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La Cucina di Betty: New year, new you!
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Anonymous user Tue Nov 30, 1999 00:00:00 PST
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0 responses 0 comments By Betty Chicca
Cooking and Entertaining Columnist

It’s that time of year when we make promises to ourselves again. Year after year, we resolve to lose weight and get into shape.
I had a great Christmas with all the marvelous food I ate and the cocktails I drank. Let’s not forget the candies, the cookies, and other desserts that came my way. I never said, “No thank you.” I enjoyed them all.
Now all that I have nibbled and sipped on at holiday parties has gone to my waist! I know it’s winter, and I can get away with big shirts and heavy coats, but what happens when spring rolls around and I am still sporting my roll? 
Let’s start by getting rid of the leftover candy, cookies, crackers — even the chips and dips. Get rid of that fruitcake sitting in the pantry staring through at you, the one that makes you wonder, “At what age does one really start to like fruitcake?” Throw it away!
Losing weight can seem like an overwhelming task, but it’s not as complicated or hard as it seems. You just need to chose the right diet or weight loss plan that works for you.
When you find a diet you like, first make sure it has a proven history. If it works for other people then it may work for you. Secondly, make sure it fits your personal lifestyle. Analyze the diet to see if it works with your daily life. Lastly, find a diet that you believe in — you need to get excited about the diet to be motivated to try it.
I would like to share with you my favorite diet. I have had it for years and have completed it (and abandoned it) many times.
Years ago, while at an annual physical with Dr. Kurt Finberg, I told him I was shopping for a diet and asked if he had any suggestions. He gave me the Two-Hour Diet, saying his office staff found it in a magazine, tried it, and were pleased with the results. He reviewed the diet, liked it, and gave it out to patients. To this day, he finds it to be successful for many. I, too, have shared this diet with many friends.
So, Dr. Finberg’s Two-Hour Diet has become Betty’s Chicca’s Two-Hour Diet.
Good luck, and see you next month when we get back to cooking.

E-mail Betty at: jchicca@bak.rr.com


Two-Hour Diet
This diet quickly melts away 5 to 7 pounds in one week without the feeling of being on a weight-loss plan. Created by a nutritionist, the diet tricks your stomach into feeling full because you eat every two hours. It also satisfies the emotional urge to snack so you never feel like you’re trying to lose weight.

Day one:
7 a.m. — 1 egg, 1 slice toast
9 a.m. — 1 banana
11 a.m. — 6 ounces artificially sweetened nonfat yogurt
1 p.m. — 1 ounce water-packed tuna mixed with 1 tablespoon nonfat mayo, bun
3 p.m. — 1 cup raw baby carrots
5 p.m. — 1 medium apple
7 p.m. — 1 medium baked potato, 3 cups salad with 2 tablespoons nonfat salad dressing
9 p.m. — 1 cup sugar free cocoa, 1 graham cracker

Day two:
7 a.m. — 1 cup dry cereal, 1⁄2 cup skim milk
9 a.m. — 1 cup frozen strawberries, sliced
11 a.m.  — 6 ounces artificially sweetened nonfat yogurt
1 p.m. — 3 ounces turkey breast, small tossed salad
3 p.m. — 15 fat-free pretzel sticks
5 p.m.  — 1 4-ounce cup vegetable cocktail juice
7 p.m. — 1 4-ounce sole, baked or broiled; 1⁄2-cup broccoli or spinach
9 p.m. — 1⁄2  bagel, 1 tablespoon fat-free cream cheese

Day three:
7 a.m. — 2 slices toast, 1 teaspoon butter, 1 teaspoon jam
9 a.m.  — 1 orange
11 a.m. — 2 ounces (1 percent) cottage cheese
1 p.m. — pasta salad: 1 cup cooked shell pasta, chop fresh tomato, 1 teaspoon  fat-free dressing, 4 large shrimp, served over salad greens
3 p.m.  — 2 cups lite buttered popcorn
5 p.m. — 1-inch cube of cheese
7 p.m. — 1/2 chicken breast, 1⁄2 cup mixed veggies
9 p.m. — 1-inch slice angel food cake

Day four:
7 a.m. — 1 English muffin, 1 tablespoon jam
9 a.m. — 1 tangerine
11 a.m. — 1 cup canned vegetable soup
1 p.m.  — egg salad: 1 hard-boiled egg with celery, and nonfat mayo on bun
3 p.m. — 6-ounce cup mixed fruit in natural juice
5 p.m. — 1-inch cube of cheese
7 p.m. — 3 ounces lean pork chop, large tossed salad, 1 tablespoon fat-free dressing
9 p.m.  — 1⁄2-cup fat-free frozen yogurt
 
Day five:
7 a.m. — 2 frozen low-fat waffles, 2 tablespoons “lite” syrup
9 a.m. — 1 cup grapes
11 a.m. — 4 ounces cottage cheese (1 percent fat)
1 p.m. — 1 cup canned or fresh noodle soup
3 p.m. — 2 low-fat cookies, your choice
5 p.m. — 1-inch cube of cheese
7 p.m. — 6 ounces tomato juice, 3-ounce turkey breast, 1⁄2 sweet potato sprinkled with 1 teaspoon brown sugar, 1 cup raw vegetables or small tossed salad
9 p.m. — 1 frozen juice bar

Guidelines:
• Change meal times to fit your schedule, but eat at two-hour intervals.
• Drink 6 to 8 glasses of water daily to help flush out fat.
• Coffee, tea, sparkling water, and diet drinks are also allowed in addition to the water.
• Eat only reduced-calorie bread or sandwich buns.
• Cook with a nonstick cooking spray. Also, enjoy butter-flavored spray on vegetables.
• Use mustard on nonfat mayo, lettuce, and fresh tomato sandwiches.
• Make tossed salads with your favorite greens and other fresh vegetables, such as radish, tomato, cucumber and peppers.
• Artificial sweeteners may be used.

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