Robert Lee Brewer’s Diet

Like any girl I’ve ever known, I have always been in search for the perfect diet. Being on the voluptuous end of the spectrum (and petite at that!), it’s so easy to gain weight in a short period of time (Coz where else will all the calories go on my 5 foot frame? Aside from my boobs, that is.). So I’ve tried a number of fad diets and even took some weight loss pills in the past (which I am not proud of). Though I did reach my desired weight at that time, I was always hungry and moody. I plan to change all that by sticking to a diet plan that does not spell starvation. I may not be fat, but I do need to trim down in preparation for this summer’s activities (like surfing!). So I started asking around on Plurk and on Facebook. They all gave amazing answers like eating more veggies, exercising, swimming, eating the right amount of carbs, etc. But what really caught my attention was this diet plan shared by a friend of mine in Facebook, Michelle Tandoc-Pichereau. She shared with me Robert Lee Brewer’s  diet which I promise to follow starting today. I hope to lose at least 10 pounds (20 if possible) to prepare myself for this summer’s activities.

Peter’s healthy meal preparations will definitely help. Here are samples of his dishes…

Tuna Sandwich & Salad Medley

Ensaymada, Scarmbles Eggs with Sausages & Creamy Salad Medley 

Fresh Grapes & Pears with slices of Ham and Edam Cheese 

Pita Bread with Salmon and Garlic Cheese Spread

My Diet (which was actually created by my little brother Simon, the stormchaser)

Friday, February 13, 2009 at 12:07am
Okay, while I was in Ohio recently, I had a late-night conversation with my stormchasing little brother, Simon, who lives in Oklahoma. We don’t talk often, but when we do talk, it can sometimes last hours. We used to run long distance, so you learn how to either talk to others or talk to yourself (or both).

Anyway, he casually mentioned he’d lost 20 pounds in a few weeks as part of his preparation to do some mountain climbing and hiking later this summer. And his only workout was a once-a-week hike, which is better than nothing, but it’s not like he’s working out every day either. So I asked him what kind of diet he was on, expecting something ridiculously absurd (and unhealthy), but here’s what he gave me:

1. Don’t drink anything that has calories (juice, pop, milk, etc.).
2. As soon as you wake up, eat a bowl of oatmeal.
3. Half-way through the day, eat a light lunch.
4. Eat dinner 4-5 hours before going to sleep at night.
5. And don’t consume any calories during that 4-5 hours before sleep.
6. Drink lots of water.
7. If you need a snack during the day, try to limit to less than 100 calories.
8. Weigh yourself first thing every morning (even before eating the oatmeal). Since your weight fluctuates during the day, this is the most accurate way of monitoring your progress.

This diet has been crazy easy. Every so often, I’ve felt like breaking the rules to snack or drink something with calories. But every time I’ve resisted the urge, I’ve realized that I wasn’t really hungry–I just craved eating something for the sake of eating something (or drinking something).

And there are no restrictions on high carb, low carb, fat, etc. So, you can eat a well-balanced diet. I’m not a “diet person,” so I was (and still am, a little) skeptical of how well this would work, how easy it would be, etc., but it’s actually been relatively easy and I’ve lost 5 pounds in 3 days so far. At this rate, I may actually be able to get down to a good racing weight for road racing again.

Anyway, a lot of people have been asking what my diet is, so I thought I’d share.

*****

Here’s what I ate through the first three days (as an example of how easy it is):

Day 1:

* Breakfast–Quaker Oats Instant Oatmeal (Cinnamon Swirl)
* Lunch–Campbell’s Chunky Soup (Meat and Potatoes–or something like that)
* Dinner–A couple pork chops with broccoli and cheese

Day 2:

* Breakfast–Quaker Oats Instant Oatmeal (Cinnamon Swirl)
* Lunch–Campbell’s Chunky Soup (Broccoli, potatoes, and cheese)
* Snack–4 Saltines
* Dinner–A couple ham and cheese sandwiches with a whole boat load of veggies (celery, tomatoes, carrots, and broccoli)

Day 3:

* Breakfast–Quaker Oats Instant Oatmeal (Cinnamon Swirl–eventually I’ll try another flavor, I’m sure)
* Lunch–Dinty More Beef Stew
* Snack–Some baby carrots
* Dinner–A few loaded up soft tacos

*****

To learn more about my storm chasing brother, who has a degree in meteorology (not dietary-ology), you can check out his website at www.stormgasm.com. He recently documented the ice storm that hit Oklahoma and was out chasing when tornadoes struck earlier this week in his own backyard.

If you decide to try the diet, good luck. I’m going to keep updating my progress as long as I’m on the diet.