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Optimize Weight Loss

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With only a couple more weeks of old man winter left, the season of bikinis, shorts and Capri pants is right around the corner. In order to head into springtime trim, fit and at your goal weight, it is wise to start implementing some dietary changes now. When starting any new diet plan, there are a few ‘red flags’ you want to avoid ensure your success. While there are some very good diets on the market that have enormous success, there are a few fads and crazes to avoid as they create temporary loses and long term gains.

The top five dieting techniques and promises that may result in more future weight gain:

1.  Too much, too fast – Be wary of terms such as “rapid weight loss.” While there are certain nutritional and blood sugar tricks I use to speed up an individual’s metabolic engine, losing a large amount of weight (i.e. six to eight pounds) every week is not advisable. In reality, individuals will lose the most amount of weight in the first month of weight loss. After that, two to three pounds per week is healthy and on track. 

2.  Relying on ‘100 calorie’ snacks to do the trick – While it is wise to practice portion control, a lot of the ‘100 calorie’ snacks on the market are filled with high glycemic index sugars and flours, contributing to intense blood sugar fluctuations, cravings and weight gain. Instead of relying on processed goodies such as these, why not opt for naturally sweet treats such as homemade popsicles, natural yogurt with cocoa sprinkled on top, baked apple slices or sweet Clementine oranges? Rather than eating ‘empty’ calories, these snacks are nutrient-filled and calorie-light at the same time.

3.  Drinking diet sodas to fill up – Unfortunately, when I first meet a client for weight loss, it is not uncommon to discover that he/she is drinking two diet sodas per day! While the occasional diet soda will not throw off weight loss completely, research has show that consuming artificial sweeteners such as saccharine may actually cause you to eat more, not less. In fact, in 2008, researches at Purdue University found that rats that consumed saccharin-sweetened yogurt ate more food overall and put on more weight during a two week period than rats consuming glucose- (sugar) sweetened yogurt. They hypothesized that the aspartame and saccharin signal sweetness in the brain without delivering on calories. Thus, the brain thought it was getting full when indeed it was not and it went searching for more calorie rich food later in the day.

4.  A diet that promises guaranteed weight loss results– Having worked in the weight loss world for over a decade, there is one thing I am sure of – weight loss does not always occur in a straight line. In other words, there may be a week (or heaven forbid even two!) when you ate on track, exercised and your body only lost half a pound (ugh!). Instead of diving into a full food binge and throwing all your efforts out the window, do not panic -  you have simply hit the dreaded weight loss plateau. If and when this does occur, your body has settled into an adaptation mode. I assure you, the right program will show you the food techniques, exercises and supplements to once again boost your metabolism and trigger your weight loss journey to run smoothly.

5.  Cutting out a macronutrient – In a nutshell, any diet that eliminates or drastically reduces one of the three macronutrients (proteins, fats or carbohydrates) is not a sustainable diet. The body requires all three of these macronutrients in certain amounts to sustain health and yes, to even lose weight! The key is to focus on the quality of macronutrients you are choosing by opting for lean proteins (fish, chicken, soy, plain yogurt, eggs), “good fats” (nuts, seeds, avocados, olive oil) and low glycemic index carbohydrates (whole grains, beans, vegetables and fruits).

By avoiding the diet blunders from the ‘get go,’ you will find that you’ll lose the weight for life!

 

Dr. Joey Shulman
is founder of Shulman Weight Loss Clinics. Her latest book Healthy Sin Foods (Penguin, 2009) is now in stores. For more information, please visit www.drjoey.com

 


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