5 bite diet TIPS part 4 : How big is a bite?

Part 1, 2, 3  of this 5 bite TIPS series you can find here

Part 1 http://countyourbites.blogspot.com/2015/01/5-bite-diet-tips.html

Part 2 http://countyourbites.blogspot.com/2015/01/5-bite-diet-tips-part-2.html

Part 3http://countyourbites.blogspot.com/2015/01/5-bite-diet-tips-part-3.html

Part 5 http://countyourbites.blogspot.com/2015/02/5-bite-tips-part-5-cayenne-pepper-to.html

Tip #15 How big is a bite?

1 snicker bar = 5 bites

1 snicker bar =  about  ⅓ cup

1 bite =  1 Tablespoon

5 bites =  ⅓ cup

8 bites = ½ cup

10 bites = ⅔ cup

16 bites = 1 cup

What about food like sandwiches that I bite off?

Everyone’s bite size is a little different.

Dr. Lewis considers ½ of a sandwich = 10 bites

(not the little McDonald's sandwiches)

Another option to measure “bites” that some people use is:

(Dr. Lewis does not go by calories, but some people use this variation)

5 bites = 250 calories

For example:

1 Lean pocket = 5 bites (250 calories or so)

1 protein bar = 5 bites (around 250 calories)

1 smoothie = 5 bites (around 250 calories)

Healthy choice/Lean Cuisine/Trader joes meals that are 250 calories = 5 bites

5 bite diet TIPS Part 3

This is part 3, other parts of this series:
Part 1 http://countyourbites.blogspot.com/2015/01/5-bite-diet-tips.html
Part 2 http://countyourbites.blogspot.com/2015/01/5-bite-diet-tips-part-2.html
Part 4 http://countyourbites.blogspot.com/2015/01/5-bite-diet-tips-part-4-how-big-is-bite.html
Part 5 http://countyourbites.blogspot.com/2015/02/5-bite-tips-part-5-cayenne-pepper-to.html

Tip #11  Weigh everyday and track your Weight    This is a controversial topic. I recommend weighing daily. Some trackers that I use and recommend are  Happy Scale app (free) Happyscale.com  OR  TrendWeight.com . These use a moving average for tracking, and help us not to be too discouraged if the scales does not drop every single day. IT is proven in studies that people who weigh everyday lose TWICE the weight that people who do not. You will look forward to jumping on the scales as the weight melts away with the 5 bite diet!  Link to some info about weighing daily here http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20051118/daily-weigh-in-may-help-dieters-lose





Tip #12  Expect your weight to drop every 1-3 days or so. It might drop
 daily  for the first week.  After that it might go up, stay the same for a few days and then suddenly you will drop again. Read about the "whoosh" affect. This is similar to what I experienced while counting bites. So DON'T GIVE UP even if you are doing 5 bite perfectly and it does not drop for a few days, because it will if you are faithful! See the next tip about Plateaus 




Tip #13  Plateaus  yep, they happen to almost everyone. But don't be discouraged. There are a few things you can do.

                   1. How big are your  bites? Are they too big? Dr.  Lewis                 
                            recommends taking small bites. 1 Tablespoon is equal to about
                            1 bite.  1 snicker bar = 5 bites. Buy a snicker bar and cut it into
                            5 pieces. How do your bites compare?

                   2. Consider trying Cayenne Pepper 3-4 days a week   in 
                           addition to your 5 bite meals. More info on that in this blog
                           post here http://countyourbites.blogspot.com/2015/02/5-bite-tips-part-5-cayenne-pepper-to.html

                   3. Try eating a little more 1-2 days a week to change things up. I
                            ate 40 bites on Saturdays and Sundays each and was still able to 
                           lose 5-6 lbs some weeks. Read this blog post about changing up 
                          your bites   http://countyourbites.blogspot.com/2013/11/shift-your-bites.html Read this post to see how I ate more on weekends and still lost 
                          most weeks http://countyourbites.blogspot.com/2014/01/here-is-diary-of-each-days-aprox-bites.html Your body needs a break from 10 bites a day                             sometimes all it takes is a little shift to eat a bit more a day or so, to 
                          help shake things up a bit!

                  4.Exercise. This is actually not recommended by Dr. Lewis. But I 
                          exercised about 4 miles a day halfway or more into my journey. I
                          used hand weights alot and Leslie Sansone videos. This kept the 
                          scales moving downward. I did this in a fasting state usually.

                 
                  5. Try One  5 bite meal instead of 2.  If you do this for a few days 
                              or more to help break the plateau. Some people also just do 5 
                             bites per day and it helps lose faster. The doctor says this is ok
                             to only eat 1    5 bite meal instead of 2. 




