Figure on a plate

The history of dietetics knows many alternative ways to lose weight. No one takes away the food, but eating food turns into some kind of meaningful ritual. Moreover, the meaning is given not by the dietary qualities of the dishes, but by seemingly foreign things. For example, you need to eat from dishes of a certain color that calms your appetite, or place a mirror in front of a set table to visually eat twice as much.

In the middle of the last century, New York doctor Herman Tarnover proposed a method of losing weight based on the shape of foods. The diet has made waves all over the world. The reason for its popularity, in addition to the sensational results, was the love story between a nutritionist and a transformed patient.

Experiment
Initially, the Tarnover nutrition system was considered very strict and prescribed weight loss under the supervision of a doctor in a clinic. The patient had no right to deviate one step from the recommendations. But upon reflection, this system is not so complicated and does not require titanic efforts of will at all.

When creating his method, G. Tarnover divided patients into two groups. One ate almost Atkins (a type of protein diet). He believed that the calories provided by protein without carbohydrates are poorly absorbed by the body. Another group supplemented the strict diet with a psychological “side dish”: before eating, the experiment participants were asked to give the product or dish... a slender silhouette. The basis of this strange condition was Tarnover’s conviction in the power of visualizing desires (he studied psychology and esotericism for a long time).

What it looked like
It was necessary to cut, gnaw or place the dream figure on a plate. If it was an apple, then you were supposed to cut off the excess with a knife so that the fruit would have a “waist”. (Some patients gnawed on the fruit, but then the “extra forms” had to be spat out, which was uneconomical in a clinical setting. But at home, everyone is their own boss.) If it was cottage cheese or other crumbly products, then it was necessary to put something like an hourglass on the plate. An exception to the rule was liquid food (drinks and soups): they were limited to a daily limit of 200 g for soup (a plate) and 400 ml for juices and red wine (2 glasses).

A very simple thing happened: instead of immediately swallowing the desired food (and when you lose weight, the zhor attacks even a full stomach - probably out of harm) the person “drew” a figure on a slice of cheese with a knife or fork and remembered the main thing - his dream to lose weight, and not fill your stomach. He created, and did not overeat! That is, the food emphasis shifted, the necessary mood and concentration on the final goal appeared. In addition, after “cutting off the excess,” the portion size decreased slightly.

What happened
The first - "protein without arts" - the group lost weight two times slower than their experimental colleagues who ate the same menu. But the most important thing was not even this, but the fact that the “creators” did not have a “yo-yo effect”: that is, after stopping a strict protein diet, the weight did not quickly return. G. Tarnover combined both principles of nutrition and published a book that became a bestseller.

Technology of success
Efficiency: minus 4-6 kg in 2 weeks (depending on the initial weight).

Duration: 2 weeks of eating according to the rules, the next 2 weeks allowances (break) - and so on until the desired weight.

Rules for the first 2 weeks: combine the principles of protein nutrition with visualization practice.

Allowed: meat, fish, poultry, cheese, eggs, cottage cheese, kefir and other protein products, as well as vegetables in any quantity. Fruits - 1 pc. or half in the morning.

Meals: 4 times a day, interval between meals is 3-4 hours.

Mandatory: drink 2-3 liters of clean water daily.

Rules for the next 2 weeks: you can eat everything, but continue the visualization technique.

Sample menu for the “strict period”
Breakfast: half a grapefruit or 1 medium orange, a piece of wholemeal toast, black coffee or tea without sugar.

IN