KNOW…you missed me! Back from the cold… it’s SNOW WHITE and the 7 things you “DON’T” want to do…followed by their 7 counter “DO” want to dos. You may be making a New Year’s Resolution to diet in 2010. Let me stop you there. If you are planning on losing weight in 2010, save your money and time, and instead, resolve NOT to diet. Diet is truly a “four letter word”.BASTA! ( that means STOP! FINISH! ONLY! in Italian) Dieting doesn’t work. After a dieter stops dieting, they most likely put back on some, if not all of the weight. Many folks gain more weight after dieting, since dieting slows the metabolism and puts the body in a “starvation mode” which causes the body to put on extra fat! In 2010, I’d like you to resolve not to diet. Here’s why they don’t work and what are better solutions for 2010:
- Malnutrition: Contrary to popular belief, most diets are not healthy and may actually border on malnutrition. Many urge us to do extreme things, forgo our favorite foods or cut major food groups in order to lose weight. Healthy eating requires ALL nutrients (carbs, fats and protein) and a minimum number of calories in order to maintain health and proper body function. FOR 2010: Eat foods that are nutrient rich and provide balance to keep you feeling satisfied.
- It is Unsustainable: Depriving your body shocks your body into losing weight, but once it gets over that shock, it adapts. How? By slowing down your metabolism and going into unhealthy physical states, such as starvation. Even if you have the mental willpower to diet forever, your body doesn’t. FOR 2010: Eat healthy as a lifestyle, not as dieting. This will help you to lose excess pounds and maintain a healthy weight for a lifetime…not just for bikini season.
- The Pendulum Factor: When you deprive yourself to an extreme, you end up craving to an extreme. The pendulum swings from “being extremely good” to “being extremely bad” to compensate. You may have heard this called “yo-yo dieting.” FOR 2010: Indulge in moderation. Enjoying the foods you love and the treats you crave once in awhile will help you to crave foods less overall.
- Life Happens: Diets often require us to change our eating habits in such a way, that normal life gets in the way. Eating out, going over to friend’s houses for dinner, special occasions all become “problems.” These things, however, are the very things that make life worth living! Further, most of us are busy and may not always have the time to shop, cook and calorie-count the way many diets require. FOR 2010: Fit healthy eating into every day life so that you can enjoy life AND be healthy.
- Energy Loss and Metabolism: Dramatically reducing your calorie intake can result in reduced energy levels and fatigue. Instead, it is important to understand which foods provide you with quality nutrition. FOR 2010: Eat small meals often which will stimulate weight loss, keep you satisfied and make you feel energetic.
- Quantitative versus Qualitative: Dieting doesn’t really teach you how to eat for the long term. You may be counting calories while eating foods that actually make you hungrier or cause you to crave more. It is a proven fact that diet sodas make you hungrier and cause you to overeat! FOR 2010: Learn what foods are the most satisfying and most nutritious. The more nutritious the food you eat, the less hungry you will be.
- One Dimensional: In order to truly lose weight, you have to eat well AND be active. I’m not saying you have to run a marathon, but as we get older, our metabolisms NATURALLY slow down. The more active you are, the more calories you burn and the higher your metabolism will stay. FOR 2010: Be active. Even if it means taking stairs instead of the elevator, walking at lunch hour, walking to work instead of taking the train…just move.
Get real in 2010! Change your life by changing your mentality towards health, nutrition and wellness. Stop dieting, start eating nutritionally and start seeing the results that you want…for the long term! WHEN YOU ARE HEALTHY…THE WORLD IS A BETTER PLACE! HAPPIEST OF NEW YEARS TO YOU ALL!
EAT RAW
