Diet Overload
by Emma Ware
Diet Overload. Wherever we look today there are programs saturating social media, internet, television, and magazines with diet options like Keto, Vegan, Paleo, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, South Beach, Vegetarian, Atkins, and Nutri-system just to name a few.
Each one touts their systems and presents testimonials from people who used their programs, resulting in amazing weight loss with pictures to prove their success.
With such saturation from so many different programs, what does one pick? In addition to those who desire to look thinner, for many, real health reasons like diabetes or high blood pressure makes loosing weight essential to improve their health conditions.
Selecting the right diet is a real problem for many people today who are trying to sort out the differences between each plan, and identify which one is best for their situation.
Let me start the conversation by discussing the ingredients in these diets that have me most concerned.
If you have been following me for awhile, you know about my adversity to artificial sweeteners, flavorings, colors, additives and preservatives. Eating healthy requires making choices to avoid foods with the above ingredients.
Unfortunately, just about every program includes some type of smoothie or shake as a meal replacement that contains artificial sweeteners, food colorings, flavors, and preservatives— in other words, fake food to encourage you to drink a drink rather than eat real wholesome foods.
This is just one of the reasons people gain back the pounds lost after the program ends— your body needs real food— not shakes or smoothies.
Weight loss requires cooking— real cooking at home with real food and knowledge of which foods will benefit the body and balance the digestive system.
We should be cooking 60% of our meals at home. Don’t shock your body by replacing healthy foods with convenient drinks and ready-made packaged foods that are void of nutrients. Thats not what people want to hear, but it’s reality.
Every diet method is a temporary fix which works for a while, but the end result is gaining back the weight lost when you go back to the eating habits formed before starting any program.
Statics reported by several studies from WebMD, American Psychological Association, and Slate and Science Daily, confirm that 95-97% of dieters regain the weight lost, and even more within the first 3 to 4 months to a year after they end the program.
Real weight loss requires changing your thinking and changing your habits— educating yourself about food choices and really committing to a lifestyle change.
Every weight loss program has the same attraction: someone does the work for you. Meals are prepared and shipped to you ready to eat. Just microwave it and you are done. One commercial actually says, “It’s easy, you just eat the food and lose the weight.”
Other programs offer apps that tell you in points what you can eat to lose weight. Eating under a certain amount guarantees success, but what that program doesn’t tell you is how much real food is needed to maintain a healthy body.
Shakes and protein bars offer quick hunger fixes but the real issue is what happens after you reach your goal. What happens when your body breaks down because it has been deprived of nutrients? This is the real issue with all weight loss programs; it’s the convenience without the work, but as mentioned previously, it’s only a temporary fix.
My research uncovered that most of the prepared meals contain artificial ingredients your body can’t identify. Additionally, imbalances are created from removing foods with necessary vitamins and nutrients from the programs focused on high protein and no carbs, or very little protein, all of which creates confusion our bodies cannot identify easily.
If a healthy body, more energy, and less stress is your goal, choose to make the leap by changing your thinking. Take time to learn how to eat real food and loose weight permanently. I know our lives are busy but ask yourself if you are worth the time and effort to make the change. My guess is the answer is yes.
I’m here to encourage and support you as you step up to the challenge.
Please check with your doctor when deciding to make any health changes and know you can always stop by the office at 2798-D Howard Avenue in Market Common. You can call me at 843 997-7037 or email me at emmawarenutrition@yahoo.com.
As always,
Emma
