Weight Loss Information Guide

According to the National Eating Disorders Association, 45% of adult women and 25% of adult men are dieting at any one time. The fact that we keep trying so many new diets tells us that most of these diets are not successful. Over the past few years the market has been full of new and miraculous diets that promise to work for everyone. We are so desperate to lose weight that, as a society, we spend over 40 billion dollars a year on diets and diet products. This is amazing as 95% of all dieters will re-gain their lost weight in 1 to 5 years.

Understanding the Dieting Cycle:

On low calorie diets, if the deficit in essential energy requirement is 500 calories per day, then up to 225 calories may come from muscle break down. At 4 calories per gram, that's 56 grams or 2 ounces. In only 4 weeks on such a diet, you can lose up to 3.5 lbs of muscle.

What Really Works:

Your body gains fat weight very slowly. It increases by only an ounce or so per day or a pound every two or three weeks. To lose fat weight, you have to do so slowly otherwise your body will cannibalize your muscle for energy.

1. Set goals - goals should be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Action-oriented, Realistic and have a Time Frame for completion.
2. Lose no more than 1/2 pound of fat per week - reduce your daily calories by no more than 20%.
3. Measure your body fat every 6-12 weeks - scale weight varies five to eight pounds per day depending on water and food residue. Only body fat analysis will identify if the weight you are losing is fat, water or muscle.
4. Eat a balanced diet, choose foods from all 4 food groups, and eat moderate portions of all foods. Combine Carbohydrate foods with Fats or Proteins. Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating recommends 50-60% of diet should come from Carbohydrates; 10-20% of diet should come from Protein and 30% or less should come from fats. Eat foods containing more than 30% fat calories less often. Choose Low Fat not No Fat foods.
5. Drink 8-12 cups of non-caffeine, non-alcoholic beverages per day.
6. Cut back on refined carbohydrates (white bread, pasta, pastry etc.). Instead, eat complex carbohydrates. Replace as many refined foods as you can with whole grains and vegetables.
7. DO NOT skip meals. Reduce the size of your meals and eat 5-6 times per day instead (every 2-4 hours)
8. Choose foods from 3 of the 4 food groups at each meal and 2 of the 4 food groups at each snack. Follow the 80/20 Rule - Eat healthy food choices 80% of the time and eat what ever you like the other 20% of the time.
9. Avoid ALL Fad Diets - if they worked, we wouldn't be seeing so many new ones.
10. Eat 25-30 grams of fiber per day. Fiber has no calories and gives a feeling of fullness. It also promotes elimination reducing risk of some diseases.
11. Exercise regularly - Engage in activities you enjoy 2-6 days per week accumulating 30-60 minutes of activity per day.
12. Manage your Stress. Take some time out for yourself everyday. Try relaxing activities like Yoga, Tai Chi, Meditation, Massage, or a hot bath. Your body will thank you!