The Tortoise Diet: Slow and Steady

I'm always happy to see someone come out with a book based on solid common sense. I lost 60 pounds with a similar approach to hers and have kept it off for 6 years. It can be done.

I lost 100 pounds just by eating less and exercising more. The only 'trick' I recommend is tracking everything you eat for a couple of days/weeks, because it really helped me to see where I could improve my diet ("that candy bar was as much calories as my entire lunch ?!"). Otherwise, it was really simple. I just wrote an entry about this on my blog (the real secret to losing weight). I think that if you want to lose a lot of weight, you have to REALLY know why you want that. For me, realizing exactly how bad my eating habits were for my health and that I wanted to set a better example for my daughter, made all the difference.

Tulip: it's so inspiring that you kept it off for six years. I kept it off for 18 months now, but people keep telling me that it is impossible to keep it off forever. I am pretty sure I will never go back to being obese though. It feels so much better to be thin.

never heard of this book before thanks for informing me about it.
VH

PS Tulip that’s wonderful you off for 6 years.

Thanks!

And to add to Helena's note about people's comments to her about it being impossible to keep weight off: I think it *is* possible to maintain weight loss, within reason. Sure, you can't be as thin as a teenager when you're 50, but you can make the choice and the committment to be fit and to be smart about what you're eating.

(I think you'll be fine, Helena. You've established good habits and have motivation.)

I've lost 90 lbs and have kept it off for 5 years now. I think slow and steady is a good way to look at it. You can maintain weight a lot easier if you lose it gradually. For example, to lose weight I followed a pretty low fat, high fiber, moderate protein diet and lost about 2 lbs a week on average. To maintain, I added in a few calories here and there, but I didn't go back to my "old" eating habits. Too many people think "Yess!! I've lost those 5 lbs...I get to eat Oreos now!" I think this Tortise diet has potential.

Spectra, did you follow a certain diet? I did South Beach but have gained it all back. I am really frustrated. I am back at the gym but I haven't found a diet to stick to. I see the new books coming out everyday and even this lady has a web-site that you can join - for $4.95 per week.
It gets very confusing. Thanks!

Hi All,

I'm losing weight so darn slowly that to be honest it is driving me nuts. What do I mean? It took me 6 whole weeks to lose 10 pounds and I am eating approx. 1300 calories and 25 fat grams every day. I have to admit that I am bad in that I don't do my exercises every day and don't drink more than 48 oz. of water either.

I am seriously thinking of going on low carb in a few days because I feel that I will lose weight even faster than I did before.

Another diet book of any kind is like beating a dead horse. I quit buying them. You can check out just about any theory on line for nothing.

Greg--I sort of followed the Weight Watchers plan because it was sensible and allowed me to have a lot of freedom with my food choices. I lost the weight rather slowly, but because the food choices were ones I could make for life, I never felt deprived enough to go back to my old habits. I tried a lot of pretty radical diets before the WW and I lost weight, but seriously...who can survive on melba toast, tuna, and egg whites? (that one lasted about a week). Good luck ;)

Quote:
"Eating a balanced diet (55% carbs, 25% protein, 20% fat)"

That's the dumbest thing I have ever heard! Is the balanced part the fact that it equals 100% ???
It's completely arbitrary.

'Balanced' is another one of those marketing words like 'healthy'. It could mean anything to anyone!

Whole Grains are being pushed again! There are other ways to get protein and carbs. How about eating some vitamin dense vegetables like broccoli or spinach! A nice piece of chicken or lamb has enough protein for your needs!

...it's nice to see a real approach to weightloss getting a pitch. I've been on a similar approach for the past 3 months, and am quickly attaining better health than I have ever known in the past. Good luck to all of you struggling out there, but slow and steady is how you'll end up keeping it off. Especially the regular cardio and strength training are key; as you build muscle you naturally burn more fat. Balance is always more personal, but I think the bottom line here is just to be mindful and moderate. I've already got a pretty good handle on it, but I'll still pick up the book to read if there are any good ideas I haven't heard of yet.

I am always glad to hear from low carb dave. This site is great, but the carb lovers prevail. This book smells of the government food pyramid. We have been beating this low fat, high carb horse for decades, and we are an obese nation. Get a grip. 55 percent of carbs would justify a super sized fast food meal.

Once again, the situation is, that a 20% fat ratio is quite low. Americans back in 1900 ate at 45% of their percent of their caloric intake in fat, while heart disease was quite low. We also intake about 35 to 40 percent of the intake in protein, while 15 to 20 percent in carbohydrates. Fiber, believe it or not, is NOT a carbohydrate.

Grains are terrible, addictive, and very hard to part from. Although I finally part from soda, I am still having trouble coping with the grain addiction problems.

Your primary diet should include organic fruits and veggies, nuts, organic raw dairy products, and a variety of organic meats and seafood, from fish to lobster. I even permit insects into the diet, from large maggots to scorpians. Believe it or not, they also have good protein levels. There are some people that aten maggots in South America, and it actually tastes like sweet candy. But My recomendation is for dinner tonight, have some organic grass-fed bison with buttered vegtables and cucumbers. Go low on the grains, make them whole, and make them organic.

