4-Hour Body Diet - Can she do it?

I have never, ever, actually followed a strict weight-loss diet.  I've done stuff like exercising more and eating less, and that works a bit - but I never lose all the weight I'd like to, and I generally gain most of it back.  I'm tired of this! 

I'm not hugely overweight - I'd like to lose about 15 pounds.  Mostly for health reasons, because my fat tends to congregate around my middle, which is of course a dangerous place to carry body fat.  And also because I'm tired of dreading bathing suit shopping and generally feeling disappointed in the way I look.  Sometimes I think it's harder to commit to serious weight loss when you're not that fat.  Just kind of fatter than you want to be. 

So, for the first time ever, I'm going to to commit to an actual, strict weight-loss plan.  Why this one?  Well, I should say that it's because of all the great things I've heard about the results from this diet.  And because it gives you tools to change your ways to keep the weight off.  But honestly?  It's because on this diet, you get one day a week where you can eat whatever, whatever you want.  As much as you want. 

The reason I've never even attempted a strict diet is that I know myself - I love food.  Not massive quantities, and not binging, but the food itself.  I eat a pretty healthy diet - mostly whole grains, vegetables, fruit.  I never eat fast food.  I rarely eat dessert, even.  But I love pasta.  And bagels.  And cheese.  And chocolate.  I love to cook.  I used to live in Italy, which is where I learned to cook.  I can look in your refrigerator and take what you have in there and make a pretty good pasta sauce, no problem.  But portion control?  Not so good.

So can this self-professed carb slut follow a diet that includes no grains of any kind, not even whole grains - and no fruit - NO FRUIT! - for six days a week?  I'm not terribly confident, but it's worth a shot.  I'm following the diet from Timothy Ferriss's book The 4-Hour Body.  We'll see how it goes.

The book directs those who want to follow the weight-loss plan to choose two from a list of things to do in order to help make the plan successful.  The choices are

1. Take photos of yourself in underwear or a bathing suit and put it somewhere you'll see it often. (I'm not doing this because I live with my husband and kids, so, um, no, I don't think so.  Although it might be helpful to have them as before and after pictures - keep them on my phone when I'm tempted to eat a bagel or something.  We'll see)
2. Take photographs of everything you eat for 3-5 days, and for maximum effect, post them online for others to see.  (I'm going to do this one - I started snapping photos yesterday when I decided to take the plunge.  I totally forgot to do as Ferriss suggests and put my hand next to each item to make portion size evident - I'll have to start that.)
3. Find someone to do it with me - competition helps.  (I may do this if I can get anyone to join me.)
4. Measurements - get a simple tape measure and take measurements (hips, waist, biceps, thighs) and total the numbers to arrive at total inches.  This is more helpful than just using a scale becuase your weight isn't necessarily going to show what fat has been converted to muscle.  I'm doing this one, too - measurements to be posted soon.

So, that's it.  I have to say I'm not terribly optimistic about my ability to stick to this, because it's going to feel like such deprivation.  But it's not forever, right?  I'm hoping that once I lose the weight I want, I can go back to a modified version of what I usually eat, but that if the weight starts creeping up, I'll know what to do to set matters straight.  And I think that knowing that I can totally splurge on Saturday - well, that is attractive.  Very attractive.  I don't think I have, in my adult life (at least not post-childbearing days), ever eaten whatever I'd like to eat, and particularly not as much of it as I wanted! 

Can the allure of a splurging Saturday help me maintain the diet the rest of the week?  Maybe, if I see some results.  We'll see.