The weight loss industry in America is booming. Billions of dollars each year are spent on pills, drinks, surgeries, and other “miracle weight loss solutions.” It seems every week there is a new book claiming to have the solution for weight loss. Choose from the Atkins Diet, the Fat Flush Diet, the Zone Diet, the South Beach Diet, the Blood Type Diet, and the Subway Sandwich diet. The list goes on and on. Each one proposes a slightly different solution to help you shed those unwanted pounds as quickly as possible.
With so many weight loss options, one might expect Americans in general to be thin and healthy. But obesity rates in America continue to surpass other nations, and steakhouses and donut shops continue to prosper.
The problem with dieting is that dieting is a short term solution. You might lose a few pounds in a couple weeks on a restricted diet, but more often than not, that weight goes right back on, sometimes with a little more than before. One danger of this type of dieting is that rapid weight loss can cause a person to lose muscle rather than fat, and extreme fluctuations in weight can be very detrimental to the body. The Framingham Heart Study showed that weight fluctuation may pose as severe a risk of heart disease and premature death as just being overweight alone.
Most diets also deprive your body of essential nutrients. A low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet lacks fiber, leaches calcium from the bones, and overworks the liver. Low-calorie diets lower the metabolism and can lead to binge eating.
At Down to Earth we encourage weight loss and weight maintenance without sacrificing your health or well-being. Rather than try the next fad diet that comes along, make the decision to change your lifestyle. According to the American Dietetic Association, “Successful weight management to improve overall health for adults, requires a lifelong commitment to healthful lifestyle behaviors, emphasizing sustainable and enjoyable eating practices and daily physical activity.”
When good nutrition and exercise become a way of life, it is easy to maintain a healthy weight. The following are some basic guidelines to help you obtain a weight level that is healthy and manageable.
- Eat complex carbohydrates such as whole grains, oats, bran, brown rice, beans and lentils. They contain half the calories that fats have, and are burned much more efficiently than fat.
- Protein should be obtained from vegetarian sources like beans, dairy products, tofu, nuts, seeds, leafy greens and spirulina. Animal proteins are high in fat and contain no fiber at all.
- Fiber is very important for weight loss because it encourages proper digestion and elimination, flushing toxins and excess weight out of the body. Whole grains, vegetables, fruits and beans contain an abundance of fiber.
- Make sure to drink enough water. Avoid sugary juices and eliminate soda and alcohol. The USDA recommends at least 10 glasses per day.
- Eliminate refined sugar. If you must have something sweet, use a natural sweetener such as maple syrup, fruit juice, or honey. Excess sugar causes dangerous fluctuations in insulin levels and is easily converted to fat.
- Focus on eating smaller portions at each meal. Instead of three large meals, make it five or six small ones. Your body will digest the food better and keep up your metabolism.
- Eat more in the morning than the evening because the fire of digestion decreases as the day goes on.
- Take time to relax throughout the day. Stress can be a hurdle when trying to lose weight. Read this month’s health tip in our e-newsletter to learn about weight loss-friendly foods and ways to relax physically and mentally.
- Finally – Exercise! If you burn more calories than you eat, you will lose weight. Exercise also ensures that muscle mass will be maintained. Ultimately, after a person has lost the appropriate weight, the calories eaten and burned should be the same. This is weight maintenance. See a dietitian to help you determine your appropriate caloric input and output.
The most important thing to remember is that these are permanent eating habits. Make the commitment to yourself to take care of your body and maintain a healthy weight. According to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, “The best weight control program is a high complex carbohydrate, low fat, vegetarian diet complemented by regular exercise.”