Readers Ask, I Answer: What’s a good diet?

I get a lot of questions from my wonderful readers and in January, when everyone is thinking about health and nutrition, it gets really busy.  This week, I got this question:

“Melissa, I need your help.  I am going to start the first “diet” of my life.   I am dreading it, but I just can’t keep blaming the dryer for shrinking my pants any more– mostly because the dry-clean-only pants are too small too.  Any small easy suggestions to get started?”

Great question!  I don’t really diet anymore.  Thanks to a lifestyle that I’ve committed to (more on that in this post below), I maintain my happy weight very consistently.  But I certainly have been on diets in the past, so I feel like I can answer this question.
But before I do, let me just put my big giant disclaimers out here.  I am not a doctor, I am not a dietitian, and I don’t even try to pretend to play one on my blog.  I’m just a Mom (a healthy, fitness-focused Mom) who has success in achieving a goal on a diet and maintaining that goal over a long, long period of time.
Interestingly, after I planned to write about this topic, I discovered that Dr. David Katz, the primary inventor behind NuVal, also wrote an article entitled Chewing on the Best Diet  for the Huffington Post this week.  I already knew my favorite choice, but I was curious to see what he had to say too.  After all, he was just part of the 22-judge panel that chose America’s Best Diets  for US News and World Report.
So, where would I point this reader who wants to keep the pants she owns and not invest in larger sizes?  Weight Watchers  is my personal favorite for weight loss.  I have reached my goal weight several times (after I “blew up” in college, after a foot injury,  after the births of both of my children and when, like this reader, my jeans just felt too tight).  As Dr. Katz and the US News and World Report panel suggests, it’s easy, it’s aligned with healthful eating, and it provides the structural support that many people need.  I have done it the “in-person” way (by attending meetings) and the virtual way (using online tools).  For more about my life and times with Weight Watchers, you can read the “About” section of this blog.
These days, I’m no Kelly Ripa – but I’m happy with my weight.  It’s right smack dab in the middle of the range of “healthy weight” for my height.  I work full-time and have a family, so I can’t spend all day at the gym.  Given the amount of time I do have for exercise, I’m thrilled with my body’s ability to maintain my goal weight.  What do I think my secret is?  It’s not dieting.  It’s living the lifestyle that I learned at Weight Watchers and pairing it with everything that I’ve learned through NuVal.  I choose high-scoring foods whenever I can.  I stop when I am full (even if it means that I’ve only eaten a quarter of my plate at a restaurant – the rest can come home with me.)  We eat home-cooked and home-packed meals as often as possible (even while in Disney World).  I follow the rules of MyPlate.  I know what portion sizes look like (thanks to all those years of Weight Watchers) and I never forget it.  Water is my friend.  Exercise is my sanity.
What’s interesting is that since I’ve adopted my NuVal way of life I really have had even more success at maintaining.  I used to find that I would need to hop back on my Weight Watchers diet about once or twice a year as my weight would creep up over goal (sometimes after the holidays, always in March for some reason).  That doesn’t happen anymore.  It’s a steady state.
NuVal is not a weight loss plan, but we have seen some people have great weight loss results with it.  Like Sally Galvin, a mom who lost 115 pounds.  And Pastor Monte Meyer, who has now lost over 250 pounds.  And Paul Merson, a mechanic who lost 87 pounds.
So my answer to the reader with the shrinking pants is to check out Weight Watchers – and to pair it with a good look at NuVal. The two can go hand in hand.  And I think you’ll have more success in keeping the weight off if you combine the lessons you learn at Weight Watchers with the choices of high-scoring, nutrient-dense foods.
For more advice on how to pick a diet that is best for you, check out this post from the HMR diet blog.
Good Luck!

Read More

How to Choose the Best Diet Plan for

 you having a hard time choosing the best diet plan for women?  This is not surprising because adopting a diet plan takes dedication and discipline.  However, there are some practical things that you can do in order to discover the best diet program suitable for women.

Remember that men and women have different dietary needs.  When you make a research for different diet programs, make sure that you are choosing a plan or strategy specifically designed for women.  So here are some tips on how you can pick the best diet plan for women.

Try to Experiment with Different Plans

If you are still starting to diet, you may want to experiment with a plan for at least 30 days.  A month is the minimum benchmark to see if you can live with your diet plan.  Take note that you will feel lousy for the first 15 days before you can feel better.  At the end of the month, you will be able to see concrete results of your dieting.

Limit your experimentation with two to three diet programs only.  It is really not healthy to frequently change your diet each month. You can not achieve long term results if you will change your diet plan month after month.

Consider Your Lifestyle

When choosing the best diet plan for women, it is very important to consider your lifestyle.  For example, if you are working long hours and you do not have the time to sustain an exercise routine, it would be best if you can choose a diet plan that is low in fat and carbohydrates.

For those who are not fond of cooking or for busy moms and career women who have no time to cook their meals, a diet consisting of replacement meals would be suitable.  You can get your protein requirements from protein shakes.  Your carb and fats requirements can also be sourced from easy to eat fruits, raw vegetables, yogurts, and nuts.

Get Advice from a Professional

You can consult a dietitian, professional nutritionist or a diet coach to know the best diet plan suitable for your specific needs.  This is the best approach in order to make sure that you will not adopt the wrong diet.

When you consult a diet professional, your body’s dietary needs will be considered.  The dietitian can also set goals for you.  Getting the help of a professional is the best way to optimize your diet program.  You will be able to achieve greater success if you have a coach who can guide you.

Choose a Diet Plan that Will Meet Your Goals

Diet programs have different sets of goals.  You can adopt a diet specifically to lose weight.  You may also want to start a program to lower your cholesterol or to reduce carbohydrate intake.  Some diet plans are also designed to fight the ravages of aging.

So before you choose the best diet plan for women, you have to be clear about your goals.  If your plan has a purpose, you will be able to easily measure your gains to know if the diet plan is working or not.

Read More

How to Choose a Diet Plan

Now days, people have become very conscious of their looks and health. A large number of people who have excessive weight in their bodies aim to get slim and look better. It is important to lose excess body weight to get a healthier life. There are numerous kinds of diet plans available at present. If a person searches various health magazines or internet websites for a perfect diet plan then he will come across a large number of diet plans. He will surely get confused while choosing the best diet plan for himself. Following are a few tips to help people in choosing the best diet plan for them.

First, always choose such a diet plan which is reliable and does not make unrealistic promises. Most of those diet plans which make fancy promises are not so effective. You should understand that you are looking for a diet plan which offers weight loss results for a long period of time. Looking for quick fixes should not be your aim while choosing a diet plan.

Second, while choosing a diet plan, an individual should obtain as much knowledge as possible about it. You should make yourself aware about the advantages and disadvantages of any diet plan you are going to choose. If a large number of disadvantages are associated with a diet plan then you should not take it up.

Third, you should always look for a diet plan which is compatible with your lifestyle. Diet plans which are too restrictive are not always very effective. If you will choose a very strict diet plan then you will find it very difficult to follow it. Choosing a moderate kind of diet plan would help you to follow it for a long time.
  
Fourth, you should not choose a diet plan only because someone else has lost a lot of weight by following it. You should understand that every individual is different and it is not necessary that your body will respond to a diet plan in the same way as someone else’s body. Every individual is different and he should decide for himself when it comes to diet plan or anything else.

Fifth, before choosing a diet plan, a person should consult his doctor. If a doctor is not convinced from the diet plan chosen by you then you should not pick it up.

Read More