Are you sabotaging your diet?

Are you frustrated with your latest weight-loss attempt? Do you regularly work out and eat healthy only to watch the numbers on the scale slowly climb or remain at a standstill? If so, rest assured, you are not alone.

Currently, millions of North Americans are on a multitude of weight loss programs with one goal in mind -- to achieve their ideal body. High protein, low protein, Atkins, South Beach, you name it -- people are throwing up their hands in nutritional bewilderment trying to make sense of it all.

The tricks of the nutritional trade
Unfortunately, not only is yo-yo dieting expensive and frustrating, the continual gaining and losing of weight slows down metabolic function making future weight loss attempts even harder. If you've had a hard time losing weight or have trouble keeping it off, you just may be sabotaging your weight loss attempts without even realizing it. In addition to eating the proper types of foods, such as whole grains, lean proteins and essential fats, there are specific behavioural approaches to eating that are critical components of losing weight.

The "tricks of the nutritional trade" to stop sabotaging your diet and look -- and feel -- your best include:

1. Stop eating by 7 p.m.
As the lights go down, so does your metabolic activity. Many people do most of their munching in the evening, which is a one-way ticket to weight gain. When you stop eating after dinner, you allow your body to have a daily "mini-fast" that helps you to lose weight, optimize digestion and flatten your tummy. Make breakfast and lunch your larger meals of the day and eat a reasonably sized dinner consisting of protein (chicken, fish, eggs, soy) and low glycemic carbohydrates (whole grains, beans, vegetables and fruits).

2. Don't skip breakfast
Research shows that breakfast-skippers tend to be more overweight than their counterparts who have morning meals. Even if you do not feel hungry in the morning, try to eat a protein shake, an egg-white omelet or whole-grain toast with a low-fat cream cheese spread.

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3. Eat slowly
The average meal in North America is "wolfed" down in under five minutes. It takes 20 minutes for the stomach to send a FULL signal to the brain. By slowing down your meal and savouring every bite, you'll end up eating less in the long run.

4. Dine in whenever possible
Research shows that the average restaurant meal is considerably more calorie-dense than the make-it-yourself kind (restaurant meal=765 calories vs. home meal= 425 calories). When eating out, skip the appetizer, go light on the cream sauces, dressings and oils, and drink water instead of juice or sugary soda.

5. Eat enough food
In an attempt to lose weight, many weight-loss seekers dramatically cut back on calories. When your body does not get enough calories, it reverts back to a pre-historic mode called the starvation adaptation mode. In other words, the body clings to body fat because it perceives it is in a time of famine. Do not follow any diet that recommends eating less than 800 to 900 calories per day. On average -- if eating the proper combinations and sources of food -- an intake of 1,200 to1,500 calories is optimal for weight loss.

Achieving your goal weight can be realized with a combination of a healthy diet, exercises and practising the eating behaviors outlined above. Instead of being frustrated with failed weight-loss attempts, start implementing these steps into your daily life and you will quickly see the pounds melt away, resulting in a leaner and stronger you.

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Dr. Joey Shulman DC, RNCP is the author of Winning the Food Fight -- Every Parent's Guide to Raising a Healthy, Happy Child (John Wiley & Sons Canada, Ltd., 2003). She is an international speaker on health and wellness and makes frequent radio and television appearances across Canada. For more about Dr. Joey, visit www.drjoey.com.

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