AmazingMFitness.com

One thing I love about summer is the freedom I feel to take weekend trips.

I traveled to Juno Beach with friends last week for a quick two-day jaunt and returned feeling rejuvinated. I didnt stick to a normal workout schedule, or even my typical eating plan, while I was there. But dropping my routine for a few days was a welcome change.

After an afternoon at the beach, where we spent more than two hours swimming in the ocean, catching waves and walking the shore, we stopped at a grocery store for a late lunch. I always crave fresh food after time at the beach, so I got a big watermelon to share and half a whole-wheat sub packed with veggies and lean turkey. Nothing particularly special, but it was satisfying and refreshing.

In the two days I was away, I didnt stray so far from the usual healthy that I came back regretting the trip.

Instead, it felt good to break away from life, from the gym and from my so-called diet.

I have never tried this diet, but a coworker did. His wife bought the Flat Belly Diet! book and was determined that the two of them were going to achieve the flat-belly dream.

After a 4-day anti-bloating jumpstart (which my coworker compared to the Atkins Diet induction phase), dieters limit themselves to 1600 calories a day over 4 meals in 4 hour time intervals (so 4 meals x 400 calories over 4 hours = 1600 calories and hopefully the promised flat belly). The diet is supposed to last 32 days.

The diets motto: A flat belly is about food and attitude. Period. (Not a single crunch required!)

Let’s break this down and see how true the motto was in my coworker’s experience…

FOOD: My coworker remembers the diet being really restrictive and bland especially the jumpstart phase. He mentioned having a constant headache and being really tired. I was just miserable, he recalled.

ATTITUDE: I only remember the constant complaining coming from his cubicle as he unwrapped his low-calorie meals.

ARE CRUNCHES REALLY NOT REQUIRED?: Good thing exercise isnt required, my coworker remembers being so run down he didnt have the energy to workout.

My coworker didnt make it the entire 32 days. But in the short time he spent on the Flat Belly Diet, he did see results. However he was so miserable from lack of food, he didnt have the energy to enjoy the slimmer him.

So the diet works if losing weight is the only goal.

Of course, finding the right diet is a tricky undertaking. What works for some doesnt always work for others. A safe bet is always limiting calories and increasing exercise. Good luck finding the right combination that works for you.

Agence France-Presse is reporting that a new robot, designed to help people lose the pounds, will soon be available on the US market. The Autom from Intuitive Automata was designed to act like a personal coach, talking you through a personalized diet and helping you to stick with it.

From the product preview page:

You can talk to Autom™ for just a few minutes a day to help you keep track of how you’re progressing towards your goals. No two conversations with her are alike and she’s always ready to give you encouragement and advice to keep you going. You tell her what you have eaten and how much you have exercised and she remembers it all. Whenever you want to see your progress, just ask her and it is there for you.

In a recent randomized controlled study, we compared people using Autom™ to people using a computer-based system or a paper-based system for keeping track of how much they were eating and exercising each day. What we found is that Autom™ helps people to stick with their diets for nearly twice as long as with other methods. This is a big difference! It could mean the difference between another yo-yo diet and a lasting change.

Product page: Autom…

More from AFP: Robot takes on battle of the bulge…