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"Diet" is a four letter word--L I F E
Lose ten pounds in ten days! Burn fat while you sleep!
Are you tempted by advertisements that promise fast, easy weight loss? It is estimated that nearly 50 percent of all American women, 25 percent of men, and 40 percent of high school students will diet sometime during each year to lose weight, thus making the "diet" industry a multi-billion dollar business. They offer "quick-fixes" for big bucks. Most people can lose weight on any kind of diet but usually do not keep it off and could develop potentially serious health problems in the process.
Working in a childcare setting can mean long days on your feet and eating meals prepared for active young children. In childcare, it is recommended that staff model healthy eating, and eat the same foods as the children eat which may not coincide with your weight loss method.
Watch out for unsafe diets
Here are some criteria to consider before selecting a specific diet or weight-loss product.
- Before you purchase a diet book or pill, or join a program, ask yourself, "Who is making money on this diet?" Are they nutrition experts? If not, chances are the only thing you will be losing is your money.
- If someone claims to have lost weight using a specific diet or product, ask them how long have they been using the product and how long they have kept the weight off.
- Ask about the research. Is it just from testimonies or is it through a well-known hospital or university? Is the person promoting the diet respected in the field of nutrition?
- A weight-loss diet should provide all the nutrition your body needs. You should not be tired or weak, or hungry between meals. If you become hungry, ask yourself whether you are physically or psychologically hungry.
- Your diet should be well-balanced nutritionally. Avoid diets that eliminate one or more basic food groups (meat/protein, dairy, vegetable, fruit, grains and cereals). Diets heavy in protein and fat, or those that eliminate carbohydrates (grains, cereals, starches) are not balanced.
- "Eat all you want and still lose weight." NO! Calories do count, no matter what the food is. There are 3,500 calories in a pound of body fat. If you want to lose a pound a week, you have to cut back 500 calories a day. Omitting fried foods or sweetened beverages may be enough to lose the weight.
- Eat at least 1,200 calories each day. Lower calorie diets may not be healthy and should be medically supervised.
- Are you willing to drink those liquid diet drinks from now on? Liquids may be okay as an occasional meal replacement, but it is better to learn to eat balanced meals.
Use common sense in choosing a diet or new way to eat. If you have a lot of weight to lose, remember that excess pounds did not appear overnight and will not disappear like magic. Once you have reached your desired weight, it is easy to forget the goal and slip back into the old ways of eating. Whatever "diet" you choose to follow, it should be one that promotes good health and nutrition, and something that you can follow for life!
By Pam David, RD, Nutrition Consultants, Inc.
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