                  




Tip #14  Falling off the Wagon    It happens to all of us.  Jump back on! Never give up!  Your mind will catch up with the small portions you are feeding your body!  Here are a few tips if you just simply  cant seem to stick to 5 bites
   
                  1. Consider starting with more than 5 bites and gradually 
                      decreasing.  This is what worked for me and I see others on 
                       5 bite support groups successfully doing that. They pick a higher
                       number of bites and decrease as they feel comfortable. Some start
                      with 5 bites 3 times  a day (15) others start with more than that, like
                       40 bites etc. You can see how I decreased my bites gradually here
                       http://countyourbites.blogspot.com/2014/01/here-is-diary-of-each-days-aprox-bites.html


                       2. Consider doing more than 5 bites long term. I know of 
                        of someone who made 6-7 bites Twice a day work for them, and they
                        liked this better than 5 bites Twice a day. The main thing is BE
                        CONSISTENT!  Even Dr. Lewis says you can do more than 5 bites
                        in the book!

                       3. Consider allowing yourself more bites on weekends. This
                            is what I did, I talked about this in Tip # 13.  By being Reasonable
                            and allowing more bites , it helped "set up for success" , instead
                           of feeling like a failure for not sticking to 5 bites. A good goal is to 
                           eat no more than 18-25 bites per meal on those Higher days OR no
                           more than 30-40 a day. Same link as above, but it talks about the
                           same things as what I talk about here http://countyourbites.blogspot.com/2013/11/shift-your-bites.html

 

                       4. Consider trying The Fast-5 and 5 bite diet combined.  This
                           allows you to add in healthy fruits and veggies (unlimited) and 5 
                          bites of calorie rich food 2x a day all inside a 5 hour eating window.
                          This helps you feel full and more satisfied than 5 bites alone! You 
                          can read all about it in this post here http://countyourbites.blogspot.ca/2014_12_01_archive.html
                 

                                            
                              
             
             

5 bite diet Maintainers group

I have created a 5 bite diet Maintainers group on facebook.

If you are looking for support and tools and are Maintaining your weight OR approaching Maintenance within about 10 lbs of your goal weight   , join us!!


5 bite diet Maintainers Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/764815760238338/

Review of The 80 bites diet program

Several months ago 80 bites agreed to gift me with the 12 week program of on their website.  The content unlocks each week and it teaches you how to eat on a regular basis and smaller amounts and keep your bites balanced.

80 bites is one of the original places I got the idea to count bites as I bought their program back in 2010.   So it got me started on the right path. :)

If you want to learn how to eat smaller amounts, and how to balance your diet, then you could try 80 bites and see if it is right for you.

The 80 bites app can also be used by itself to count bites and be aware of and make an effort to eat smaller amounts.

 

80 bites website http://80bites.themethodpilates.com/

Here is Sam Stomach from 80 bites.

5 bite diet TIPS part 2

5 bite diet TIPS part 2

Part 1 http://countyourbites.blogspot.com/2015/01/5-bite-diet-tips.html
Part 3 http://countyourbites.blogspot.com/2015/01/5-bite-diet-tips-part-3.html
Part 4 http://countyourbites.blogspot.com/2015/01/5-bite-diet-tips-part-4-how-big-is-bite.html
Part 5 http://countyourbites.blogspot.com/2015/02/5-bite-tips-part-5-cayenne-pepper-to.html


Tip #7   A 1/3 measuring cup  can help you measure your 5 bites if you are eating soup, a casserole, or a one dish meal, etc. 5 bites= around 1/3 cup 


from google images (webrestrauntstore.com)




Tip #8   A 1 Tablespoon measure. I use this sometimes to measure my bites. Dr. Lewis says 1 snicker bar = 5 bites.  1 snicker bar all chopped up = about 1/3 cup.   1/3 cup= 5 1/3 Tablespoons. Thus 1 bites = around 1 Tablespoon give or take.  You do not need to measure out each bite meticulously, but this does help one see exactly how much a bite could be by Dr. Lewis' standard.  I do use it to measure bites some right now, but in the past, I have mostly just used a regular spoon while actively losing weight, etc. 






