In the first picture, I am standing behind a huge table heaped with food. My expression is a mixture of pride and anticipation, and no wonder. There are mounds of seeds and nuts, platters of fish, a lobster in drawn butter, well-seasoned fish, turkey and duck and certainly a juicy steak. You ll spy an omelette that would do any breakfast table proud. There s no lack of variety here. I see vegetables in abundance, fresh green salads drenched in healthy olive oil-based dressing overflowing their bowls, and peeking out through the foliage, blueberries, strawberries and raspberries topped with whipped cream. There s a variety of cheeses. And since this is a picture of the food you ll be eating after you ve lost your extra pounds and have reached the Lifetime Maintenance phase of Atkins, you will also notice a glass of wine, pan-fried sweet potatoes, a platter of melon and slices of peaches and plums. Finally, developments in creating low-carbohydrate substitute ingredients make it possible also to place a pleasing array of low-carb bread, cheesecake, ice cream and cookies on the groaning table.
It s a mouthwatering spread, and I m hovering over it with a hungry eye. To my mind, the food I ve just envisioned is quite luxurious. If you believe that weight loss requires self-deprivation, I m going to insist on teaching you otherwise. I equate healthy eating with gastronomic pleasure and, soon, you will too.
My second picture is of you. I m very hopeful that it resembles the future you.
The you in this picture I m conjuring up is finally the weight you ve always had as your goal, or fairly close. You feel great full of energy. Your skin is glowing with health. If you ve been exercising, your toned muscles show it. The you in this picture isn t worried about weight loss anymore. You no longer need to spend your time planning the stages of a new diet, constantly concerned about your eating, feeling guilty when you break promises you ve made to yourself. After all, you ve found a nutritional approach that will last you for a healthy and vigorous lifetime, and it s become so natural you hardly have to think about it anymore. It s second nature.
This is an obvious win-win situation. It offers you the pleasure of eating and the promise of being healthier than before. The major reason for turning it down would be skepticism. "How could anything be so perfect?" you might ask. If that s it, here s my answer: Read this book. When it s all boiled down, what I m going to show you in New Diet Revolution is how to eat what s in the first picture and look just like the second.
Delicious eating and lifetime health. Not a bad bargain!