Many people prefer to have a set of rules to follow when dieting.
Others may crave the emotional support from attending counseling
sessions or meetings. Diet products, books, and services have become a
billion-dollar industry, so there are obviously many people looking for
help with weight control. Before you jump on the latest diet bandwagon, remember
that organized diet plans and programs
can only result in weight loss if you burn more calories than you
consume. No dietary supplements, exercise devices, combinations of
foods, or specific patterns of eating will change this fact.
Some examples of popular diet plans include the Atkins diet,
The South Beach Diet, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig,
Body for Life, Dr. Andrew Weil's diet plan, and the
Ornish diet.
All of these diets have their proponents, and all of them have been
successful for some people. Because eating habits and preferences vary
widely among individuals, before you decide on a diet plan, ask yourself if the plan sounds realistic to you.
If the plan involves rigorous measuring of portions and calorie
counting, are you up to the task? If you're forbidden to eat certain
foods, will you develop cravings for them? Do you feel that you will
feel comfortable adhering to the diet guidelines? Will the diet's
requirements fit easily into your daily schedule? Finally, consider that
once you've lost the weight, you may regain the weight if you return to
your previous eating habits, so any weight-loss plan should be
something you can live with for a long time.
For more on comparing diet plans, please read the
Comparing Popular Weight Loss Diets article.
Remember that the most successful weight loss comes from dietary
changes and healthy food choices that will stay with you over time, not
from diets that leave you feeling deprived or result in binge-eating
episodes.
Medical Author: Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD
No comments:
Post a Comment