It's that diet time of year.
It’s that time of year again for dieting: diet ads, diet fads, diet gimmicks, etc, etc. I Googled “fad diets” and there were 1,210,000 cites. Then I Googled “Fad diets that work” and narrowed the field to 1,060,000 cites. If you’re wanting “fad diets that work fast, you narrow the search to 423,000 cites and if you want a “fad diet that works really fast” there are 131,000 options. Two that I have heard of recently are the “Alternate Day Diet” and the “Tapeworm Diet.” If you choose the “Alternate Day Diet” you eat 500 calories one day and “normally” the next. If you choose the “Tapeworm Diet” (you guessed it), you find tapeworm larva to swallow and a tapeworm forms in your intestine. This just illustrates that people will go to extreme and sometimes harmful measures to lose weight.
If are wondering if the new diet plan you are starting is healthful and something to stick with for the long haul, ask yourself these questions:
• Does the diet encourage eliminating entire food groups? Red flags should wave if you see a diet that suggests there is one food group that is unhealthy and you need to eliminate it to lose weight. Generally speaking, entire food groups would only be eliminated from your diet if you are allergic, have an intolerance or the foods make you sick. If you are eliminating entire food groups from your diet, you might consider having your diet assessed by a Registered Dietitian.
• Does the diet encourage elimination or excess of anything? Is this an all or nothing diet? Health and weight management is not about extremes. Weight management is about variety, balance and moderation.
• Does the diet suggest that you do not need to exercise? Exercise as part of a weight management program is necessary to maintain success, to preserve muscle mass and to maintain health. Exercise is part of a healthy lifestyle regardless of your weight goals.
• Does the diet plan suggest that weight loss is quick and effortless? As with any change in behavior or learning a new behavior, there is a learning curve. Initially change takes more time and mental energy.
• Is the diet sensible? Sometimes we make nutrition, weight management and exercise too difficult. Ask yourself “is this a sensible diet?” Ask yourself “is this sensible FOR ME?” If it doesn’t make sense for your life or lifestyle, it will be difficult to maintain.
• Can you eat and exercise the way the diet prescribes for the rest of your life? Nutrition, exercise, weight management are behaviors for a life time.
• Does the diet sound too good to be true? If a diet sounds too good to be true, it probably is.



Question of the week:
What foods do I have to eliminate to lose weight?
Answer:
The short answer is you don’t have to eliminate any foods to lose weight, you just have to eliminate eating too much of anything. Weight loss happens when the calories you consume are less than the calories you burn. When it comes to weight loss, your body doesn’t care where the calories come from; just that you are eating less then you burn. However, it is easier to over eat calories from certain foods because they are more calorie dense and less satisfying. For instance a 1 ounce candy bar and a slice of whole wheat bread with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter have about the same amount of calories. The bread and peanut butter will be more satisfying because it has protein, fat, carbohydrate and fiber.