I'm really enjoying the Core Balance Diet - written by Marcelle Pick. She teaches total body/mind/spirit balance for weight loss. In less than a week I've broken through a 3 month plateau and lost 3 lbs!

Here's the jist of it:

• Lemon water upon rising. Protein rich breakfast 1 hour later.
• Balanced meals with every meal high protein - high veggie - very low grains.
• Drink green tea before every meal. (I've been drinking it all day long as iced tea.)
• BREATHE - RELAX - Every time I'm stressed (which is multiple times daily) I stop and breathe deeply into the diaphram - releasing the breath slowly through the nose. Think positive thoughts or nothing at all, repeat as needed until the moment passes.
• BREATHING EXERCISES to get the lymph system working. Deep diaphram breath - release in short HARD blows through the nose. (You'll have to read her book to understand why this is absolutely necessary for weight loss.)
• DON'T eat anything sugar - starch - fried etc.. NOTHING - no bites, morsels or tastes. NaDa. One bite does me in and I'm all over it. So I personally have to completely eliminate these. (Not that I have, but I should!)

Is this something you can do for the rest of your life?

Definitely, it's a healthy lifestyle with clean & green foods. It's much like any other "diet" that suggests healthy foods and proper portions.

The difference is that in the beginning (and as needed for life) you add the lemon water and green tea for detoxification and metabolism boost. AND you work on your "self-talk" and attitudes to bring your body/mind/spirit into "balance".

Here's a link to a an article that explains her plan much better than I can:

http://www.everydiet.org/diet/core-balance-diet

And... here's a link to a site that shows you the daily eating plan for the first week:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/you/...ance-Diet.html

This sounds so restrictive..especially the last line..how do you get through going out to eat or holiday dinners? Kudos to you, if you have figured out smart ways of coping with temptations--let me know!

It looks to restrictive for me to be sucessful at it but if it works for you that's great!