iHeart Radio Health and Wellness Expo 2016

I wanted to share one of the questions that I was asked by our commentator, Shelli Sonstein of Q104.3:

“What is one thing you would tell someone that wants to lose weight?”

Loaded question! But, the one thing I would tell anyone who wants to lose weight is DO NOT DIET. Do not follow the latest fad diet or the meal plan in your favorite magazine. Here’s why:

• Diets are temporary ways of eating that yield temporary results. They always backfire.
• Even if someone loses some weight in the beginning, they gain it back (and then some!). Dieting makes us forget what normal eating is and puts us out of touch with our innate ability to regulate food intake. Think about when you were a child. You ate when you were hungry, and stopped when you were full. Amazing, right?
• Diets make us question ourselves. Diets make us categorize food as “good” or “bad” (hint: there are no “good” or “bad” foods). Diets ultimately destroy our relationship with food.

Nearly everyone has that friend that can eat whatever they want and not gain weight. I can bet that that person has never gone on a diet. They eat what they want, when they want it, so their body feels satisfied. They don’t feel guilty after eating. They eat for fuel and move on with their lives. When we deprive ourselves because we are trying to follow a diet, it’s hard to feel satisfied. So, we are biologically hardwired to look for more food. This may cause us to binge, or eat more than we would have if we just ate what we our body craved.

The major thing that I think people don’t realize is that you don’t have to drastically cut your intake or limit your food options to lose weight. In fact, it’s not healthy to do that. The main goal is to lose weight while keeping your intake up as high as you can. For example, for someone that usually eats 2700 calories a day, it would be totally unnecessary and unhealthy to cut back to 1200 calories a day.

For anyone that wants to lose weight, I would tell them to assess where you’re at. Be honest with yourself. Keep a three day food record. Ask your self how you can modify things to cut your intake a bit (Midday fancy coffee drink? Office candy?). Choose to to change something that feels realistic. Make a new goal for yourself each week. Be patient and kind to your body. It’s the only one you’ve got!

And of course, if you’re totally unsure where to start, ask a dietitian for help. At Brown and Medina Nutrition, we offer one on one counseling in office or virtually!