Bonnie Hunt’s diet…

I  read her newsletter today, and thought some of you might enjoy what she eats to lose weight.

~ jan

Hey Everyone,

Wow, these weekends fly by don't they? I tried to stick to my meal plan as much as possible, and the veggies and fruits fill me up, but I was tempted and bought a piece of cherry pie... ugh... and yes, I put ice cream on it. I actually ran into someone at the grocery store who exclaimed, "Oh, Bonnie, I'm waiting to see the newsletter on Monday so I can follow your diet"...YIKES!!! Did I put the piece of cherry pie back on the pastry shelf? NO... ugh. I avoided my cart because I didn't want them to see the cherry pie.

You know that kind of thinking, right? If no one witnesses me buying or eating the cherry pie, then somehow the calories won't count. Yeah, I know that doesn't work.

After the guilt settled in, I decided that I'd like to have dessert once a week, so for right now I'm having a small dessert, like a small slice of pie on Wednesday nights. For now, this particular meal plan allows dessert ONE NIGHT a week.

I actually managed to do my morning hike on Saturday and Sunday. I will wait a minute for your applause to die down.

I promised to share my eating plan with all of you; yep my good old "getting in shape for being in a film" eating plan.

As an actress, I've had to get in shape before filming began (although as we all know, a studio prefers an actress be in shape... I did this for myself). I do this eating plan for my own comfort, energy level and, okay, at times I'm hoping to get a better "character wardrobe." (In "The Green Mile" the wardrobe was neither cute nor flattering, so I didn't worry so much about my weight.)

In "Cheaper by the Dozen," "Only You," "Jumanji," "Jerry Maguire," etc., I would always do the same "nutritional eating" at least a month before we began production. Yes, on this plan I would lose weight, my skin would look better, my energy levels would go way up, everything got better.

The plan I use is combination of what works for me and some tips I've learned along the way from experience, taking nutrition classes at Duke University and from a nutritionist by the name of Hermaine -- she was an inspiration and was dedicated to helping people learn healthier eating patterns. Mostly, she would recommend 1,500 calories a day for losing weight.

What those 1,500 calories consist of is just as important. We've all known people who have lost weight in an unhealthy way, or by some quick-fix diet plan that might include pills, but the outcome is usually at an awful price; kidney issues, an unhealthy look, gaunt appearance, lack of energy.

Let's all agree to do this in as healthy a way as we can... I'm not good at counting calories, so I'll just explain how I eat.

Planning is crucial -- when starting out, you might not want to try the diet at all, but instead simply write down everything you eat for one week so you can be more aware... then get yourself started. Number one hint: plan your meals. The night before, plan what you will eat the next day. If you are eating at restaurants more than most people, I will give you a few tips at the bottom of the page.

Please remember this plan is to LOSE weight; eventually you will want to maintain your healthy goal weight and when we get there, we can have our pasta back (once a week) and our wine and sauces that we miss -- once we get the metabolism up and burning fat, then we can put some extra calories back into our daily routine. I'll try to explain it as best I can. If you have any questions, please write in and I'll try to answer on the air. Here we go...

This plan is divided into a DAILY ALLOWANCE OF:
Men dieting: protein intake should be around 10 oz. per day.
Women dieting: protein intake should be around 9 oz. per day.

PROTEINS are: milk, eggs, meat, chicken, tofu, cheese. Combined total of above limited to 9-11 oz. per day.

CARBOHYDRATES are: veggies, fruit, bread, pastas, mayo, ketchup.
3-4 servings of fruit
4-5 servings of veggies
2 slices of a bread, (2 whole grain bread, or 1 scooped-out bagel, or 1 English muffin)

Liquids:

Alcohol: Please note that booze is SO fattening, and it bloats the face.
NO white wine. NO beer.
Red wine... (This is suited for me, that's why I'm adding this.) You may have one glass a week, remembering that one glass is considered 2 servings of bread. (This limit is so you can lose weight. After you get to ideal weight, you can go on maintenance, two glasses of wine.)

Coffee is fine, NO cream. NO flavored coffees. (If you put skim milk in coffee, that is considered a serving of 1-2 oz. of protein.)

Diet soda is extremely fattening, even if it is sodium-free. It is full of chemicals that are difficult for liver and kidneys to process, and in turn it affects your metabolism (ability to burn fat). If you must have a diet soda, limit yourself to 2 cans of Diet Rite a day. Or 2 Diet Cokes. (Diet Rite is less in... well, everything.)