Tip #9   Savor your bites!  Eating slowly can  help you feel satisfied with a smaller amount. Read my blog post here about slow eating. http://countyourbites.blogspot.com/2013/12/eating-slowly-little-secret-with-big.html I use an app that helps me eat slower. (Eat Slower Pro) you can also get Eat Slower app  for free. The food Tastes so much better when you 5 bite too!


google images (techgyd.com)




Tip #10 Hunger is your friend. Seriously! If you feel really hungry, just know that the lbs are melting off you literally. Learn to embrace hunger and know that it will pass, but the rewards of going to bed hungry, you will reap when you step on the scales the next morning! Hunger is never an emergency! I did experience going to bed hungry sometimes  while losing my weight, and I would often see the scales drop! Read my post on Hunger here  http://countyourbites.blogspot.com/2013/12/hunger-is-never-emergency.html


Hunger = fat melting! 

5 bite diet: get back on track vlog day 2

5 bite diet: get back on track vlog day1

Hi! Get back on Track Vlog day 1

5 bite diet TIPS part 1

This is a new blog series called 5 bite diet TIPS
You can find
 Part 2 http://countyourbites.blogspot.com/2015/01/5-bite-diet-tips-part-2.html
Part 3 http://countyourbites.blogspot.com/2015/01/5-bite-diet-tips-part-3.html
Part 4 http://countyourbites.blogspot.com/2015/01/5-bite-diet-tips-part-4-how-big-is-bite.html
Part 5 http://countyourbites.blogspot.com/2015/02/5-bite-tips-part-5-cayenne-pepper-to.html

Here are a few tips to help your journey with the 5 bite diet etc go smoothly



Tip #1  Take a high potency  multivitamin.  Potassium is very important during Rapid Weight loss. To help with Potassium or if I felt a little funny, I would take a Tablespoon or less of powdered wheat grass, which is high in potassium. You don't need to count this as a bite, and it should not mess up the fasting state. Vitamins should be taken with food unless they are a whole food multivitamin for optimum absorption. 





Tip #2 TMI alert!!! Keep things moving! This helps keep the scale moving downward at a regular interval! I use Magnesium Citrate supplement. It is cheap and easy to obtain. I take around 2 tsp--1200 mg a day each night before going to bed. This keeps everything running more smoothly. Your optimum dosage may be less than 1200. Even 600 mg a day will help. This is what I use, but any brand should work/help  


Tip #3 Blood sugar:  If you feel your blood sugar is dropping (cant think clearly or glucose monitor shows a low reading, etc) Again, I have used wheat grass to help stabilize blood sugar and help me feel more perky while eating low bites, etc.  Also, I allow myself 5 bites for medical reasons (headache and need Tylenol, low blood sugar symptoms or feel funny) just don't use that as an excuse to eat more food! :) If you absolutely need to eat for a medical reason, Keep your bites small, and eat something with protein and carbs to stabalize blood sugar. It is nice to know you have an option to eat if you  have a true medical reason!  I have also used Green Tea while fasting and it seemed to help feel more perky.


Tip #4 Protein:  This is pretty important. The doctor says to get 1 bite of Protein a day. I think I usually tried for more than 1 bite of protein. (see the next tip) On the flip side, you do not want 100% protein. :) you need some carbs too.


Tip #5 Peanut Butter:  This is optional of course, but i used Peanut butter (1 bite or more with each meal) during alot of the active phase of my weight loss. Peanut butter is actually proven to help decrease hunger and increase weight loss.... You can find the research and more info on peanut butter in my blog post here
http://countyourbites.blogspot.com/2013/11/a-bite-of-peanut-butter.html



Tip #6 Eggs:  Another optional tip, but this is an easy way to get protein in. For me, 1 egg= 2 bites. Eggs are healthy for you and proven to help with weight loss and insulin resistance. Plus it is an easy thing to grab! I do hard boiled and fried.  Research on eggs and weight loss http://www.upstatehomecare.com/upstatehealth/two-eggs-for-breakfast-speeds-weight-loss/






You can find Part 2 in this series here
http://countyourbites.blogspot.com/2015/01/5-bite-diet-tips-part-2.html

Accountability and Motivation: Join me on the Two Grand app!

There is an app I recommend called Two Grand that is completely free for both Android and iphone !

You post pictures of your food/bites for accountability/motivation/tracking.   Kind of like Facebook for food tracking.  You can follow people and other people can follow you.


http://www.twogrand.com/


Come join us on the Two Grand app, there is a small community of 5 biters/bite counters there.

My username is AmandaW if you wish to follow me.   If you wish to follow a group of 5 biters and/or others who use a variation of 5 bite/or counting bites, Click on the the Following button under my profile.  I am following  those who do 5 bite or variations of bite counting,etc.  Then you can follow the same group of people if you wish to.


                   


The app takes pictures of your food, you can add comments, you can like others food choices, comment on  your friends posts, and also set up challenges and record your wieght loss progress.

Highly recommend it, and it is free!