|
by Marney White
Why Diets Don't Work
I can’t—I’m on a diet.
How many times have you heard yourself or a friend utter the words “No thanks, I really can’t—I’m on a diet.” It’s the self-inflicted punishment after the indulgence; the consistent way not to be as kind to ourselves as we should be. Whoever originally had the notion that it’s sensible to adopt temporarily some quirky eating plan to change the way we look and feel permanently must not have done their homework. Dieting has failure built right into the process and the net result is anything BUT feeling better about the way we feel and look. In fact, it reinforces feelings of failure every time a dieter “goes off” his/her diet, and regains the lost weight—or more.
It seems too good to be true...
The diet industry is a $30 billion a year money-making machine. Diet companies know that their systems will not solve your weight problem. They don’t want them to. Despite the perpetual nature of the dieting cycle, dieters want to believe that there is an elusive magical system that allows them to keep eating the nachos, eggs benedict, double cheeseburgers, shakes, fries and cheesecake and still have the body and the energy of George Clooney or Cindy Crawford.
High-fat, high-protein diets claim to work, giving dieters the best of both worlds—indulgence and radiant health. But respected medical journals are practically screaming out the dangerous long-term consequences of such diets. In addition to their weight loss, those who faithfully follow these diets also greatly increase the possibility of heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis and kidney damage.
Why does my weight come back?
Awareness and education are the important first steps. You must be aware that “diets” are a temporary fix, by their very nature. Secondly, they never teach you how you gained your extra weight in the first place. You need to be able to wrap your mind around these two concepts before you can let go of dieting, get your weight in check and never diet again.
But aren’t the support-group diets good? They seem so good.
Although diets based on support groups look like the best way to go, they still aren’t going to keep your weight off for life. They sell lifetime memberships and pre-packaged foods that are labeled in a misleading way; high-fat foods misleadingly appear to be low-fat because they are unrealistically tiny portions. They also keep real nutritional information in the abstract by assigning “point values” to foods rather than educating you on exactly what nutrients you need every day and where you can get them in high-fiber, low-cholesterol, moderate protein and low-fat sources. These diet companies make sure their clients feel helpless without the company “counselors” to interpret mysterious nutritional needs and facilitate a secret ritual of self-care but your nutritional needs really aren’t that complicated.
You mean diets are not meant to be forever?
Despite the obsession with food that dieters often experience, they eventually have to come off their diet and return to a “normal” eating pattern. However, after the last day of a diet they usually end up going back to the only eating habits they’ve ever known. Not coincidentally, these are the very habits that caused the weight problem in the first place. The good news is that you can actually eat in a way that is satisfying without adding weight. Impossible, you say? Absolutely not. I’m living proof.
I grew up eating what everyone else in America eats and struggled with the typical weight problems that pushed me five dress sizes above my optimal size for my height and frame. (I know that men may find the dress size illustration a bit abstract. For them, it’s like wearing pants with a 44 inch waist instead of a 34.) Like most people in this country, I was raised on steak, fried chicken, fast food, creamed corn, creamed spinach, ribs, shakes, cakes, pepperoni pizza and au gratin potatoes. And that’s what caused me to gain too much weight, just as it does for most people.
To try and shed my extra pounds I tried every diet I could get my hands on. Each and every time I eventually gained back all my weight—and sometimes more. I wasn’t aware that locking myself into this never-ending dieting cycle made me totally incapable of permanently managing my weight and was actually making me feel powerless and disillusioned.
Thankfully I found a solution. Even after having two children, I’ve kept my weight off for over six years now without going on a “diet.” And I know that I will never diet again. I love what I eat and I eat what I love. It is really possible and if I can do it, anyone can. Years ago I never would have believed that I would lose my taste for the heavy foods I grew up on in favor of lighter, healthier yet very flavorful and satisfying ones that I’d enjoy even more.
Anyone can eat what they love and love what they eat; it’s simply a matter of being introduced to new and different foods that are off the beaten path from the foods they were raised on. You’ve probably walked past these foods a hundred times at your local grocery chain store without even noticing them. There’s a huge variety of cholesterol-free and virtually fat-free meat alternatives that are deliciously mouth-watering. Brands such as Light Life and Yves Veggie offer a ground beef alternative that works wonderfully to cut the fat and calories in enchiladas, sloppy joes, spaghetti sauce, chili or anything else in which you’d normally use ground beef or ground turkey.
What about fat-free foods?
Many fat-free foods are merely empty calories that contain virtually no nutritional value. (Think Snackwells.) But the meat alternatives clearly do not fall into this category. Despite being fat-free or virtually fat-free, they are highly nutritious. They’re a great way to cut the fat without sacrificing the nutrients your body needs to be healthy.
Where does cholesterol come from?
Most people don’t realize that the only way you can eat cholesterol is by eating an animal product, such as beef, pork, lamb, chicken, fish or milk products and egg yolks (the whites are pure protein and contain no cholesterol). If you never ate cholesterol again, you’d only be the better for it. A big part of your liver’s daily job is to manufacture all the cholesterol your body needs. Any more cholesterol in the foods you eat is cholesterol you don’t actually need.
