DIET is a Four Letter Word!

Does this make my ass look big?

Welcome back!  I was completely stunned after I published my first post…over 450 views in only two days. Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to read it.  More importantly, if you have not received your bribe money by the end of the week please let me know :).  I have also created a new page which will have recipes.   Today’s recipe is one of my favorite soups (sausage tortellini soup) which can be made gluten-free and healthy.  I hope to publish one recipe a week so be sure to look for it.  Please let me know how you like them.

I decided my second blog would be about the word “diet”.  The reason for this is because I was shopping at Sam’s Club the other day and I saw a woman giving out samples of a new weight loss powder.  The powder is sprinkled on food and when ingested it is supposed to decrease one’s appetite.  Funny thing, she was putting the powder on a large chocolate chip cookie.

I do weight loss counseling as part of my profession.  I am sure you are wondering what my thoughts are about the word “diet”.  To be honest, I have a love-hate relationship with that word.  Let me explain.  As a noun, I love the definition–the foods and drinks we consume–so simple.  However, when I think of the word “diet” as a verb, I become stressed and anxious.  The reason is because most people believe that once they lose their weight they are done.  If that were the case, our country would not have such an obesity problem.  In reality, about 80% regain their weight after time. Why you wonder?  It is because the “diet” may have been successful, but nothing else changed such as eating habits or exercise.   Eventually people go back to their old habits and the vicious cycle continues…diet, lose weight, gain weight, diet.  While recent studies have shown that yo-yo dieting  does not decrease your future ability to lose weight or make dieting more difficult; studies continue to show that being overweight increases your risk for cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular disease , and sleep apnea to name a few.

From my picture above you are probably thinking that I have big ears; however, you are looking at the donkey.  While it would not be the first time I have been called an ass,  usually it is more like “you are a smart ass” :).  While my weight is good now, it was not always.  I did have to change my thinking,  lifestyle and eating habits.  Does that mean I only eat healthy foods and  never eat chocolate…HECK NO, I eat chocolate.  No one should ever deprive themselves of things they enjoy…just do not eat the entire package.   The minute you start depriving yourself is the minute you will obsess about it.

Food is an addiction to some people—no different than being addicted to cigarettes except that you can live without smoking (probably longer) but you cannot live without nourishment.   I am not saying that it is easy to quit smoking, but quitting food is a whole different eating disorder.  Genetics can also play a role. Some people can eat what they want,  never exercise and not gain a pound while other people just look at food and gain weight.  This is called the  “life is not fair”  phenomenon.  Now if you are one that never gains weight then congratulations. The only advice I can give you is to never ever tell anyone about this unless you do not want any friends.

There are many ways to accomplish weight loss whether you try it on your own or join a weight loss program.  Joining a weight loss program such as those offered in doctors’ offices or in the community can be very helpful and can give you very good results.  The reasons why these programs work is because there is accountability, structure, and eating less calories.   Many programs offer counseling and behavior modification techniques.  Even with all this, losing weight can be the easy part—keeping the weight off is what is difficult.  Let me give you some pointers to help you succeed:

• You have to be ready to lose weight because it does not happen without work.
• Never skip meals, especially breakfast–this sets your metabolism.  If you skip breakfast your brain thinks you are in starvation mode, slows down your metabolism and stores these calories for later use.
• Drink plenty of water.  When we are slightly dehydrated, our brain does not know the difference between thirst and hunger.  Many times when we think we are hungry we are actually thirsty.  Drink a glass of water and wait 15 minutes, you will be surprised how often this works.
• Exercise if you can.  While it is recommended to exercise at least 3 times a week for 30 minutes…if you do not exercise now anything is better than nothing.
• Limit soda to no more than 2 cans daily.  Many who are overweight consume an exorbitant amount of diet soda thinking they being good.  The truth is all that carbonation expands the stomach making people hungrier and the artificial sugar substitutes may promote weight gain.
• Read your labels—you will be surprised how many calories, sugar, and salt are in each serving.
• You cannot gain weight eating fresh fruits and vegetables–it is what you put on these foods that is fattening.

I hope you have found this interesting and informative.  If you have any questions, please let me know.  Until next time, be good and if you cannot be good be careful.

It is getting cooler out which means soup time!  Here is a favorite recipe of my family.  Since I have become gluten-free, I cook the tortellini separately.  You can make this healthier too.  You can use lean italian turkey sausage and omit the Parmesan cheese.