I have lost 140 lbs following a low carb life style and exercise. This book is way to low in fat and to high in carbs to be viable. Hunger will win out. I too, lost slow with 130 lbs over 2 years the last 10 has taken 15 mon. I found a low carb approach to be the healthiest. I no longer fall asleep as soon as I have eaten like I did when following low fat higher carb diets. Slow weight loss is the best if you have a lot of weight to lose as it minimizes the lose skin you will have when you reach goal.The amount of grains on the food pyramid just about equal the amount of grains they feed cattle at feed lots to fatten them up-what does that tell us?

Hi everyone! This is Patty Church, author of The Tortoise Diet - Win the Race to Lose!

I would like to thank you all for your kind (?) comments. Like many people, I had experienced years of trying every "hare-brained" quick-weight-loss diet out there. I always lost weight, but it always found me again, which was very depressing. Finally, five years ago, I made the solemn commitment to myself to make the following two commitments top priority in my life: #1 to improve my health and #2 to figure out once and for all how to lose weight permanently.

I read everything I could find about nutrition, weight loss and physiology. I experimented on myself and everyone else who would join me to see what worked, and what didn't work. The ultimate result was a loss of 120 pounds, which I have kept off now for over two years. I was able to achieve this by learning to practice twenty-five new habits - all of which are taught in The Tortoise Diet.

The key to successful FAT LOSS is not "no carbs" or "exercise until you can't breathe" or "starve." It is, instead, learning to "manage energy" so stored body fat is used to make up the calorie defict while lean muscle tissue is preserved. You just can't fool physiology, and there are energy management "rules" that must be followed to lose not just "weight" but stored body fat. Once you learn to practice the twenty five habits taught in The Tortoise Diet - you'll be an expert Energy Manager, and will experience greater energy, better all-around health, and you'll lose fat.

While following The Tortoise Diet program, you'll also be able to achieve your fat-loss goals while eating meals and snacks containing foods you enjoy. It's nothing flashy ... no special voodo about food combining or denying or eliminating ...but creating enjoyble meals and snacks containing a wide variety of colorful complex carbohydrate foods in their "whole foods" form combined with lean protein and small amounts of heart-healthy fat, will keep you feeling satisfied.

Calorie needs and target goals are personalized, so excess hunger is not a problem. Twice each week "TGIW" meals are included, when calorie intake is increased a little so the metabolic rate is not slowed. The exercise program emphasizes a very livable low-intensity / fat-burning aerobic program combined with a twice weekly strength-training program. Oh ... and when you exercise, you'll be able to eat more calories - it's all a part of learning the lifetime skills of "managing" energy.

This is not necessarily a "quick weight loss" program, but it does work ... hence the name, The Tortoise Diet. If you recall, however, the Tortoise was the one who ultimately won the race. The great thing about this, however, is by following a livable program that is not based on starvation and deprivation, it can work FOR A LIFETIME.

I invite you to give it a try. I'd love to hear from you, and am available for any further questions you may have.

Patricia S. Church
The Tortoise Diet
www.wintheracetolose.com
info@wintheracetolose.com

Patricia,

Back in 1997 I did the Atkins Diet, and lost about 40 pounds. By 2003 not only had I been unable to live that lifestyle, but I gained back the 40 pounds...and then some. As you can see, I tried to live the Atkins lifestyle for almost 6 years, and I followed the book to a tee. If some people can sustain that kind of diet...more power to them, I prefer the variety.

By trying to keep my macronutriets in check...and BTW, for everyone out there, 55/25/20 may be the formula that works for some, but YOUR body may be different. I find that 40/40/20 seems to work best for me. While I eat grains, the bulk of my carbs come from fibrous veggies and fruits, legumes and oatmeal (which is a miracle food to me). I exercise and lift weights regularly, but I am not a fanatic.

My weight has dropped, by body fat has dropped, my cholesterol is in check, and frankly...I feel great. It has taken 3 years to undo the harm I caused myself, but getting back to basics has worked for me.

Good luck to everyone out there that is trying to change their life, and is on a quest for health and fitness.

Renee

I have been following the diet for not quite three weeks so admittedly I am in the early stages. But to me the fact that I have managed to stick to it for this long is a miracle, because on most other diets, for the past 20 years, I only lasted a day or two.I have had trouble in the past with binges at night at the end of a hard day, in front of the tv. Already I am able to control these and this past week the cravings completely disappeared. For the first and second weeks I was not perfect, my calorie count went over the allowed daily amount, but I look at it as an education and as something that I have the rest of my life to perfect.

For me the best part of this program is that I can tailor it to fit my lifestyle and eating preferences. The exercise is not too radical so that it remains enjoyable rather than a chore; that's important because I can only make a herculean effort to exercise hard for a short time then I tend to quit.I can however take moderate walks in the morning and do weights a few times a week.

I do have one challenge with this program. I have a knee injury and was experiencing a lot of pain. I started the first week with a walking stick. I was able to leave it home after a week, and am now walking at a slow to moderate speed for 40-50 minutes a few times a week, while taking it easy on my knee. The pain in my knee is reduced by about 80 per cent and it seems to be getting stronger. I attribute it to the exercise and all the fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains, and legumes on the diet. I am a vegetarian.

I would urge others to try this program as it is sensible and customizable. Oh yeah, and I lost 2.6 lbs of fat in 2 weeks and increased my muscle weight.My waist size decreased 1 and 1/2 inches in the same period. On other diets without these measures I might have given up because I could not see the progress. This diet measures fat and lean weight so you know where you really stand.