There are people who can eat all they want and still have a low blood cholesterol level because of the number of a particular type of receptor they have which facilitates cholesterol absorption—the more, the better. However, their low blood cholesterol level may not save them from the osteoporosis or kidney damage that comes from eating too much of the protein that is found in cholesterol. It’s important to know these things.
Dr. John McDougall, M.D., of the McDougall Heart Institute in Napa Valley, California, says that changing from beef to chicken in an attempt to lower blood cholesterol affords little or no improvement. According to him, ounce-for-ounce, chicken and beef contain the same amount of cholesterol.
If you’re going to eat meats and poultry, the least harmful way to do so is as it’s done in the Asian countries where there is almost no osteoporosis or heart disease. Think of how it’s served in traditional Chinese and Japanese food—just little bits included with mostly vegetables and some rice; more as a condiment than as a main course.
What about Calcium?
As Dr. Mc Dougall points out, even though Americans have some of the highest calcium consumption on the planet, we suffer from osteoporosis in epidemic proportions. There are over 26 million Americans today who suffer from osteoporosis. People on the standard American diet get most of their calcium from dairy products like cheese and other milk products (all of which are also high in fat and cholesterol). However, in Asian countries where osteoporosis is almost non-existent, people with their native non-Americanized diets get approximately?500–600 mg of calcium daily, half of what most Americans consume. Their calcium comes mostly from soy and dark green leafy vegetables (which are also rich in iron), since dairy products are unpopular in these cultures.
What about vitamin B12?
Many people have been told that they need to eat meat and poultry to get adequate amounts of vitamin B12. But actually animals don’t naturally produce this nutrient, it’s added to their feed. You can get adequate B12 without cholesterol through enriched rice milk, soy milk or in a supplement—just like animals get it.
Will I feel weak if I do this?
Diets are usually about deprivation and complex combining rituals. The rituals and off-the-beaten-path menus are meant to make dieters feel as though they’re actively taking control of their weight. But they’re really not—at least not in a way that will last. Diets also tend to make you very tired or even weak because of a dramatic calorie reduction. On a moderate-protein, high-fiber, low-cholesterol eating regimen you can eat generous portions of totally nutritious and tasty foods. And as you lose weight, you’ll have energy to spare.
When you’re eating properly you can expect to feel hungry sooner. Because the healthiest foods are metabolized and digested with such beautiful efficiency, plan on eating more frequently. This is how the body was meant to run. Bring healthy snacks with you to the office or to school. Items like baby carrots and hummus, your favorite fresh vegetables cut into convenient sticks and fresh fruits are excellent options. They also ensure that you get the daily five to six servings of fresh fruits and vegetables that you need.
How much protein is enough?
Aim for no more than 50 grams of protein a day and you’ve got your protein requirements more than adequately taken care of. Most people don’t know that an obsession with high protein is strictly a Western phenomenon. Since the rest of the world doesn’t get nearly as much protein as we do, they don’t have the long-term kidney and osteoporosis problems that we do.
A complex carb is not a complex carb.
The biggest part of a lasting weight reduction and maintenance program requires teaming up with the building blocks of every healthy and well-balanced diet: the complex carbohydrate. These are the essential nutrients of life—they’re what fuel us at the cellular level. And yet they’re unfairly maligned. Not all carbohydrates are the same.
Aim for the complex carbs that are high-water content and high-fiber, such as fresh fruit and vegetables, grains and legumes and whole grains. These are your friends for life. They will also make you feel full (and satisfied) sooner than low-fiber foods. Steer clear of the low-water content, low-fiber complex carbs such as white flour, chips, white flour pasta, crackers, cookies, cakes. They are to your digestive system what a beaver’s dam is to a stream and will only serve to make you feel bloated and probably constipated too.
Will water help?
Drink lots of water. Not only does it also help make you feel full but it also helps to eliminate toxins and keep you well-hydrated. Go for the recommended eight glasses a day and you’ll see and feel the difference. Your skin will glow and, if you’re a headache sufferer, you may even notice that your headaches are fewer and less severe. A common cause of headaches is dehydration but most people don’t even realize how simple it can be to rid themselves of this affliction.
How do I lose my weight forever?
It’s so simple you won’t believe it. For about $6 at any bookstore you can get a paperback food counts book that lists the fat, cholesterol, protein, etc. for any food you can think of, in its natural state or packaged. You need to understand how far above your actual nutritional needs your current eating habits are.
Write down exactly what you eat for a week, being careful NOT to fib and then tabulate the nutritional contents. Protein should not exceed 50 g per day, fat no higher than 25–30 g per day, iron about 15 mg per day and calcium 500–600 mg per day. Don’t feel overwhelmed—you can keep it simple. You don’t need to tabulate calories.
There are three very simple things to remember:
1. Meet your protein requirement and stick to the fat guideline.
2. Get your five to six servings daily of fresh fruits and vegetables.
3. Base your eating habits on those good complex carbs that are high-fiber and high-water content.
If you are doing all this, you’re full, satisfied and you are getting complete nutrition. You will achieve your goal weight and stay there, getting off the endless diet roller coaster forever.
Marney White is the author of Healthy Body, Happy Life published by Lipton Press. To read excerpts and for other helpful health information: www.healthyhappylife.com
|
