[ChihuahuaMomma]

I take occasional jogs with pals, but since starting a third job I have literally NO time to exercise or plan a diet. I was watching True Life: I want to be a pageant queen (or something like that) a while back, and this girl dropped 15 pounds by simply eating cottage cheese for a week. Nothing but cottage cheese. I know this is incredibly unhealthy. But I want a diet similar to this one as I hate cottage cheese. Something that will give me a jump start. Once I drop 10-15 pounds I can be motivated to try and find some free time to work out more and plan a better diet. I just need something for here and now. I know this is totally not good for me, and I'd be fine with people replying via private message with a diet plan so as not to give bad ideas to impressionable dieters.

Additional information: I'm 5'3, 160 pounds, and 22 years old. Female, obviously. I just need some help here. I recently just lost 25 pounds the right way, and as of now gained almost all of it back. I eat the same as I did when I was 19 and I was 130. But now, I can't seem to eat an apple without gaining 5 pounds. HELP!

[zawatska]

My friend (male) 22 years old, he was 300 lbs, just ate tuna fish out of the can, on plain sub rolls, no mayo and now he is down to 150 lbs. He lost all this weight in 2 months. Crazy! I guess it's a protein diet? I'm sure it cannot be healthy for you, but it worked for him!

[ChihuahuaMomma]

I would assume it's the water in the can kind, not the oil..

Interesting perspective! Thanks!

[zawatska]

Yep tuna in water... he also mentioned that he mixed the tuna w/ mustard sometimes and ate it plain like that lol ewww.

[ChihuahuaMomma]

LOL... sounds kind of gross... but it's worth a try. I'll let you know how my experiment goes!

[HistorianChick]

Well, when Christian Bale wanted to get into the role of American Psycho, he ate nothing but a can of tuna and an apple every day...

I wouldn't recommend that though!

Have you tried Juice fasts? Only drinking fruit juices and smoothies for a few days? This still gives you the nutrients that you need and curbs cravings.

I wouldn't do a tuna-diet... simply because I wouldn't think that it would be healthy for your body.

I'm in the same boat as you... I work crazy hours and don't really have time or the desire to exercise when I get home after a long day. I started the South Beach Diet in July of last year and in the first 5 months, dropped 50 pounds. I've kept it off - fluctuated between 5 pounds give or take. Its been a great lifestyle change for me...

Get yourself a cheap George Foreman grill and go to town on the SBD! :)

[zawatska]

I'm tempted to try the tuna diet myself... I love tuna, but I don't know if I could eat it everyday.

[kp2171]

The below link mentions rough recommendations for tuna consumption and concerns about mercury...

ConsumerReports.org - Mercury in tuna 7/06

Also
US FDA/CFSAN Seafood Information and Resources

And, per the fda, any woman who is not pregnant but might become pregnant should watch intake, as mercury levels can remain high for as long as a year after consumption.

[zawatska]

Yes, that is true. Mercury intake can be harmful. But isn't the average person allowed to have 1 lb. of fish per week?

[kp2171]

Check out the links. It shows what choices are good, such as chunk-light tuna, recommended consumption limit at 3 cans a week for an adult.

And yes, there's other seafood with such low levels you can eat more often. So any potential issue with tuna shouldn't keep a person from eating other kinds of seafood. If you aren't getting enough omega oils, and I think most don't, you should be taking a good "burpless" fish oil supplement. I do this daily.

[zawatska]

Is that where you got your big muscles from??

[kp2171]

ChihuahuaMomma agrees: Good advice, however not planning on getting pregnant any time soon!

ah yes, neither was my wife. Sometimes strict ovulation tracking and birth control aren't enough to keep a little one from showing up. =)

[ChihuahuaMomma]

Let me just say, I'm not having a child... whether I get pregnant or not...

[kp2171]

Well then tuna fish diet and tic tac breath fresheners it is.

I know how hard you worked... and I know I've shot down a lot of the things you've wanted to try... only because I didn't think theyd work, not because I don't want them to.

If you restrict your diet at least make sure you are taking a good multivitamin daily. And you can always sub the roll with a decent multigrain wrap with mustard.

If you run with this, let us know how it goes.

[ChihuahuaMomma]

I will let you know how it goes, and I do take a multi vitamin every morning.

[zawatska]

Have you tried the tuna fish diet? I tried just eating a can of tuna plain, and ew, I couldn't do it! But I added some mustard to it and the mustard definitely masked the strong taste of tuna!

[ISneezeFunny]

I lost about 30 lbs switching to a tuna salad for lunch

1 can tuna
1 - 2 stalks of celery chopped
1 tbsp horseradish sauce
1 tbsp mayo
1 tbsp lemon juice
Salt/pepper

And grilled chicken + frozen veggies for dinner