Take a Sensible Approach to Weight Loss

Take a Sensible Approach to Weight Loss

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BY BLUE RIDGE HEALTHCARE

FOR THE NEWS HERALD

Now that the new year has begun, switch on the TV or radio and you’ll be pelted with endless ads for trendy diets, flashy workout gear and exclusive weight loss programs. For decades, the goal of losing weight has topped the resolution lists for people hoping to improve their health in a society that seems to grow heavier and heavier.

But often the advertisements promote products and eating strategies that are (in the long run) recipes for failure. In the end, the road to success invariably leads back to choices that include a simple, healthy, balanced system of eating -- and increased activity.

“When it comes to eating for weight loss, moderation in everything is the best way to go,” said Pam Butler, Clinical Services Manager and a registered licensed dietitian at Blue Ridge HealthCare.

At the dawn of 2006, the weight-conscious person might best make a commitment to sensible eating and exercise that promotes a lighter physique - not a lighter wallet.

Avoiding Fad Diets

Fad diets come and go every year. It’s amazing how the latest and greatest dieting strategies based on supposed science and medical research sink like the Titanic after a few years. There seems to be a new (dare we say it) trend among weight-conscious individuals - a tendency to reject the fad diets and return to the tried and true basics.

One of the most tried and true approaches to no nonsense dieting is the American Heart Association’s approach. Its excellent Internet site, www.americanheart.org, offers a wealth of nutrition and exercise resources, including a fine free healthy eating cookbook - all geared toward promoting sensible and lasting weight loss.

A new book from the AHA, “No-Fad Diet: A Personal Plan for Healthy Weight Loss” is a good resource for those who have had their fill of trendy diets. Written by Dr. Robert Eckel, president of the AHA, the book promotes permanent, gradual weight loss through a healthy diet and lifestyle, and runs counter to the numerous weight-loss schemes recently on the market.

The fad diets that are promoted so heavily on television and in book stores are bound to gain converts quickly because they offer rapid results with minimal effort. On the positive side, they motivate individuals to get started. Lose 10 pounds the first week, and you start running figures through your head and imagining yourself as the thin, fit person you want to be. Unfortunately, the early excitement usually fades when pounds start coming off more slowly -- or even creeping back on. “Gimmicks and get-thin-quick schemes don’t work,” states the AHA book.

Butler’s ideal diet includes lots of fruits and vegetables, oat bran, oat meal, beans, etc. She tends to promote reduced fat diets, but not low carb or low protein diets.

“Anything that departs from the low-fat model ends up just being a fad,” she said. “Particularly with the low-carb diets -- the person will ultimately start craving carbohydrates in such a way that it can lead to failure.”

And Butler was quick to point out that for practicality’s sake the low-carb diets don’t make sense.

“Your body does utilize carbohydrates faster than fat,” she said. “It’s the first thing that goes. Particularly if you are athletic and into very strenuous activities you might use up your carbohydrate stores very quickly and start burning protein. The last thing that’s always going to get burned in the body is fat because it’s much more concentrated.”

She added that it was very important to avoid hidden fats in foods. “A lot of crackers and cookies and other innocent-looking foods have a high-level of trans-fatty acids in them,” said Butler. “It really pays to be aware of how much fat you’re taking in.”

“People should add a lot more fish into their diet,” she said, “especially fish that has a good amount of omega-3 fatty acids like salmon. And consuming a high-fiber diet is also advised.”

The Other Side

The AHA no-fad diet is based on three simple concepts:
Think smart. Losing weight is not an exercise of sheer will power but requires a rational plan based on your individual needs and behaviors. Goals should be realistic and attainable -- losing one or two pounds a week -- and they should focus on bringing about long term changes in the habits that contributed to weight gain.
Eat well. Losing weight involves taking in fewer calories than you expend. Switching from 2 percent to skim milk will shave a certain number of calories from your diet every day and will reduce your risk of heart disease. Switching from fatty to lean cuts of meat and grilling rather than frying them will also eliminate calories and grams of fat, making you healthier as well as lighter.
Move more. Exercise not only helps use up excess calories but speeds your metabolism and keeps the body fit and strong. Most authorities now recognize that physical activity is the key to lasting weight loss, as well as overall good health.

Finding Time For Exercise - Even in Winter

Butler also stressed the importance of exercise in any effective weight-loss strategy.

“People who want to shed pounds should definitely exercise regularly,” she said, “and it doesn’t have to be anything really strenuous.”

She continued, “But you should exercise every day in order for the exercise have the full benefit. It could be a short thirty-minute walk.”

She said that for all age groups, and particularly for people over 50, walking is still one of the very best exercises for weight loss. “Taking a lively walk every day is going to have good aerobic benefit. It’s refreshing, it’s good to be outside and the results can be quite good if coupled with sensible eating.”

For all but the most committed, weather has a way of interfering with exercise schedules. Those who neglect their exercise schedule during the winter months face a double whammy since the period from Halloween to New Year’s Day is filled with temptations to consume extra calories.

Whatever the activity, winter exercise can be exhilarating, offer a new environment and new challenges.

Phifer Wellness Center exercise physiologist and personal trainer Charlotte Eidson had some advice for the weight-conscious who want to stay committed to workouts in the winter.

“Be aware of temperature,” she said, “not just the outdoor temperature, but also your own.”

“Keep your head, hands and feet warm, but don’t allow yourself to overheat. That can certainly happen with winter workouts.”

She said it is wise to dress in layers that can be peeled off if a person gets too warm. Zippers are handy, allowing the wearer to open up a layer or two to let air in.

A warm hat and scarf are essential since 30 to 40 percent of heat from the body is lost through the head and neck.

Eidson said that people should use common sense about getting out to exercise in very extreme weather.

“For healthy, experienced athletes, hypothermia is rarely a danger, at least until the wind chill gets into negative territory,” she said. “Try to plan your route so that you’re heading into the wind during the first part of your workout and have the wind at your back at the end when you’re fatigued and sweaty. If you venture into sparsely populated areas, make sure someone knows where you are and when you plan to return.”

Eidson also stressed the importance of warming up and cooling down in winter workouts.

“Warming up is particularly important in cold weather and more easily neglected. It’s a good idea to warm up at home -- with a few minutes of jumping jacks or running in place before venturing out the door. Cool down and stretching can also be completed inside.”

Coming Indoors

Aerobics, Pilates and spinning all offer a change of pace from outdoor activities. Stair steppers and elliptical trainers can give an excellent cardiovascular workout; rowing machines and exercise bikes are good low-impact workout options.

If you don’t have a health club membership, many shopping malls welcome walkers during early morning hours. Or you can buy exercise equipment for your own home.

One study found that women with a treadmill in the home lost twice as much weight during winter as those without one.

With only a few hand weights, you can put together an effective strength-training workout. And without any equipment at all, you can get a workout with pushups, sit-ups and stair exercises.

Eidson stressed the advantage of workouts in the health club environment, such as the facility at Phifer Wellness Center. “It’s always easier to enjoy exercise with others, and health and wellness facilities offer that opportunity. Add to that the fact that often there is a person present who can provide medically based advice that will ensure safe and proper results.”

Eidson and fellow Phifer co-workers have started a running club that has weekly group runs in Morganton and Valdese. Anyone interested in joining the group, should call 580-6600 and inquire about the activity.

The second largest employer in Burke County, Blue Ridge HealthCare serves a four-county area and includes Grace and Valdese hospitals, Blue Ridge Home HealthCare, Grace Heights and College Pines Health & Rehabilitation Centers, Grace Ridge Retirement Community, Phifer Wellness Center and a number of physician practices.