Fruit Juices (apple, orange, grape juices) are very high in sugar and are not recommended, so limit to a small 6 oz. glass a day (if any).

It is important to have fruits and veggies with every meal.

The fruits and veggies list here are to lose weight, and are specific fruits and veggies because of their low sugar content.

To burn fat fast, remember to always combine a carbohydrate with a protein.

AGAIN: REMEMBER fruits, veggies and breads are CARBOHYDRATES. Meat, milk, cheese, soy and chicken are PROTEINS.

If you have a piece of fruit, have some cottage cheese or Laughing Cow brand low fat cheese with it.

FRUITS that are unlimited: Eat as much as you want from the below list, but have AT LEAST FOUR servings per day:

Raspberries
Strawberries
Blueberries
Cantaloupe
Black Berries

FRUITS that should be limited:
Apples: one a day
or
Bananas: one a day
or
Oranges: one a day
or
Grapes: twenty a day

Protein ideas:
FYI: When we say "scoop," you should picture an ice cream scoop size, which is estimated to be 3 oz. of protein; a chicken breast is about 3-4 oz. of protein.

PROTEIN: (meat, dairy)
Scoop of tuna salad.
Scoop of chicken salad.
Egg white egg salad from Trader Joe's (one small container 3 oz.)
Chicken breast
Steak
Non-fat yogurt
Hamburger patty
Tofu
Skim milk
Turkey
Cottage cheese
Laughing Cow brand spreadable cheese (two triangles)
Laughing Cow brand Bonbel light cheese (comes in red circle of wax in a small netted bag in dairy counter at most grocery stores)
Carbohydrates: (bread, fruit, veggies)
Bread: (one serving a day, meaning two pieces)

Types of bread: Choose ONE SERVING per day
Whole grain wheat, two pieces per day
OR
One bagel scooped out, (use a fork and scoop out the doughy inside of bagel before toasting or eating; this is considered a half-serving of bread)
OR
English muffin, sourdough is best, but any English muffin is less calories than bread or bagel.
OR
Sourdough bread, two pieces per day.

Carbohydrates continued: Veggies: unlimited ones, (as much as you like of this list per day, but at least 4 servings)
VEGGIES that are okay while dieting:
Green peppers
Red peppers
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Green Beans
Asparagus
Onions
Mushrooms
Spinach
Brussels sprouts

Veggies below are one per day, meaning a limited amount, like a cup.
Carrots
Peas
Corn
Yams
Sweet potato

CONDIMENTS

Condiments that are a "yes": mustard in an unlimited amount (can have as much as you like). Condiments that are to be used in limited amounts (meaning two tablespoons): ketchup, mayonnaise, relish, olive oil.

Sample menu:

BREAKFAST:
Cup of coffee, or water, or hot tea, or iced tea
Three egg whites omelet with all or some of the following ingredients:
Tomatoes, green peppers, red peppers, mushrooms, onions, broccoli, spinach, small amount of parmesan cheese (with salsa or mustard).
Scooped-out bagel with Laughing Cow cheese.
Fruit from your list: strawberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, raspberries.

MID MORNING SNACK:
Cup of coffee
An apple with a piece of BonBel cheese.

LUNCH:
Tuna salad on English muffin with
Asparagus, broccoli, strawberries, raspberries.

AFTERNOON SNACK:

Half a banana with tablespoon of Laura Scudder's peanut butter.

DINNER:
Steak fajitas with corn tortillas (not flour)
Blueberries, strawberries (or fruit of choice)
with one cup of non-fat vanilla yogurt.

OR

ANOTHER TYPE DINNER: Chicken breast smothered in mustard and baked with onions, broccoli, cauliflower, tomato slices, spinach.
Strawberries with one cup of non-fat vanilla yogurt.

BEDTIME SNACK:
Frozen strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, cantaloupe
or
Piece of BonBel or Laughing Cow cheese.
Tablespoon of Laura Scudder's peanut butter (oil poured off the top before use) with half banana.

Okay, that's our start, any questions, please ask. Restaurant eating is so fattening, but if you do go to restaurants, keep it simple; order chicken breast grilled with veggies... drink plenty of water with each meal. Be proud of yourself, we are starting out... one day at a time.

Best,

Bonnie

Read more: http://www.bonniehunt.com/message_from_bonnie/message_from_bonnie_week_of_se_1.php#ixzz0R7Q6bfKh

This is from her newsletter, I thought some of you might enjoy this -