ArcaMax

I started dieting at age 12.

Some of you may know that already.

I know now that 12 years old is too early to go on a diet. At the time, I was worried because I was going to be in my big sister’s wedding and I was afraid of what I’d look like in the pictures. Even then I knew that "wedding pictures are forever." I look at those pictures now and I can clearly see I didn’t need a diet. I was a normal 12-year-old budding, little woman.

At the time that I decided to start dieting was the same time those little calorie counting books started popping up near the check out in the grocery store. They were about three-by-four inches and listed just about every food in the grocery store. Next to the food item it listed the number of calories in that item. Nothing else; just the calories.

I bought one of those books with my babysitting money and set about memorizing it. All I really knew was that if I chose to eat the items with the fewest calories I’d lose weight and I’d be “healthy.” That’s what all the commercials on TV were saying.

That methodology of dieting didn’t work for me. Little did I know that even at 12 years old, if you continually restrict what you eat you’ll just slow down your metabolism as your body hangs on for dear life. Your body thinks the famine has hit and tries to survive.

By the time I was 15, I tried eating every three days to lose weight. That worked. I lost 30 pounds in a month. I passed out 3 times in the process. I never told my parents. They had no clue I was teetering on a very dangerous slope in my efforts to fit the image I saw in the magazines.

Fast forward. Over the years, I learned a lot of other things about diet and dieting. I fell into the trap of believing what I heard on TV, read in magazines or the newspaper, or even learned in school, was ‘gospel.’ It had been published so it must be true. It must be correct. It must be right.

Well, much of it, (as well intentioned as the authors might have been), was wrong. Dead wrong.

Here is a piece on the Five Biggest Weight Loss Lies...

Read the full column at PlanZDiet.com

Related Recipes at PlanZDiet.com:

Barbecue Burgers
Roasted or Grilled Asparagus

Grilled Baby Loster Tails

This is a ZReduction recipe. Fancy on the budget, but light on calories. This dish will make you feel spoiled, even when you are on a diet!

Ingredients:

4 small lobster tails. Each tail will have about 3 oz of meat.
½ cup of fresh-squeezed orange juice
1 tsp of liquid smoke
A dusting of Italian seasoning mix or mesquite pepper mix (your choice)
15 cherry tomatoes, quartered lengthwise
1 large shallot minced
2 cups of salad greens
Slight drizzle of balsamic vinegar reduction
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh minced chives for garnish

Instructions:

When you buy your lobster tails you’ll either have to remove the soft undershell with a pair of sharp kitchen shears or have your fishmonger remove them for you. You might also be able to buy frozen tails with that portion already removed.

On a large plate take your thawed lobsters and set them flesh-side up. Mix the orange juice and the liquid smoke together and drizzle it over the flesh of the tails. Sprinkle on your seasoning of choice. Let sit for 15 minutes so the flavors meld.

If using wooden skewers, soak them while the lobster marinates so they won’t burn on your grill.

Heat your grill to medium high.

Thread your lobster tails on the kabob sticks. This way they won’t curl while you grill them. Spray them very lightly with olive oil spray so they won’t stick to the grill.

Grill on medium high, flesh side down, for two minutes. They should have slight grill marks. Then turn grill to medium and carefully turn them over so the shell-side is on the grill. Grill two to three minutes more or until lobster is no longer opaque.

When you bring the lobster from the grill you can quickly assemble your salad. Put greens on the plate. Top with cherry tomatoes and shallots. Then ever, so slightly, drizzle a half teaspoon of balsamic reduction for your salad dressing. Add the minced chives on top.

Remove the lobsters from the kabob sticks. Grip the lobster meat with your fork at the tail side and pull toward the other end. If the lobster meat readily pulls away from the shell entirely the lobster is done. If it doesn’t pull away or leaves a mess of meat stuck to the shell, put them back on the grill for two to three minutes more to be sure they are done and then the meat will come of easily. To serve you can remove all meat and then just set it back inside the shell for a nice presentation.

Even with no butter for dipping this dish has a wonderful flavor -- a fresh seafood delight.

Enjoy!
Cheers,
Zola