This just in: Diets don’t work. At least not diets in the way many people traditionally think of them: Counting calories and fat grams and carefully planning each meal to add up to certain totals.
Of course, this won’t come as news to the estimated 50 percent of Americans (or more by some accounts) who are overweight. Year after year, losing pounds and keeping them off top the list of New Year’s resolutions.
What’s replacing diets are strategies for eating and living that emphasize broad principles. For instance, two sentences into “The Smart Diet,” the new cookbook from Better Homes and Gardens, the editors acknowledge that what they’re really pushing is the “non-diet approach.” That means tuning in to the body’s natural hunger and fullness signals, enjoying a wide variety of well-prepared foods (which satisfy with smaller portions) and regular exercise.
And USA Today recently featured a cover story on CRE, or “chronic restrained eating,” which translates into routinely eating less than you want rather than following a specific diet.
People who’ve lost weight–or helped others do so–say much the same thing.
“Basically the key element is behavior changes,” said Helen Ramsey, a clinical dietitian in Wichita, Kan. “You’ve got to change the things that make you overeat or eat when you’re not hungry.”
Fortunately, the changes aren’t complicated. In fact, they may simplify your life and even save you money.
– Avoid fast food. This is the first piece of advice that Linda Myers, a personal trainer at Genesis Health Clubs in Wichita, gives to clients. “That’s where most people have their problem, stopping for a burger and fries.” If you have no other option, look for something healthy on the menu.
– When cooking yourself, substitute lower-fat ingredients whenever possible: ground turkey for beef, reduced-fat cheese for the regular kind, etc. Or simply use less than what the recipe calls for.
– Use equipment and techniques that reduce fat intake. A non-stick skillet is essential, since it will cut down or eliminate the amount of fat you need to prepare many foods. (And cleanup is easier too.) When Myers browns hamburger for use in spaghetti sauce, she rinses the cooked meat under running water to remove fat that regular draining would miss.
– Fill up on fruits and vegetables. Following the government’s recommendation to eat at least five servings of these a day not only ensures that you’ll get the necessary vitamins and other nutrients, it also leaves less room for less healthful foods. Myers fills out meals for her own family with a salad featuring low-fat dressing nearly every night.
– To flavor food, use herbs, spices, flavored vinegars and vegetable-based sauces instead of butter, cream and cheese. Seasonings are virtually calorie-free, said Mark Baldwin, one of Myers’ clients. “You can spice it up any way you want.”
– For lunch, try a low-calorie frozen meal. The key is that these prepackaged meals are portion-controlled.
According to a recent issue of Men’s Health, researchers at Oregon Health Sciences University discovered that men who ate low-fat frozen-food entrees were much more likely to lose weight than men who prepared their own meals. (Lean Cuisine Cafe Classics Shrimp and Angel Hair Pasta and Healthy Choice Beef Tips Portobello were two that won raves from the magazine.)
– Try eating five small meals a day–three light meals and two snacks–instead of three larger ones. Above all, avoid that “starving” feeling.
– Make sure one of the meals you eat is breakfast: You’ll be less likely to overindulge later.
– Avoid late-night eating binges. Food that the body can’t work off tends to get stored as fat.
– Stock your refrigerator with natural convenience foods such as apples, carrots, etc.
– When you’re craving something crunchy, try fresh broccoli or another vegetable with a low-fat dip rather than potato chips.
– Finally, Myers said, give your new approach a fair chance to work. “Try to stick with it longer than a week.”
