ARE YOU HAVING TROUBLE LOSING WEIGHT?

HAVING TROUBLE LOSING WEIGHT?

Why do so many people fail when they diet? As a practicing registered dietitian working in the field for over 12 years, I know many of my clients have tried every diet under the beautiful Tuscany sun and managed to gain all of their weight back.

From Atkins to South Beach, all the way to cleanses, juicing, and Paleo, many people continually fail at losing weight and resort to their ice cream and late night snacking routine, feeling hopeless yet again.

The common denominator to fad diets is willpower. When you try and change something so big in your life and our culture, the strength of one’s willpower can prove to be insufficient.

 Let’s talk about what you really need to change to be successful:

1) Habit formation is important to making any changes in life. Every month there is either a new weight loss book or a new fad diet that hits the streets and have trend-chasers starting yet another diet. Diets fail because they really do not change the way we view and think about food. In order to make permanent emotional and physical changes with food we need to change our habits and our thought pattern.

2) Meal plan. You need a good meal plan in order to ensure adequate vitamins, minerals, and overall nutrition so that you have adequate energy levels to sustain you. This is where I recommend going to a Dietitian/Nutritionist to guide you on your initial journey. Some RDs take insurance and others will have you pay out of pocket. Bottom line… it’s worth the investment.

3) Accountability. Get a buddy. Ask your sibling, family member, friend or spouse. Hold yourself accountable one way or another. It makes a big difference when trying to adopt new habits and lifestyle changes when you have a buddy.

4) One small change. Please, please, please. Make one small, realistic change at a time. Even if it is as simple as adding a vegetable to your breakfast routine or drinking one big glass of water before every meal. Start with one or two changes every week.

Listen to this! A study published in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine found that participants who made one small change in their food choices and/or physical activity each week (such as drinking one fewer can of soda/juice) lost more than twice as much belly fat, 2½ more inches off their waistlines, and about 4 times more weight during a 4-month program, compared with those who followed traditional calorie-restriction and physical-activity guidelines.

How about them apples…