Some people, while reducing, lose fat and body tissue without showing any loss on the scale. That is because they are retaining water which replaces the lost tissue. It may take from a week to a month for their water balance to correct itself automatically. Medical journals have reported cases in which there was no weight loss for a month, followed by an 8- to 10-pound loss in a few days.



Don't be discouraged by the apparent failure of your diet - and don't be too delighted by a sudden loss of weight. Some people lose 8 to 10 pounds during the first week of dieting because of mild acidosis. This causes the loss of large amounts of water. Weight fluctuations because of the presence of water are unimportant.

If you weigh yourself after you perspire, you may think you have lost from 1 to 3 pounds. Then you drink a glass of water and gain back 1/2 pound immediately. Voiding the water enables you to lose the half pound. Ultimately your water balance will restore your weight to what it was before you perspired.

That is one of the reasons why it is suggested that you weigh yourself only once a week while dieting. First draw up a weight chart and pin it up near your bathroom scale - on the wall next to the make-up or shaving mirror is a good place. Don't tuck it in a drawer where it will promptly be forgotten.

Hunger Pangs

For the first ten days or so of your diet you may feel occasional hunger pangs. These will not be severe because you should be eating three healthy meals each day. Nevertheless you may be concerned about them. Here are some of the things you can do for relief.

You can chew celery stalks and radishes between meals. These will help to fill you without adding a significant number of calories. If you are a candy eater, an occasional gum-drop will enable you to continue your habit without ruining your diet. That's because gum arabic has no calorie value and the few crystals of sugar are not sufficient to disrupt your descent to slimness.

A small portion of gelatin without milk or cream may be satisfying before bedtime and will help to take the place of the sandwich or cake which added calories in the past. Your conditioned reflexes will have adjusted to your new and healthier way of living, and you will find that even the slight strain of the first days has vanished.

Eat Unlimited Amounts Of These Foods

If, for any reason, you feel the need for more food than your diet permits, here is a whole group of vegetables which can be eaten in unlimited amounts without disturbing your diet:

AsparagusLeeks

Beans, string (green and wax)Mustard greens

Beet greensPepper, green

BroccoliPoke shoots

CabbageRadishes

Cabbage, Chinese or celeryRomaine lettuce

CauliflowerSauerkraut

CelerySea kale

ChardSorrell

Chicory leavesSpinach

ChivesSquash, summer

CollardsTomato juice

CucumbersTomatoes

DockTurnip tops

EndiveVegetable marrow

FennelWater cress

Watch Those Meals Between Meals

Your between-meal activities are as important to the success of your diet as your habits at the dining table. Peanuts and canaps, the hot dogs you nibble unconsciously as you watch a ball game, the snacks you munch before your TV set, and the sinister drinks at the nineteenth hole, these are the villains that are out to wreck your diet.

Sugar-rich soft drinks can also upset your pattern. Substitute tomato juice, not fruit juices.

As the family cook, the wife plays a key role in her own and her husband's successful dieting. She should set aside portions of vegetables for those dieting before adding butter for the rest of the family. Portions of salad should be separated before adding the calorie-rich dressing. Gravy should be kept in its own boat instead of launching everyone on the sea of obesity.

As for apple pie, let the dieters scrape the apples from the crust. Piecrust is for folk without paunches, but everyone can enjoy the apples.

Good luck with your diet!