Weight Loss – Myths and Truths
So many Americans try different diets or think some myths
like “gluten free” will lead to weight loss success. Time magazine has an excellent article, The Weight Loss Trap: Why Your Diet Isn’t Working. They interviewed many experts and discuss the
National Weight Control Registry. What is this registry? It is a study of over 10,000 people who have lost
30 or more pounds and have kept it off. The
study attempts to figure out why these people were success stories and others
who go on diets gain back the weight they lost.
What are some of the take-a-ways from this article?
2. Slow and Steady wins the weight loss game. Ever see the I Love Lucy Show, The Diet, in which she wants to lose 12 pounds in only 5 days? She tries jumping rope, running laps around her apartment building, eating a celery-only meal while her neighbors the Mertzes feast on steak and potatoes. In final desperation, she sits in a steam box all day. Hilarious show, and she does lose some weight. But weight taken off this rapidly is often a lot of water loss and one loses muscle as well as fat. Time highlights Lexi Reed, a 26-year-old, who tried many diets, lost weight and then gained it back. What did he finally do to lose 278 pounds?
a.
Tracked
calories – so many ways to do this using the many apps available such as Lose It! and MyFitnessPal
b.
Working
out – adding exercise to your day is a way to burn up some calories, add
some muscle, get toned and feel better
c.
Eating
healthier – Lexi started eating healthier versions of the food he
loved. I like KFC chicken but choose the
grilled chicken which is a healthier option.
I like the McDonald’s Egg McMuffin but order it without butter. What are some of your favorites that you
could modify to a healthier choice?
d.
Take Lexi’s Advice: My
advice is to focus on each day, not how far you have to go. Weight loss is a journey, not a sprint. (Time)
3. Follow
some Steps that have worked for people on the National Weight Control Registry,
read their facts at NWCR
Facts
a.
Eat
breakfast every day: 78% of those on the
registry eat breakfast every day. Less
likely to get those mid-morning hunger pains when one often goes to the snack
machine for a candy bar or two.
b.
Change your Diet: Try smaller portions, try adding protein to
each meal. Focus on cutting back on the
fat and added sugars in your day.
c.
Less TV, more exercise: 94% of the people on the registry increased
their physical activity and the most common way was to walk more.
4. Cut the
Added Sugar – avoid sugary drinks that not only provide calories but can
produce belly fat as suggested by Dr. Dean Schillinger UC San Francisco
(Time). Skip the soda/pop and go for water,
unsweetened tea. I like Crystal Light
lemonade or their Peach tea. Great
summer drink.
5. Take a
Break – a relative finds some ways to treat herself while on a diet. Whether it be some occasional wings, a 100-calorie
bag of cookies, some treat so she isn’t just giving up all the good stuff. Learn to make some of your favorite foods
with less calories by modifying a recipe.
My younger daughter is a great cook.
We often try to modify recipes to make them healthier with less
calories. We will cut down on the fat in
a recipe by using 2% milk fat cheese.
We will use half regular pasta noodles and some whole grain
noodles. We don’t want to modify a
recipe so much the food is tasteless but enough to keep the good taste, yet
reduce some fat or sugar calories and add more wholesome ingredients like whole
grains.
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ReplyDeleteI actually found another plan I that worked for me and clears up with some myths.
ReplyDeleteLast year, I was a sad sack of fat, way too overweight. I wanted to drop the pounds, but nothing I found online seemed to work for me. But then I found the review for this new diet (http://petesfitness.com/2017/06/03/new-and-improved-2-weeks-diet/) and it worked wonders for me. I am still not where I want to be, but it helped me out a lot.
Fad diets are not the best way to lose weight. To read more about the highest rated weight loss diet plans go to: http://health.usnews.com/best-diet/best-weight-loss-diets. As noted in my post on 1-22-2017, the best diets for weight loss are Weight Watchers, rated number 1 and Jenny Craig ranked second.
DeleteI totally agree with you, Kathryn. Fad diets are obviously not the best way to lose weight because most of these diet cults tend to make weight loss promises just to attract people who want to lose weight quickly without putting in the required mental and physical effort. In addition, it’s not a sustainable way if you look at the long term, as you tend to avoid the food(s) you like only for short term until you can't manage the cravings any longer. In my case, since January to date I have lost 44lbs and my secret was to cut back on sugar and carbs. Like most Africans, my diet used to be high in carbs, but instead, I chose to go on a high protein diet with sufficient amount of fat (unsaturated) compounded with exercise. That’s all I did, and now I can happily say my body is a fat burning machine ��
DeleteSamsu - thank you for your comment. I agree that Fad diets are not the best way to lose weight. Great that you have successfully lost weight.
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ReplyDeleteNice Post
ReplyDeleteThank you.
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