As you probably know there are about a kajillion diet plans out there...it can get confusing...so I would suggest to start with doing some research (and meanwhile keep a food journal of everything you put in your mouth and I do mean EVERYTHING - this will help you become more aware of your eating - so many of us just pop food in our mouths without thinking and then five minutes later, forget all about it!).
So many of us have lost and gained and lost and gained the same weight over and over again. Do you really want to do that? I didn't think so! What you need to concentrate on are what I call PERMANENT LIFESTYLE CHANGES. Instead of making a big change that you can't possibly maintain for very long (like saying "I will never eat chocolate again!" or go on an all-grapefruit diet) make changes you can STICK TO and commit to them in writing - make a promise to yourself and honor that promise.
If you tell yourself "I am going to only eat eggs and grapefruit" or you go without eating for a few days, or drastically lower your calories below your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) not only are you setting yourself up for a big binge, but you are also putting your bod into "starvation mode" - as a result your body will hold onto the fat with all its might and start burning lean tissue and muscle - and ya wanna keep that muscle (in fact, exercise including weight training is essential IMO).
There is a great deal of info out on the Internet, in fact Suzanne has compiled (and continues to collect) lots of info at the home page here www.3fatchicks.com. Another website I would love to recommend is Krista Scott Dixon's site at http://www.stumptuous.com/weights.html
She has a WONDERFUL article posted there titled "Dieting 101" - it starts like this: (check the website for the entire article - I'm giving you PEARLS here )
Quote:
Lowcarb diets, no-carb diets, low-fat diets, Atkins, Protein Power, cabbage soup diets, grapefruit diets, Paleolithic diets... can't a girl just get some plain old eating any more?
Somewhere along the way, someone decided that it would be really swell to package a few basic ideas about eating, give it a snappy name like Starch Madness (say that with me, and really scream it: STARCH MADNESS!!!! AAAAAUUUGGHHH!!), slap a book together, and buy into the angst of wobbly-bottomed folks. Then that someone figured it would also be good to do the TV talk show circuit and do interviews while looking sleek, sparse, and shiny, mocking us as we sit on our comfy couch, falling asleep with one of our greasy paws still in the bucket of chicken.
I mean, let's be honest, the world of dieting is fraught with half-truths and guilt, not unlike a cult. You just buy one recipe book, and before you know it, you've been indoctrinated into the Way Of The Broccoli, or the Clan Of The Calorie Combuster, and two weeks later, you're face down in some Haagen-Dazs. Every chocolate chip in that ice cream is like another signpost of your failure. Failure to comprehend, to really stick to it, to know enough, to be good enough, to eat that perfect combination of fruit and spiderwebs which will send the fat leaping suicidally from your bootay, and blah blah blah. Next month you get suckered in again.
So, since I feel that the only person suckering you should be me, I henceforth present Dieting 101.
part 1: spotting the scams
The diet industry is just that: an industry. So they're going to try to pry your hard-earned cash out of your little fingers any way they can. They will play on your ignorance, fear, and guilt. But sisters, I have the mongoose to that diet industry snake. Here's how to sniff out the diet cowpies. Mmmm... pie...
1. Beware of anything with a brand name. That goes for workout plans too. There is nothing new under the sun, at least when it comes to eating, so when you see a diet with a brand name, be suspicious.
2. Beware of any diet plan that tells you you need to buy supplements. Besides a good multivitamin, you don't need to supplement. Real food is the best supplement you can buy. Now, you may want to buy some protein powder for pure convenience, but it's not anything special. It's just a portable, cheap, easy source of protein that you can throw in your gym bag.
3. Beware of any diet plan that tells you you must drastically restrict any nutrient. There is one exception to that, which is ketogenic dieting, but that's a special case and I'll explain it in a bit. Even keto dieting isn't for everyone.
4. Look at the overall calorie count of the diet plan. Most diet plans work short-term, at least for getting rid of a few pounds of water weight, but only because they're a drastic caloric reduction. Once your body wises up, you're in for a nice metabolic slowdown. More on calorie counting below.
5. Empower yourself to choose your own foods. Don't rely on a diet industry to prepackage your food for you. Learn what you're eating, and why.
6. Read labels. Often diet products are loaded with junk like chemicals and sugar.
7. For gawdsake who cares what celebrities are eating/not eating??? Unless you're prepared to shell out for liposuction, your own chef, and a few lines of coke, don't bother trying to follow what Starlet-Of-The-Month is doing.
8. Beware diet plans that claim to knock ten pounds off you in a week. A half-pound to two pounds of fat loss per week is the most you should aim for. Ten pounds in a week is going to be water, muscle, and maybe an ounce of fat. And it's not gone for good. It's just on vacation. It's going to arrive with some more luggage two weeks later.
9. Beware diet plans which use drugs or "herbs" as the main selling point. See the crap list for more on this.
10. Beware diet plans with a one-size-fits-all mentality. Sure, some things work better than others, but everyone is different. Consider your activity level (of course you are engaging in weight training, right dahling?), age, present bodyfat levels, etc.
11. Demand to see the research. Don't be fooled by scientific-sounding jargon. A lot of diet products and programs use pseudoscientific gimmicks to sound like they know what they're doing. Look at the studies they cite, if they do cite any. Look them up on Medline. That may sound intimidating, but it's worth your while to gain a basic understanding of how your body works, and how it processes nutrients. You may also find that the "studies" they cite don't even exist.
Good rules to remember - I think most of us here have been 'suckered in' by infomercials and claims of huge weight loss...
Now I see you live outside the US - but I'd love to recommend a book to start out with: "Fat of the Land" by Michael Fumento. It's not a 'diet book' but it WILL give you some valuable information to start out with so it's worth searching for IMO!
Welcome! As Mrs. Jim said there are a zillion plans... personally I have found the best one is just eat healthful foods and exercise (although I do also take a supplement) -- but as Mrs. Jim said, it is very important to avoid harmful substances which promise "miracles" such as products containing ephedra, ma huang, etc. Also, extremely low calorie plans are harmful and cause your body to start shutting down.
I love #5 above... pick something that lets you choose for yourself what to eat! Most of the prepackaged stuff has lots of added salts, chemicals and who knows what. There have been zillions of dollars spent in research and what they have really come up with is "Your mother was right... eat your vegetables." Or the plans tell you "no no no" a lot... can't have certai things. For some people that works so perhaps it will for you; but it is something to think about. I think that tends to make most people "rebel" -- i.e. if we CAN'T have something, we WANT it! At least it does me. I prefer to think positively... "yes yes I can do this" as opposed to "no no don't do that."
One thing that has helped me is... don't be afraid to try new things! Go to stores where they have bulk produce and spices where you can buy in small amounts. I just recently tried a "new" vegetable... broccolini... and love it! Also bought tiny bags of all kinds of different spices from the bulk bins, to "experiment."
Hang in there... oh and let me encourage you to also join in the threads here that are exercise challenges! They keep you motivated and there is the accountability of telling whether or not you made your goal... and gives you something to work towards. Since April is coming right up, I am sure there will be a new one very soon!
Sue
Last edited by Misti in Seattle; 03-31-2003 at 08:24 AM.
I need help please
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