An Easier Way to Diet

​Let’s face it, sometimes dieting sucks. We have to eat things we don’t like, and don’t get to eat the things that we want. We count calories. The cravings drive us crazy. But we persevere, at least at first…and then after a short while (maybe a few months) the diet starts to peter out. We don’t want to be restricted every day. It’s too hard to think about following the diet, and we don’t have enough time to plan our meals appropriately. We are tired of the food. And we start to give into the cravings. We start the slippery slope of cheating. Pretty soon, we are back to square one and looking for the next diet that we can try.

But what if I told you it didn’t have to be this way? That you could lose weight and feel better with just a little effort?

 I think we sometimes focus too much on weight loss only, when just eating right will not only yield weight loss results, but will also help us feel so much healthier. We can have more energy. We can get rid of digestive issues. We won’t feel so stressed out. We can lower our cholesterol and stabilize our blood sugars. We can say goodbye to chronic headaches and other aches and pains. We won’t get sick as often - or at all.  AND… we’ll lose weight.

​So what’s the secret?

A balanced and nutritious diet of whole foods.

Okay, so you read that and think “Uh, that is  vague and tells me nothing. What the heck does this mean?” So here it is broken down:

• Balanced – eat regular meals of good and fresh proteins, fats, and carbohydrates… all three, every day, at every meal if you can
• Nutritious – eat good and fresh proteins, fats, and carbohydrates high in essential nutrients like amino acids, vitamins, and minerals- organic if you can afford it
• Whole foods – good and fresh proteins, fats, and carbohydrates (seeing the trend here?). Except for things like grains and beans, if it comes in a package, it probably isn’t considered a whole food. Mac & Cheese, canned chili and soups, and ready-made pasta sauce may have started with whole foods (and additives that aren’t whole foods too), but by the time you buy and eat them, they don’t fit this category anymore.

That’s really it. It’s pretty easy.

“But it isn’t that easy”, you say… “eating like this is complicated, and difficult, and impossible. I don’t know what to cook. I’m not a meal planner. I work long hours, I have kids at home, and I don’t have the time nor the inclination to cook all of my meals.”

I get it – it can seem daunting at first. But trust me when I say that when you work out the rhythm and structure of eating well, you’ll find that it wasn’t that difficult after all – and you will feel so much better. Your wellbeing (and the health of your family) is worth it.  Plus, it is a more cost effective way of eating. And you don’t have to be super strict with yourself – the aim is to eat this way at least 80% of the time.

Whether you are making your own meals or eating out, a critical first step is to think and plan before you eat:  Am I eating meals a few times a day? Do I have a protein, a fat, and a carbohydrate on my plate? Are all the ingredients known and nutritious?  Are they fresh – were they freshly made? You probably can’t say “yes” to these questions for any meal that you get from a fast food restaurant, for meals at many other types of restaurants, or for packaged and processed foods.  But even if you are eating out, picking restaurant and meal options where most of the answers are “yes” can go a long way.

With this type of dietary approach, you don’t have to calorie count – just watch portions. You don’t have to eat foods that don’t taste good to you (unless you just hate vegetables, in which case I’m sorry, but you’ll need to eat at least some of them). You don’t have to do any weird diet dance of vinegar, maple syrup, and lemon juice as a meal to drop weight.  You just need to think before you eat and answer “yes” to the questions above– and you will not only feel physically and mentally better, but you will likely lose weight because the body can shed unnecessary weight when it is balanced and fortified adequately.  Many cravings for salty, sweet, or fat-laden foods are signs of imbalance, and will diminish or disappear on their own when the body is getting the proper nutrients that it needs from protein, fats, and carbohydrates.

Now for some people, it can be a little more complicated because they may need to eliminate certain foods that cause them distress when eaten – for instance, people who have true food allergies, are gluten-sensitive or intolerant, are diabetic (or close to becoming so), or have a great deal of inflammation in the body may need to limit or avoid certain foods that cause physical and mental reactions to them. But the premise is the same – they should eat balanced and nutritious whole foods too, just without the “offenders”.

You can feel better, look great, lose weight, and keep the weight off by eating right.  Why not give it a try? Here are some ways to start:

• Eat breakfast – the vast majority of people do not do this. The saying that it is “the most important meal of the day” is no joke – eating breakfast helps fire up your metabolism, balance blood sugars for the day, and helps minimize cravings for caffeine or sweets before lunch (and sometimes throughout the day).  Breakfast needs to have a protein in it to achieve these results though. Even a protein breakfast smoothie that you make yourself works.
• Eat at home as much as possible. We don’t always know what goes into yummy restaurant dishes like Jambalaya, pizza, chow mein, enchiladas, or even burgers and fries. The food you are eating at a restaurant may not always be fresh, and there may be hidden and unnecessary additives like sugar, MSG, food colorings, or rancid oils. Cooking with whole foods at home allows you to know exactly what you are eating, and to eliminate all of these unnecessary additives.
• Cook for a few days at a time, and freeze what you can’t eat in a couple of days. Food is most nutritious when it is fresh, so eat prepared foods within 2-3 days of making them. Defrost frozen food items at night so that you can take them to lunch or have them for dinner the next day.
• Make and take your lunch with you – this doesn’t have to be difficult and is way better for you than getting lunch at Taco Bell or Burger King. It takes a little planning and about 5 minutes in the morning to do it. A chicken breast and salad, a thermos of homemade beef and vegetable soup, rice and beans, or leftovers from the night before are all great options.  Even organic nut butter with some crackers or whole grain bread would do in a pinch.
• If you eat out, opt for a simple dish with a protein and vegetables. Ask your server for some olive oil to drizzle over the vegetables. Or visit restaurants that offer organic, healthy meals.
• Drink plenty of water. Everyone knows that they need to drink lots of water – we just don’t always do it. Dehydration can cause physical issues such as headaches, constipation, dry skin, and low blood pressure.  Over time, it can adversely affect organs too.  Put a water pitcher somewhere where you will see it and pour from it - use it as 1) a visual cue to drink water and 2) a way to measure how much you are drinking each day.

If you need the structure and discipline that a formal diet plan offers, look for those that are based upon whole foods and a balanced approach to eating.  Shy away from diets that restrict fat intake (more on this at another time), require you to eat only their food, rely only upon calorie counting, or use meal replacement shakes for your only food during those meals. These types of diets may not be balanced and nutritious.

Stay tuned for an upcoming blog post titled “Eating Right=Feeling Great AND Losing Weight” which is about one of these structured types of diets called the AdvoCare Program, whose balanced approach includes nutritious, whole foods. The article is an interview with my massage therapist who has had some recent success with the program. 

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