Dieting Dilemmas
Are you confused about the best way to lose weight? Well, you have many choices to make it happen. You can join the Atkins Revolution. You can Enter the Zone. Or you can join a more traditional weight loss group such as Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig. You can even diet online. But what really works?
The Atkins Diet
The premise of the Atkins diet-which is very low in carbohydrate and high in fat and protein-is that as your body is deprived of carbohydrates, it resorts to using fat as its major fuel source. The fat is broken down into ketones, which shifts how energy is produced in your body. To eliminate ketones, your body flushes them out with large amounts of water, causing increased urination. The result is a significant and noticeable loss of water and weight in the first few weeks. But if you add too much carbohydrate back to your diet, the weight will reappear. This diet may be problematic because it is very high in saturated fat-a risk factor for heart disease-and low in fiber, which is thought to protect against heart disease and some kind of cancers. The benefits and risks to someone on this diet for long periods of time have not yet been determined.
The Zone Diet
The Zone diet, now in its third iteration, promotes a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet in certain prescribed proportions. Although you are encouraged to stick to healthful protein sources and mostly monounsaturated fats such as olive oil, the diet is still very high in saturated fat, which is a risk factor for heart disease. Does it work? In actuality, the Zone is a low-calorie diet ranging from 1000 to 1600 calories per day. Because most people will lose weight at this caloric level, following the Zone diet will induce weight loss, in spite of your having to endure some bizarre food combinations.
Support-Group Dieting
The more traditional programs such as Weight Watchers, TOPS, and Jenny Craig promote weight loss with a focus on a balanced diet, fitness, lifestyle change, and personalized support. They differ in that Jenny Craig provides ready-made meals, but all are similar in their emphasis on lifestyle change and balance.
Cyberdieting
The latest alternative for would-be weight watchers is cyberdieting-dieting within an online community. Brown University recently reported the preliminary results of a study that divided overweight people into two groups. The first group was provided only with Web-based information about dieting, and they lost an average of 3 lbs. in the first 12 weeks of their weight loss program. Members of the second group received the same online information and joined cyberdiet clubs-where they reported on their intakes, posted messages and received e-mail from nutrition professionals. They lost 9 lbs. in the same 12 weeks. Although probably no substitute for one-on-one counseling and support, the "community" created by cyberdiet sites apparently comes close.
Balanced Dieting
Despite information to the contrary, certain guidelines for losing weight never change. Weight management is a matter of balance-with calories in equaling calories you need to burn.
But weight loss is more than simply adding and subtracting calories-lifestyle changes and an attitude adjustment may also be necessary. That's why any successful weight management plan has a strong fitness component -regular exercise helps you get faster results and keeps you motivated. You may also need to look closely at your eating patterns and behavior around food, your commitment to weight loss, any family or work challenges you may need to overcome to be successful, and any personal issues such as self-esteem or confidence that may hinder your efforts. Everyone is unique- you may benefit from a support group or feel better going it alone. Here are a few simple tips to inspire you and help you get going:
- Eat slowly and really taste your food. Set your table with good china and pretty linens. Make meals an attractive, appealing part of your day.
- Keep track of your progress. If the scale intimidates you, look for other ways to chart your progress. For example, try on a snug pair of pants every other day. As the waistband becomes looser, you'll become more motivated.
- One splurge doesn't undermine your overall efforts. Learning to overlook occasional indulgences is key to long-term weight management.
- Survive the plateaus. There will be times when you simply will not lose any weight. To get through these plateaus, treat yourself to something that you really enjoy: concert tickets, a manicure or a shopping spree can ease the frustration of weight plateaus.
- Reward yourself with both small and large treats. Break your weight goal down into smaller segments and compensate yourself as you reach each one. The more you reward yourself, the more motivated you'll be to continue onward.
- Plan to start during a quiet time in your life, when work and family responsibilities are likely to be less hectic. Losing weight is a challenge and requires the same careful consideration as changing your job or moving!
- Check with your health care provider. If you have any medical problems, make sure that your eating and exercise plans are compatible with your health status.
- Consider your approach. Do you want to lose 5 pounds very quickly, followed by a more desirable 1-2 pounds per week? Or do you want to change your eating habits gradually, with a less dramatic initial weight loss?
- Plan an exercise program. Walk, join a gym, use workout videos-just move it! Dietary change without exercise is futile. Exercise will make you feel better about yourself, increase your cardiovascular resistance and enhance your weight loss efforts.
- Get a little help from your friends! Exercise is especially fun when your best buddy is sweating (and dieting) right along beside you. Remind your significant other, friends, work colleagues, and children that you are working hard at losing weight and that you appreciate and need their support!