Researches now say that that Atkins and other low-carbohydrate diets do
not help when it comes to staying thin. In a comparison between low-carbohydrate, low fat
and reduced calorie diets, all participants started to regain weight after six months, and
by twelve months there was little difference between the groups. "There is no clear
evidence that Atkins-style diets are better than any others for helping people stay slim,
despite the popularity and apparent success of the Atkins diet," says Professor Arne
Astrup of RVA University in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Okay … so maybe this is a bit melodramatic, but it drives home a point. We are
living in a world of dietary confusion, a Land of Oz and make-believe, where facts are
hard to find and commercial diets aim to keep us in a confused state and distract us from
the truth. This is just one of the many barriers that people face when trying to lose
weight.
So how are we expected to deal with all this dietary misinformation? Here is a suggestion.
Ignore the hype, find a safe and healthy diet that makes good common sense, and stay with
the plan for life.
While
this might not seem like any great revelation, it’s amazing how many dieters beat
their heads against the wall struggling to lose weight, hoping that “this time”
the results will be different. My friend, if this describes your experience with dieting,
you are following the wrong plan and need to consider a different approach.
Think back for a moment about how many times you have heard that to lose weight you must
be “disciplined” in your approach. Or to put it another way, to lose weight you
must be willing to just give up eating your favorite foods (like ice cream) and dining at
your favorite places (yes, those fast foods are definitely out of the question). If this
ill-advice actually worked, The U.S. National Center for Health Statistics would no longer
rank obesity as one of their leading health problems!!
It’s not that Atkins, Weight Watchers, South Beach or any other
weight loss plan can’t help us to lose weight. Ask almost anybody, and they will tell
you it’s a snap to lose a few pounds. And, in fact, it is! We have no problem at all
losing weight on virtually any diet. The problem surfaces its ugly head when we step on
the scale six months down the road. Our high hopes and aspirations for losing weight get
crushed when we realize that our weight, like the prodigal son of Biblical report, has
found its way back home.
Take a moment to consider this fact: According to a nationwide survey
(Gardenburger Inc.) it is estimated that more than three-quarters of all women between the
ages of 25 and 54 make a decision to lose weight each year. In this same survey, nine out
of ten respondents reported disappointing long-term results (some respondents actually
gained weight instead).
You see, losing weight is easy! Anyone on basically any diet can lose
weight. The difficult and tricky part is in keeping the pounds from creeping back-on over
time.
We’ve been misled with just about every possible explanation and
cause for gaining weight, ad-infinitum. If it’s not our lack of commitment, then
it’s our low self esteem, failing to plan, or for some other reason. You name it, and
there’s an explanation out there! But, the truth be known, when it comes to getting
and staying slim, most of these “explanations” don’t make much sense.
What really, really matters in the long run is whether our
everyday eating habits and energy intake are in-balance with our everyday energy
expenditure.
The reason 95% of commercial diets eventually fail is because
they violate this simple principle. They are designed for the “quick fix,” not
for normal everyday eating that can last a lifetime. Most commercial diets require
additional time and effort to start and follow, and worse, attempt to deprive us of our
favorite foods and stop us from eating at our favorite restaurants.
With our busy schedules and increasing demands both at home and work,
trying to find even an extra 10 minutes a day can be a challenge. Spending hours, or even
days trying to adjust to a new diet plan is not only unrealistic, but is a total waste of
precious time!
We all love the novelty and intrigue of trying something different and
starting the next new “fad” diet plan is no exception. But unfortunately, the
outcome for most of these plans is unsatisfactory. Once the novelty and excitement wear
off we’re usually right back to where we started.
Attempts to force-fit changes in our diet generally follow a pattern
that goes something like this…
- We start a new diet program. Excitement runs high, we are motivated
to the max, the pounds are dropping like crazy, and the World is a wonderful place.
- Our busy schedule gets even busier. There are kids to take care of,
bosses to satisfy, and of course there are always those new diet guidelines to learn and
follow.
- At some point we find ourselves smack-dab in the middle of a time
management crisis, and looking for ways to save time.
- We decide to skip a few of the time consuming “special”
diet meals and recipes “just this once”.
- Our “stash” of diet foods starts getting depleted,
there’s no time for a full-blown grocery shopping experience, and we make the
inevitable run to our local convenience store instead (ops……how did those snacks
get into the grocery cart anyhow?).
…and so goes the story. We soon find that the restrictions,
regulations and requirements of our new diet are incompatible with our normal eating
habits. Before we even realize what’s happening we’re back to our old unhealthy,
but more convenient way of eating. And the pile of dieting books and other special dieting
paraphernalia we spend our hard earned money buying continues to grow.
The moral of the story is this; beware of diets that come loaded
with all sorts of gimmicky and strange requirements and attempt to change our normal
eating behavior. They are doomed to failure right from the start.
Find a diet that is practical, nutritious and in-balance with
your everyday energy requirements. Do this, and you are guaranteed success!
