A prepackaged food diet plan is an easy way to lose weight. There's nothing for you to fuss over or make decisions about -- you simply eat the food that is provided for you and you lose weight. It seems too good to be true, and the fact remains, it probably is. There are hidden dangers to these prepackaged diet plans that you need to be aware of before diving in.
Long-Term Maintenance
Many diet plans that offer participants prepackaged food lack one essential component -- a maintenance plan. Any good diet program emphasizes a lifestyle change and includes a maintenance phase for a year or more after you've lost the weight you need to lose. When you rely of prepackaged foods for your diet, you lose the ability to go to the supermarket and shop for yourself, making long-term weight loss a difficult task.
Sodium
Sodium not only keeps you from losing weight, it is also bad for your health. According to the USDA, the average American consumes 3,400 mg of sodium, 1,100 mg more than the recommended upper intake of sodium. The USDA also states that most sodium in the diet is consumed through the processing of prepackaged foods. If you are going on a prepackaged food diet, choose foods that are low in sodium. Aim to keep your sodium intake between 1,500 to 2,300 mg per day.
Knowledge Of Your Nutrient Needs
When you are on a diet in which you solely eat prepackaged food provided by the diet company, you are relying on the company to make the correct calorie and nutrient choices for you. Many overweight people have other issues going on -- high cholesterol, diabetes or hypertension. Being fed a prepackaged food takes away the knowledge you obtain from making your own food choices. Dieting for health should be a lifelong commitment, which means understanding why you need to eat certain kinds of food. The best way to understand the needs of your body is to first talk with your doctor or a registered dietitian and then being proactive at choosing healthy foods.
Choosing The Right Diet
If you are diet shopping, be sure to pick a diet with certain characteristics. The diet you choose should fit your personality and the needs of your body. A diet only works when you can stick with it and enjoy it while you are doing it. You should also aim for realistic and safe goals -- reducing your weight by one to two pounds per week, reducing your cholesterol or blood pressure, or getting your diabetes under control. Finally, your plan should include a long-term strategy that will enable you to keep the weight off for good.
References
- "Exercise Testing and Prescription"; David C. Nieman; 2007
- "Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010"; United States Department of Agriculture and the United States Department of Health and Human Services; 2010
- Family Doctor.org: Choosing the Right Diet to Lose Weight
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