I am so tired of hearing about silly diets such as this one we made up. I didn’t lose weight on the Jellybean Diet, and in fact, I’ve never even heard of it; although I would not be surprised if it exists. Every day I hear about some new diet designed to help you quickly and easily lose weight so that you never have to worry about that number on the scale again. If only it were that simple. Weight loss is hard, and even though we know better, it’s still easy to get sucked into believing these claims. The latest diet making headlines is the “Starbucks Diet”, after Christine Hall claims she lost 85 pounds by eating only Starbucks foods for all of her meals. She started each day with oatmeal and black coffee (145 calories), and then ate a Starbucks Bistro Box or Panini for lunch and dinner (estimated to be 220-460 calories each.)Hall says it was easy to count calories because the nutritional information is all on the packaging. She says she feels better than she has in years, and the aches and pains she used to attribute to normal aging are now gone. She’s not the first person to try this kind of diet. Jared Fogle became a spokesperson for Subway after he lost hundreds of pounds on the “Subway Diet”. What’s wrong with diets like this if they make people feel better and help them lose weight? Well, I would challenge that weight loss is only part of the equation. You also need to consider the effect these diets have on your health. Counting calories is a great concept, and something SparkPeople frequently recommends. But it’s not just about calories, it’s also about the quality of the food you’re eating and the nutrients it provides. Where are all of the fruits and vegetables? How about enough servings dairy? Is she getting enough fiber, calcium, iron or other essential nutrients? Yes, she might be losing weight, but at what cost (both to her health, and her pocketbook?) Repeat after me: DIETS DON’T WORK. What works is developing a style of eating you can maintain for the rest of your life. The problem with any “diet” is that most people can’t keep them going forever. So as soon as you start eating normally again, the weight comes back. People who have successfully lost weight and kept it off have made changes to their diet that they can live with forever. It’s really that simple. Are you ready to Stop Dieting and Start Living? Find out How to Start Eating Healthier. What do you think? Is it better to lose the weight, no matter the method? Or is it better to do it in a healthy way, even if that takes much longer? |
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