Six
Habits that will Kill Your Diet
Dr. Joe Klemczewski
The
well-bantered “fact” that 95% of those attempting
to lose weight fail, leads many frustrated career-dieters
to my office looking for answers. A new twist emerged last
year when a study concluded that most diets could lead to
weight loss but those that were successful in keeping it
off had one leading commonality. Regardless which diet was
followed, those that tracked their food achieved the greatest
success. I am not exaggerating when I say that of the thousands
of would-be weight-loss champions that have been through
my consulting program, this is an absolute. The single biggest
reason I ask clients to log their food and let me see it
is so that they drill quantitative food information into
their brains.
They need to know a bagel has 50 grams of carbs, they need
to know a double-cheeseburger has 35 grams of fat…and
if they never have to write gram totals down, they never
look it up. Once you create a database of information like
that in your memory, you can’t make a poor decision
“on accident.” If you have a goal, even if you’re
accountable only to yourself, you will pass on more “bad”
foods and you’ll even plan your days better. Not tracking
your food intake makes following any nutrition plan impossible;
it is the bad habit that will undermine all progress.
A logical second beha
vior that will prevent consistent fat loss is simply having
a food intake that is too high, regardless of the plan you
intend to follow. Many well-intentioned type-A dieters plan,
track and consistently eat high-quality food, but too much
of it. It can be difficult to create the right starting
point for yourself since everyone’s genetic metabolism
is different. I recommend working with a proven nutritionist
that has much experience and some formal education. Would
you let an amateur work on your car? Spend the money on
yourself – this is too important.
Now we move into specific habits with food that can pull
the rug out from under accomplishment with little warning.
A client once told me she created a “rule” for
herself that she couldn’t eat standing up. She noticed
that when she walked into the kitchen and reached into a
bag of chips or dipped a spoon into the ice cream, it was
almost a secretive, looking-over-her-shoulder practice of
trying to “get away with something.” Haven’t
we all done this? If no one sees us, do the calories count?
(If you are actually contemplating that question, quit reading
this and try not to do anything mentally more strenuous
than watching Friends reruns.)
Many compulsive quirks like this deflect the real issue:
just whom are you dieting for? If your spouse doesn’t
see you eat that candy bar miniature, does it matter less
to you? The third habit that will cause dietary mayhem is
not planning meals and snacks to prevent hunger, leaving
you unprepared and famished. Stay ahead of hunger. Plan
those meals and stick to them, don’t get caught with
your hand in the cookie jar.
The fourth habit that brings even the strongest-willed to
his or her knees is taking that first bite of a “trigger
food.” Sweet foods or salty snacks, especially when
in a calorie deficit, suddenly turn into a binge. Though
a recognized eating disorder (Binge Eating Disorder), you
don’t have to end up on a psychiatrist’s couch
to know how powerful these urges can be. Once unleashed,
an unwanted, unplanned eating frenzy can lead to guilt,
purging (through harsher dieting or exercise) and a resulting
slowing of your metabolism. A vicious cycle indeed –
all started with one bite. You can’t eat just one.
It can be easier to avoid certain foods when dieting seriously
until you know you can be flexible, accountable and in control.
Sloppiness (wasn’t he one of the Seven Dwarves?) is
a major deterrent to progress. Is it really a tablespoon
of peanut butter or was it a heaping tablespoon? (The answer
could double your fat intake for the day.) Being objective
is a task I wish I didn’t have to assign adamantly.
Life would be more fun for all of us if this weren’t
a universal truth. “Officer, but I was going CLOSE
to the speed limit….” “I just took my
eyes off the toddler for ONE SECOND…” “Was
that four pills twice a day for a week or two pills a day
for four weeks…” “Scalpel, please. I think
the gall bladder is somewhere under here…” Some
things simply require precision or you don’t get results.
Weight loss can actually be consistent and predictable if
you match the right plan with your body, and implement it
accurately.
The final habit that will doom your diet to an early grave
is lack of patience. If you start on a program and you don’t
start losing as fast as you want, it may not indicate it’s
a poor approach, it may just need worked on – tweaked
– or given more time. It may be that you’re
not quite 100% locked in and a little more understanding
or practice and you’ll skyrocket with lifelong results.
Hang in there. Learn. Work. Be diligent. And don’t
forget, that first bite will get you every time! |