Both the headache and the weakness are normal, but somehow you always think they will not show up.  Yesterday after breakfast and exercise I went to run some errands and while walking one block I experienced that exercise fatigue you feel when working out.  It happens because your body is losing weight or burning energy (hopefully unwanted fat), but it can be very disconcerting.

Being on a new health program is not only distressing to people that take comfort in food like myself, but it is also time consuming and energy consuming.  And I am not only talking about exercise.  The plan I am currently on (Hilton Head Metabolism Diet) requires two exercise sessions of 20 minutes each after two meals. 

It is moderate aerobic exercise like walking or using an exercise bike, pretty simple.  But you have to wait about 20-40 minutes before doing that activity and then those 20 minutes.  Takes 40 minutes out of your day.  Preparing the food, takes time too, and I myself end up exhausted.  I know sticking to this plan will eventually give me more energy but I really cannot take more of being exhausted every day, all the time.

I found this weight program when I was a teenager and I loved it immediately for many reasons.  The first, it explained exactly how your body works regarding many factors such as age, weather, exercise and more.

The way it works also makes sense, although it restricts calories (today the diets are more about counting fat or carbs) the important factor is that the diet is overall low in fat.  It does not remove all fat, because it acknowledges the body's need for it, but it regulates your intake.

The brilliant part of it is, if you stick with the menu plans, you lose weight!  I've monitored family members on this plan, and even people that have a hard time losing weight lose it with this plan.

The Second brilliant part of the plan, when you lose weight, it is all FAT! and your body shows the results, you look like you've lost 30 pounds when you lose 20. It is amazing.

The book and the entire health plan was written by a Dr. Peter M. Miller and in a later book he introduced other things that are of great importance, like taking a vitamin supplement and the Stairstepping method, which basically means you should not be on a diet for more than 6 weeks (your body will start suffering if you do).  He then teaches you to maintain for a minimum of 2 weeks then you go back to losing weight.  That way you also avoid sliding down fast if you go off on an eating binge. 

I guess it was not completely unexpected.  Today is my birthday and my friends invited me to dinner.  I sort of behaved, had some iced tea and a ceasar salad, but I did not like the fact that the day ended that way.  I wanted to break free and start over today with my new health plan.

This is the most difficult part, I think, and not only for me, but for many other people.  Normally I isolate myself from everyone and stick close to home so I am not tempted.  But that is not the right way to do things, you need to learn to live in the real world and deal with the temptation of foods that are not good for you.

Now I am faced with a new question, do I reset the diet altogether, or just start tomorrow morning just as if nothing ever happened?