Another year, another diet

January 15, 2013

Another year – Another Diet – Another Exercise Regime

Ring any bells???  Call me cynical, but as a nutritionist I’m always amazed how gullible people are when it comes to the latest diet fad.  How many diet books have you got on your book shelves?  How long do you think you will manage to stay on this diet before all your old habits return along with the weight you lost?

Lots of questions, so what is the answer to losing weight?

Well, it’s not rocket science like all the diet variations will have you believe - it’s just that today we eat too many calories, usually from saturated fats and sugars and a lot of these are hidden, so you can be forgiven for being duped here!

And of course, because our lives are far less active generally, and we spend too many hours sitting on our backsides in front of a screen, both for work and entertainment, those excess calories have nowhere to go except around our stomach, thighs, hips and our internal organs.

I know – all very depressing and nothing you haven’t read about a million times before, but as nation we are fatter than ever, rates of diabetes and obesity are rising rapidly and yet the slimming and keep fit industry in all its forms, are making huge profits. Something is going wrong and in my professional view, it is the confusing messages and information in the media as well as extremely clever marketing by the processed food industry who encourage people to buy ‘slimming’ meals, low fat products, ‘healthy’ options etc. etc. – too many to mention, but we’ve all seen them in the supermarkets.  Well let me set you straight with a few home truths:

• Sugar comes in numerous forms and there are over 65 different names for it – most you would not recognize on a label so you could be forgiven for dismissing it. This is called HIDDEN SUGAR and you probably have no idea how much you are eating and in reality it is probably much more than you realize, or that you can burn off.
• Sugar that is not burnt off converts to fat and is stored in your body.
• If you remove the fat from products they lose their satisfaction and are not very pleasant, so to encourage you to still eat that product, the food manufacturers replace it with sugar, salt and a shed load of additives, so you are being duped into thinking it is a healthy option – IT’S NOT!
• Sugar and additives are addictive – the more you eat the more you want. You might want to consider that your addiction if being fed by the processed food manufactures and you’re addiction and weight gain and all the health issues which sugar causes is making them HUGE PROFITS AT YOUR PHYSICAL & HEALTH EXPENSE!
• Most ‘slimming’ foods are processed – they have been created in a laboratory and factory – they are not natural – they lack fibre and real, natural nutrients – they will not fill you up – you will feel permanently

hungry and have to eat lots of them………can you see where this is going??????

• Portion sizes have changed along with clothes sizes – if you were a size 10 at age 15 and you are now in your fifties, it is unlikely you are still a size 10 – perhaps a size 12…..don’t kid yourself – clothes manufacturers are deceiving you along with food manufacturers; plate sizes are no longer 10” – nowadays most are anything between 12” – 16” and people continue to fill them to the brim.
• A king-size chocolate bar is the same as 2 chocolate bars before the king-size came out – now people buy them as normal size and would think an original size akin to a mini-bar….you are being fooled!

So my advice is honest, simple and will yield excellent results both for your mental and physical health and also for weight loss and maintenance, and above all – not rocket science!

• Eat 3 times per day.
• Cook your own meals from fresh raw ingredients.
• Eat loads of fresh vegetables.
• Only eat 2-3 pieces of fruit per day – no more!
• Avoid processed food.
• Avoid fizzy drinks – hydrate yourself with 2L tap water daily.
• Don’t buy slimming/fat-free type products – eat the real thing but less of it.
• Reduce your portion sizes.
• Keep active – walk energetically every day - as much as you can fit in – get up 45 mins. earlier if necessary and walk before work.
• Eat your breakfast AFTER you have your walk/run/swim/skip etc. in the mornings – your body will learn to burn fat more efficiently throughout the day.
• Become a fidget – keep moving- even housework is good exercise so you can’t use the excuse of not affording to join a gym.
• Learn to skip again – a skipping rope costs about £5 – skipping for 5 mins. each day can really boost your metabolism and keep your heart healthy.
• Eat all food groups in MODERATION.
• Consider this:  The nation has never been as healthy as it was during the War – and rationing meant small portions of everything, even fat….check out the rationed diet and follow the example.