathy worked – several of her co-workers raved about the slimmed-down bodies they gained from following the diet in the book. “What caught my attention,” recalls Cathy, “was the promise of big results – fast.” The plan – which claims to cleanse the liver and melt fat from the hips, waist and thighs – begins with a two-week “detox” that includes a daily cranberry drink, lean proteins, high-fiber vegetables, flaxseed oil and ground flaxseed, plus a ban on coffee, sugary foods and refined carbohydrates. (The concept is controversial: Many experts would argue that “flushing” fat from the body is impossible and that a “detox” from certain foods is not only impossible but unnecessary. Regardless, the Fat Flush Plan does restrict calories, and this may have been responsible for Cathy’s significant weight loss, speculates Caroline Apovian, M.D., director of the Nutrition and Weight Management Center at Boston Medical Center.)
The detox plan “was no picnic – the first few days I felt terrible,” admits Cathy. She suffered from headaches and lethargy, and she pined for her coffee and bagels with butter. For support, Cathy turned to the Fat Flush online message boards. There she learned that her symptoms were common in the early days of the diet. “Hearing people say that they’d been through the same thing helped me hang on,” says Cathy, “and I’m so glad I did, because by the fifth day my aches were replaced with a surge of energy.” By the end of the second week, Cathy was 10 pounds lighter.
Cathy continued to follow the program into “phase 2,” in which she could have more complex carbohydrates, such as sweet potatoes, sprouted breads and various types of fruit, for the next five months.
Younger Every Day
Cathy also found a fun way to burn extra calories – she bought a mini trampoline and started dancing on it daily. “My balance and stamina improved, and my body firmed up,” says Cathy, who was having a blast with her exercise regimen. She also noticed that she was sleeping more soundly and waking up refreshed. She felt more sure-footed on hikes with her husband, 46, an automotive technician, and – even better – rarely was winded. Her weight kept dropping, too, at a clip of 2 or 3 pounds a week; in under six months, she hit her goal of 124 pounds. She is now in the maintenance phase of the Fat Flush Plan (see sample day), which allows a few more calories and some carbs such as corn, whole-grain rice and pasta.
These days, Cathy dresses as young as she feels. “I used choose my daily outfit based on the body part I wanted to conceal – usually the roll around my middle,” she says. “Now I wear clothes that showcase my body.” Best friend Larissa Pokrovsky adds: “Cathy’s always been a strong and positive person, but today, you can see it on her face. Her skin glows, her eyes are bright and she has bounce-off-the-wall energy. She honestly looks better today than she did 10 years ago!”
A Typical Fat Flush Day
Here’s how Cathy keeps the pounds off
Breakfast: Two scrambled eggs with a variety of vegetables
Snack: One medium apple and a piece of string cheese
Lunch: About 2 cups of Chili-Veggie Soup (see below), a stick-to-your-ribs stew that’s a favorite among the message board buddies
Snack: One slice of sprouted grain bread (Fat Flushers favor Ezekiel 4:9 Sprounted Grain Bread) and a tablespoon of peanut butter
Dinner: A green salad topped with 4 oz. chicken breast meat
Chili-Veggie Soup
Serves 8
-2 cans (14 oz. each) low-sodium, low-fat beef broth (can use 1 can if you prefer a thicker soup)
-1 lb. lean ground beef
-1 lb. lean ground turkey
-8 cloves garlic, minced
-2 medium onions, chopped
-2 green bell peppers, seeded and roughly chopped
-1 lb. fresh mushrooms, any variety, roughly chopped
-2 medium white eggplants, peeled and cubed (can use purple eggplants)
-28 oz. can whole plum tomatoes, with liquid
-28 oz. can crushed tomatoes, with liquid
-28 oz. can tomato puree
-2 Tbsp. ground cumin
-cayenne pepper, to taste
-1 bunch Italian parsley, finely chopped
-1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
- In a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, warm 1 to 2 Tbsp. beef broth. Add ground beef and turkey to pan and sauté until no longer pink, about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring to break up meat into crumbles. Drain well and set aside.
- In a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat, warm another 1 to 2 Tbsp. beef broth. Add garlic, onion and bell peppers, and sauté for about 3 minutes until peppers start to become tender. Add mushrooms and eggplant, and sauté 5 minutes longer (add more broth if pot gets dry). Cover and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until eggplant is very soft.
- Drain the liquid from the whole plum tomatoes into the pot. Squash the plum tomatoes with your hand or a fork, then add them to the pot. Add crushed tomatoes (with liquid), tomato puree and remaining broth (about 3 ½ cups if using 2 cans); reduce heat to medium, cover and cook 15 to 20 minutes.
- Add ground beef and turkey to pot; stir to combine. Cook for 15 minutes.
- Stir in cumin and cayenne to taste. Add parsley and cilantro. Cook about 5 to 10 minutes more to blend flavors and serve.
Each serving: About 412 calories, 33g protein, 40g carbohydrate, 15g fat (5g saturated), 12g fiber, 78mg cholesterol, 1,045mg sodium |
