According to Merriam-Webster's online dictionary, "dieting" refers to the verb "to eat and drink sparingly or according to prescribed principles." And therein lies the rub. Americans spend more than $46 billion a year looking for the quick fix or miracle cure that will help them lose weight and look as fit as a "Baywatch" lifeguard strutting down Venice beach. The bad news is no such animal exists. After trying all of the fad diets and exercise machines that are eventually relegated to the back of the closet, more than 30 percent of adults in the United States are obese, with a body mass index over 30. Another 30 percent are overweight.
Basic Principles
After you've sorted out all of the marketing hype and promises for a better you, maintaining your ideal weight basically boils down to one simple principle: If you take in more calories than you expend, you're going to gain weight. Each person is either blessed or cursed with their own "set point." Your body's set point is the place at which you're comfortably able to maintain your weight, much like setting the Thermostat for your home's heating. From approximately age 25 to your middle 50s, your set point (sometimes called your basal metabolic rate, or BMR) begins to drop, meaning it takes fewer calories to run your body than it did before. For the average, non-exercising adult, this could mean an additional 25 lbs around her waistline without making any other changes in diet or daily routine. To counter a declining BMR, you must either cut back on the number of calories you consume, expend more by exercising, or, better yet, both.
Understanding Weight Loss
One pound of body fat has the energy equivalent of 3,500 calories. In order to lose one pound of body fat, you must reduce your caloric intake by 500 calories a day. Initially, this may sound like a stiff proposition, but it's actually easier than you think. Many of the popular diet programs advertised in the media want you to assume that cutting back 500 calories a day is a complicated undertaking, one that requires their special foods with nutrients and vitamins only their food can supply. But you can actually accomplish the same thing yourself once you're armed with a little knowledge. One of the easiest ways to begin is by learning the concepts presented in the United States Department of Agriculture Food Pyramid, which categorizes all foods into six areas: grains, vegetables, fruits, milk, meats and beans, and oils. By following its guidelines, you'll learn how much of each type of food you should eat.
Making Better Choices
The average adult requires 2,000 calories to maintain health and fitness -- a little less for women and a little more for men. What foods you choose to fulfill those 2,000 calories can make all the difference in the world between feeling satisfied throughout the day or feeling like you're constantly starving. A great place to start is by referring to the glycemic index for carbohydrates (diabetesnet.com/diabetes_food_diet/glycemic_index.php). Don't be alarmed by the reference to diabetes -- following the principles in the glycemic index is a great way for everyone to make healthy food choices that contain all of the required vitamins and minerals that sustain health and prevent heart disease.
The glycemic index (GI) is a simple system for rating carbohydrates according to how quickly they enter your bloodstream. While spiking blood sugar levels are taboo for diabetics, they can also work against anyone trying to make sense of sound nutritional concepts. The GI rates all carbohydrates according to how fast they make your blood sugar spike. Low GI foods are rated 54 or less. Medium GI foods are rated between 55 and 70. High GI foods rate higher than 70. For instance, cherries are rated low at 22. All Bran cereal is a medium GI food rated at 51. Dates are high at 103. As a general rule, high GI foods will make your blood spike, then plummet, leaving you hungry again. Try to choose carbohydrates that rate lower on the GI and are higher in fiber.
Lifelong Eating Patterns
While many of the most popular diet plans will convince you that your ideal weight is only weeks away, the truth is, it's taken you years to develop your current eating patterns with their expected results. So don't be surprised if it takes a while to make changes. Any form of dieting in reality is a matter of learning new behaviors. Chances are, it will take time to learn how to make better food choices and integrate them into your life. Begin by making the easy choices first. Learn how to read food packaging labels to discover what actually constitutes an average size serving. Then, start replacing high-fat, calorie-dense foods with low-fat foods that contain more fiber. In the beginning, you may need to use simple food scales to weigh your portions, but in a matter of weeks, you'll be able to estimate them.
Where Exercise Fits In
If you've never cared for sports or exercise, don't feel alone. But you'll be pleasantly surprised to learn that as little as 20 to 30 minutes of aerobic exercise such as walking, hiking, swimming or biking can expend hundreds of calories in less than an hour; manage your weight and blood pressure; and lower your risk for diabetes and heart disease. By coupling daily exercise with caloric restriction, you'll be able to double your weight loss permanently.
Member Comments