DIET - That Horrible 4-letter Word.

DEFINITIONS

One definition from dictionary dot com defines the word diet as this: - noun - 1. food and drink considered in terms of its qualities, composition, and its effects on health: Milk is a wholesome article of diet. It is also defined as this: - noun - 2. a particular selection of food, esp. as designed or prescribed to improve a person's physical condition or to prevent or treat a disease: a diet low in sugar. But most of us upon hearing the word, automatically define it as this: - noun - 3. a selection or a limitation on the amount a person eats for reducing weight: No pie for me, I'm on a diet.

Telling it straight.

The dreaded ‘diet’. Just saying the word out loud can cause anxiety and a feeling of foreboding. It means that all the foods you love are now stricken from the list of what you think you ‘should’ eat. Right? Wrong. It doesn’t have to be that way. To tell yourself you’re on a diet is setting yourself up for failure. Really. Just go ahead and think about it for a second. The word conjures up negative images for most of us of starving celebrities or crash diets. I’m sure some of us may even have horror stories we could tell about a diet we tried and how successful it might have been in the beginning but how badly it ended. Wikipedia even has an article with an A – Z listing of diets which links to more Wikipedia articles explaining these diets, find this here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_diets.

The number and variety of diets available to society today is truly astounding. How is one supposed to choose what’s best? Well, if you seriously think you need to lose a few pounds, I would recommend talking to your family doctor first and foremost. Get the go-ahead and maybe some advice. What I would not recommend is deciding to try the latest fad diet. Believe me, they never work. Not long term.

The SKINNY on fad diets.

Some nutritionists define a fad diet by a series of questions rather than assessing popularity:

• Recommendations that promise a quick fix
• Dire warnings of dangers from a single product or regimen
• Claims that sound too good to be true
• Simplistic conclusions drawn from a complex study
• Recommendations based on a single study
• Dramatic statements that are refuted by reputable scientific organizations
• Lists of "good" and "bad" foods
• Recommendations made to help sell a product
• Recommendations based on studies published without review by other researchers
• Recommendations from studies that ignore differences among individuals or groups
• Eliminated one or more of the five food groups

Although the definition of a fad diet is subjective, it is simply a weight loss diet that becomes very popular (often quickly) and then may fall out of favour (sometimes just as quickly). (list and definition courtesy of the website: everydiet.org)

Now, before you jump down to the comment box and start giving me a ‘what for’ and listing a half a dozen examples of how diets DO work, please at least finish reading.

I’m certainly not saying diets don’t work. They can and they have. What sometimes doesn’t work is the frame of mind of the individual commencing said diet. What we need to keep in mind is that as we get older our bodies change, our weight can fluctuate. The chances of weighing at 40 what you weighed at 16 are pretty slim. (Ha-ha.. no pun intended there!). However, if there is a significant amount of weight to be lost, you cannot expect it to happen overnight. Therefore you’re looking at ‘dieting’ for the long haul. A very daunting undertaking. There is no ‘quick fix’ for weight loss. The weight did not appear overnight; therefore it will take just as long or longer to disappear. So rather than tell yourself you’re going to (*gasp*) go on a D-I-E-T, tell yourself you’re going to start making small lifestyle changes. Toss in a little exercise and you’re definitely heading in the right direction.

Small lifestyle changes that can aid with big weight loss

• Drink more water. Just adding a full glass of water a day can help to ward off the ‘hungries’ and keep you from grazing.
• Move more. Get up out of the computer chair and go GET the glass of water. Adding a few more steps to each activity may seem like nothing, but it can add up.
• Have that snack. Just have a smaller portion and don’t go back for seconds.
• Park farther away and walk to your destination. If the weather permits of course, park a few blocks away and walk. Or if going to a mall, park at the far end and walk rather than drive in circles looking for the closest spot.
• Take the stairs instead of the elevator. If you’re going up 20 floors then get off a couple below and walk up the rest, or walk up a couple then take the elevator the rest of the way.

These are only a few little changes, but the main thing is to make a few at a time, baby steps is the key. Don’t overwhelm yourself by thinking you have to overhaul your entire life at once.

Make sure you and everyone around you is ready

To succeed you need to be sure that you’re ready for the changes, and then you have to decide what you’re ready, willing and able to change. Start small. Pick one bad eating habit and change it. For example, maybe you tend to eat an unhealthy snack each evening while you watch TV. Can you switch that unhealthy snack to something healthier? Or maybe just eat that snack in a smaller bowl? Could you also take say 15 minutes out of your evening maybe three times a week, and go for a walk?

Inform all of those close to you that you’re making some lifestyle changes, just so they’re aware and don’t unknowingly sabotage you. They may even be enlisted to offer support and help keep you accountable. But only if you’re comfortable with this.

Small goals for big rewards

Maybe you could even make a small list of goals. Make sure you keep your goals realistic. Don't try to do too much too quickly.

Consider four things for each goal:

1. How much time will you allow to reach this goal? Keep it short.
2. Is this something simple enough to do in your regular daily life? Keep it realistic.
3. Is there a limit or a time frame for it? Be specific.
4. How often will you do this?

Here are a couple suggestions:

1. Eating: For the next 30 days (amount of time), four days out of seven (how often) I will eat two pieces of fruit a day -- one at breakfast and one as an afternoon snack. (realistic and specific).
2. Physically active: For the next 30 days (amount of time), three days each week (how often) I will take a 15 minute walk after lunch or after supper (realistic and specific).

These are specific goals, but nothing too drastic. Write them down and place them somewhere you will see them. On the fridge, on the bathroom or bedroom mirror, or keep them with you in your purse or pocket (just make sure you pull them out and look at them often). Once the 30 day time frame is over, review your goals and see if you accomplished them. If you did, celebrate. (Maybe a trip to the movies?) If you didn’t succeed, don’t be discouraged. Figure out what factors influenced you. Did something happen in your life to cause you to fail? Did you maybe pick an unrealistic or unachievable goal? Most importantly, don’t give up. Revamp the goal list and try again. Just remember that it’s easy to slip back into your old routines, it’s going to take a few months for you to make new and healthier habits stick and become your way of life. Believe in yourself, you CAN do it. Once you achieve the goals, make new ones and start the cycle again. Little by little, goal by goal you’ll soon be eating healthier and becoming more active. And you’ll also be losing weight.

There a dozens upon dozens of changes you can make in your lifestyle to help with losing weight, these are but a few. The internet is full of sites that can explain the important things, like for example, portion control. The portions served today in many restaurants are over and above what the average person should be eating in one sitting. An interesting site to use as a visual reminder of what portions sizes look like is found here: http://www.fitsugar.com/2684246

Remember: The most important step to take before beginning any new regimen or undertaking a change in your eating habits is to consult your family doctor, or any doctor. Maybe even a nutritionist. They can help you in making the right decisions for you and to guide you in doing so.