Do You Have Trouble Sticking To A "Diet"?
I was recently asked in an interview, "Do you have any advice for people who have trouble sticking to a diet?"
Anyone who knows my work knows that I'm an anti-dieting dietitian, particularly where "fad" diets are concerned. But that's a reasonable question, especially since this could include people who are asked to follow a particular diet plan for a condition or disease.
So...my advice to people who have trouble sticking to their diet plan is to focus NOT on a fad diet or extreme plan but a healthful way of living. Eat and exercise for the health of it and let the pounds fall where they may. Get off the fad diet roller coaster and choose total health (by enriching your mind, body, spirit). Become more aware of your true hunger and satisfaction and truly enjoy the food and meals that you eat.
This is more possible if you are in a peaceful, mindful, and aware state when you eat. (For more on mindful eating, you can go to The Center for Mindful Eating.
If you have some deeper issues with eating, you might want to pay attention to what makes you turn to food. If there are some underlying emotions from your past or present, then it's important to seek professional help for this so that it doesn't get in the way of your happiness and health.
The goal for me as a dietitian is to help people be healthy, yes, but also free from obsession and eating extremes. That's I how I look at it.
Related Topics: Technorati Tags: healthy diet, mindful eating
Anyone who knows my work knows that I'm an anti-dieting dietitian, particularly where "fad" diets are concerned. But that's a reasonable question, especially since this could include people who are asked to follow a particular diet plan for a condition or disease.
So...my advice to people who have trouble sticking to their diet plan is to focus NOT on a fad diet or extreme plan but a healthful way of living. Eat and exercise for the health of it and let the pounds fall where they may. Get off the fad diet roller coaster and choose total health (by enriching your mind, body, spirit). Become more aware of your true hunger and satisfaction and truly enjoy the food and meals that you eat.
This is more possible if you are in a peaceful, mindful, and aware state when you eat. (For more on mindful eating, you can go to The Center for Mindful Eating.
If you have some deeper issues with eating, you might want to pay attention to what makes you turn to food. If there are some underlying emotions from your past or present, then it's important to seek professional help for this so that it doesn't get in the way of your happiness and health.
The goal for me as a dietitian is to help people be healthy, yes, but also free from obsession and eating extremes. That's I how I look at it.
Related Topics: Technorati Tags: healthy diet, mindful eating
12 Comments:
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I have learned through trial and error that indeed fad diets do not work. I have lost a significant amount of weight, by eating three meals a day, no skipping meals. I cut back on the carbs..no pasta or potatoes except once a week...no sweets..sugar free sweets three times a week. And of course, excercise hehe.
I lost 40 pounds by starving myself, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
Because I knew it wasn't a lifestyle, and because I'm studying nutrition in college, I'm able to keep it off.
A good idea is to make a little book to record calories and carbs, fat, sugar and other things.My grandpa has records of everything he has eaten for 30 years.
It's great to hear someone advocate what my husband and I call "The Eat Right and Exercise Plan". It's not the fastest way to drop the pounds, but it works!
I dropped 80 pounds and kept it off for over a year by eating at least five cups of fruits and vegetables a day and cutting out junk. The key however was getting about 500 calories worth of exercise everyday. After having my last baby I suffered back injuries and exercise is very painful. Any suggestions on how to take the weight off without starvation?
it is not so much that fad diets don't work as the fact that they are unsustainable in the long run. They do work - the key is to measure them in the short, not the long term. They can be an effective way to jump start a weight loss regime and get your confidence back on track. The mistake is to make them lifestyles as opposed to a tool to aid the weight loss process.
Hooray Elaine! I have always felt that "going on" a diet implies that oneday one would "go off" the diet. The key is to make changes that you can sustain. I was successful in loosing about 25 pounds by eating only when I was hungry and stopping when I was full. Overcoming emotional reasons for eating is important, also.
I seldon feel hungry. Having a problem with weight watchers as they tell you to only eat when hungry.I don't even like to think about food. I do like fruits and veggies, having a problem with proteins. Was losing weight until last couple weeks as I haven't gotten all my points in. Drink 10 glasses of water daily and it is hard to get the food in too.Any suggestions to start losing again?
When you have reached a plateau,and you are doing everything that works,increase your activity. Don't stop eating the good things and don't skip breakfast. The aim is to increase your metabolism,sometimes it helps to change the exercise routine. Your body adjusts to daily demands and quickly learns your schedule. Changing the activity, demanding different muscle groups to act keeps it interesting for you and keeps your metabolism up. Kathy
I lost 70 lbs when my blood pressure was going sky high and I started eating healthier foods and walking briskly for 30 minutes a day. Fad diets might initially work, but the weight is easily gained back when you fall back into the same old eating habits.
I've lost 38 lbs. using the food pyramid.Now,I have been on a vegan diet to help reduce my insulin intake. So far I'm down from 64 units to 22. My blood sugar reading stays under 100. It took me two weeks to reduce it.A vegan diet is difficult but doable. I happen to like the food.
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