A diet plan that works

Woodbury Bulletin - 03/04/2009

In the United States, being overweight is a big health problem.

Part of the problem is caused by the "Standard American Diet" (SAD) that is disproportionately low in fruits and vegetables and high in saturated fats and refined sugars and carbohydrates.

As the result of our SAD diet and sedentary lifestyle, more and more are struggling with obesity and other chronic health conditions, such as diabetes, strokes and heart disease.

To lose weight, people try many different kinds of diets: low carbohydrate diets, low fat diets, high protein diet, low protein diet, South Beach Diet, Atkins Diet ... The list of diets can go on and on.

Personally, I doubt the effectiveness of most of these diets. Each diet might work for some people, but not for everyone.

I believe the diet plan that really works universally for everyone is this seven-word plan: "Eat Less, Exercise More and Live Healthy!"

Here are a few practical tips to help you lose weight if you are struggling with the problem.

Sometimes, in order to solve a problem, we not only have to look at that problem, but we also need to step back and look at the whole picture in order to get to the root cause of the
problem.

The same is true with weight loss. Look for the root cause of your weight problem. Dealing with the underlying issues of using food to treat boredom, stress, anxiety, depression or loneliness might be the first step to effective weight loss.

If you are experiencing problems in your life, whether it is financially, emotionally or relationally, work on those problems.

Weight problems are often the symptoms of other problems you have in life.

Once you get your life straight and organized, your weight problem might take care of itself without much effort.

If you just focus on the symptoms of weight without addressing the underlying issues, then no matter how hard you try the different diets, they will not be effective.

In terms of diet, we need to move away from the SAD diet and move to a more healthful, balanced and natural diet - a plant-based diet.

This is what I mean:

Stay away from fast food, fried food, processed food and convenience food. Avoid food where you can't pronounce the ingredients.

Stop drinking soda and any sweetened bottle drinks.

Reduce the intake of three white things - white flour, salt and sugar.

Keep your food as whole and natural as possible by eating more raw fruits, veggies and nuts.

Eat more fresh vegetables and fruit instead of cooked or canned vegetables and fruits or drinking fruit juice.

Make rainbow, i.e. colorful, food part of your regular diet.

Eat a wide variety of colorful fruits and vegetables gives your body the range of valuable nutrients it needs to maintain health. And the deeper the color, the better.

To get more variety and color in your diet, try red (beets, tomatoes, watermelon),orange/yellow (carrots, sweet potatoes, lemons, oranges, grapefruits), green (spinach, broccoli), blue/purple (blueberries, grapes, raisins, and eggplant), and white (garlic,onions, bananas, potatoes).

No unhealthy snacks between meals. Snack on vegetables, fruits or nuts if you must.

Eat out less. Learn to cook from scratch to better control what you eat and how much you eat.

Start your day with a glass of water and drink plenty of water all day.

People often eat while doing other things at the same time, such as driving, watching TV and working on computer. Instead of multitasking, we should be mindful while eating.

Try to enjoy your food, eat it slowly and consciously. You will only eat as much as you need to be full.

Don't eat after dinner and before going to bed.

Brush your teeth early in the evening rather than just before bed. It keeps you from snacking if you're not really hungry.

Go to bed early and get up early. If you stay up late, you might overeat.

In essence, weight loss is about the balance between calories taken in and calories burned. Eat only when you are hungry. Try not to overeat like we often do at parties and buffets.

If you have to indulge yourself sometimes, then remember to keep everything in moderation.

Besides eating healthy and eating less, you need to exercise as well.

Walk and bike as much as you can. Use the stairs instead of the elevator whenever you can.

Join a weight-loss group for support and have an exercise buddy for motivation and accountability.

Never give up, even after you have failed a few times. When you fail, start over and keep going.

Just remember, Eat Less, Exercise More and Live Healthy!

Your reward will be a healthy and better you.