Jumpstart Your Fitness: Try the Shoe Diet

by Rigel Celeste (Subscribe to Rigel Celeste's posts)
Apr 9th 2007 6:00AM

No, this isn't a program for shoe shop-aholics. The Shoe Diet is about rewarding yourself for a job well done, a goal reached, pounds and inches successfully lost. It's about the power of looking forward to something and how motivating it can be in helping you to overcome those bumps and slumps and plateaus along the road to your ultimate goal.

Shoes can help you look thinner, feel sexier, and the majority of women love the whole idea of going shopping for them in the first place. What better way to motivate yourself than by the promise of new shoes floating on the horizon?

So here's the gist of the Shoe Diet:

Start a food journal. There are six things you should write down every time you eat anything: the time, the food, the quantity and how many calories, the location, your mood, and finally: was it worth it? There's a whole rating scale to be used for that last one, a shoe rating scale. 1 shoe for not worth it, 5 shoes for totally worth it! Every single thing you eat should be in your food journal, and everything in your journal should get a 1 to 5 rating on the shoe scale.

After two weeks you should have a pretty good idea of which items are "1 shoe items" and which are "5 shoe items." For the following weeks on the diet start eliminating, or reducing, items one by one using the shoe scale. Start by picking a pair of shoes you really really want and plan on getting them at the end of the week -- if you successfully meet your goal. The starting goal should be to cut out "1 shoe items," i.e. the things you will miss the least. Whenever you feel tempted to indulge just think about those shoes you want to buy at the end of the week -- just seven days or less of discipline before you get rewarded. And if you do break down it's not hard to get back on track because the very next week you can start again.

I like this idea. I know critics will say that the health and fitness results should be reward enough, but sometimes (especially in the beginning for me) the results aren't so fast in coming. Having something like a pair of new shoes to get me motivated just might make the difference!

Find the complete plan check out The Shoe Diet by Isabelle R Shaw, PhD.

Source

Comments (11)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

renee 4-13-2007 @ 8:57AM

Good day

We like the idea of a reward especially "shoes" but if you have to write everything down it will not come so natural to keep it up after you reward yourself.

Maybe set it up so after how ever many pounds or inches you loose you get the reward.

this way you can work a healthy diet into your lifestyle and stay with it

have fun

http://models-fashion-advice.com

LJ 4-13-2007 @ 9:23AM

Here's a better shoe diet. Before you eat anything, put on your shoes and go for a walk.

Kimba 4-13-2007 @ 10:07AM

To answer #1's comments, you could start your journal online...that would be pretty easy to keep up,considering that most people will be online every day anyway...or you can carry a little notebook with you in your purse or organizer...that's pretty easy...but you have to be willing to do that...once yoou start doing it,it will become a ritual. I do agree that the reward thing shoould be like when you lose say 25 lbs, you get a new pair of shoes...I think rewarding yourself every week is a bit much.

DR BILL 4-13-2007 @ 10:48AM

SHOE THIS SHOE THAT. HOW ABOUT SHOEING YOUR ASS INTO A GYM? WANT TO LOSE TONNAGE? THE ONLY WAY IS TO BURN MORE THAN YOU EAT. HEY TRY "NUTRISYSTEM". THEY FLOOD THE TV W/ STUPID WOMEN THAT POSE FOR THE AFTER PIC IN A BIKINI AND HIGH FREAKIN HEELS. IF YOU ARE STUPID OR DESPERATE TO BUY THAT CRAP, MAYBE THE SHOE THING WILL WORK FOR YOU.

Allie 4-13-2007 @ 10:50AM

I think it's a lovely idea, but I personally am not -that- fond of shoes. I suppose I could apply it to something else and get the same effect.

I agree with #1 as well. Rather than a weekly goal (that could get expensive depending on the rewards), having a set tier for splurges and goals would be more realistic and easier to adhere to.

rose 4-13-2007 @ 10:59AM

I think the idea of rewarding yourself for doing well on any diet is a good idea. But a shoe diet? What will they come out with next. I have been a diet for a while to have a swim suit body and what I do is, every time I loose about 10 pounds I do something for myself. Like a new look for my hair, maybe buy a summer shirt or something. But to buy an expensive pair of shoes often- can leave you thin at the end with guilt about spending all the money and a closet full of shoes.

Amber 4-13-2007 @ 11:08AM

I really did think the 'shoe diet' was going to be about walking. Buying shoes is okay every once in a while, but I certainly can't imagine having a new pair every week. How expensive! Besides, what if I've gained weight the next week? Do I have to return the shoes that I purchased the week before??

The reward system just doesn't work for me. My reward is seeing the pounds shedding. If I really want to buy something, I suppose I could buy something that fits nicely AFTER losing weight...like jeans.

Journaling doesn't work for me either: how many of us really keep track of the calories of the foods we ate?? Homemade cookies & breads as well as most restaurants don't usually come with calorie counters! I do, however, like the 'was it worth it?' part. I think that could be something to keep in mind.

Jennifer 4-13-2007 @ 11:22AM

Dr. Bill...
for starters people DO lose weight with food diets. You are ignorent to tell women how to lose weight... men and womens bodies and metabolic rates are completely different. Men lose weight much faster and can eat alot more without gaining weight. There are some men who don't get in the catagory of losing weight instantly.. but there is usually another medical problem that assists with that. So get off your high horse... I HIGHLY doubt you are a dr of any kind.. and if you are.. how snobby to go around bragging about it...

as with the article... I have to agree with #1 about the journal thing. Some people are able to keep a journal and it makes them successful... but for others all it does is make them think about food all day long. A journal is a good thing for the right people. But it can have negative affects on the wrong people... like always thinking of food. The point of americas weight loss issue is NOT to just lose weight, but to take our addiction away from food. Not everything works for every person... we are all different.

babsy 4-13-2007 @ 11:39AM

Oh no this is a total fetish to me people who reward themselfs with shoes? No way. have you seen what
kind of shoes they put out, 6 inches high.
Most americans live in suburbia and lets face it NOBODY can wear these stupid looking shoes in suburbia.
Get Real with your comments on the internet.
start using your life on better things and reward
yourselfs in doing something good for your fellow man.
your reward system stinks , got nothing BUT materialistic overtones.

susan 4-13-2007 @ 12:29PM

When I lost 60 lbs. I rewarding myself with a new wardrobe. About every 15-20lbs I would go shopping and try on some new things and would ocassionaly buy something if I thought it looked great on.Nothing like a picker upper for hard work done. I have unfortunately gained back 15 lbs and am working hard to lose it and you better believe that a new swimsuit will be in my closet after I lose it..

Carol 4-13-2007 @ 1:15PM

These comments make me laugh. There is nothing wrong in creating a goal and rewarding yourself. That is what this diet is about, nothing more!!

Too many people (men an women) let themselves go-- and do it calling it practical and the norm, and the way things should be. Such as the "these shoes are impractical". YES THEY ARE --especially if you're wearing them hiking. From the time I was a toddler and slipped my foot in my mamma's high heels-- I knew that is where I wanted to be. Today we have some gorgegous flats-- if suburb babsy wants to crawl out from her rock.

Practical shoes are soooo boring. I am over 50, had kids, am a size 0, work out, hike -- and when I want-- show it all off in my lovely, impractical shoes. I know my best feature is my legs (from running and biking) and I show off that hard work in my lovely, impractical shoes.

If that is your thing-- you should do it too-- more power to you and take pride in knowing-- you aren't afraid to step out of the box.