Say No to Dieting!

Making decent eating choices and staying active are a must for weight loss or maintenance. There are many different perspectives on weight loss; some experts say diet only, others say exercise, most say a combination of both works best. I have been explaining this to my clients for years now, no diet, just balanced, consistent, reasonable eating habits and regular exercise is the best way to stay strong and healthy.
By dieting, you begin a cycle of the “yo-yo” which can trick your brain and hormone system, thus your body has difficulty adjusting and no changes occur. But saying “don’t diet” doesn’t give you the green light to eat as you feel, you still need to make decent choices, avoiding sugar, processed, fried and fast foods. By avoiding these types of foods, you begin to eat fresher and more natural foods which in turn allows your brain and hormonal systems to coordinate and normalize.
In her book, Why Diets Make Us Fat, Dr. Aamodt explains this very important concept of “normal body weight” and what is best for each individual. We all have a different “ideal” body weight as we all have different structures and metabolize the food we eat differently. She also discusses why many people, especially as you pass 40, tend to start gaining weight, and no matter what you do, it becomes harder and harder to keep off. This is the time when your fitness and eating habits need to be the most consistent, if not it becomes quite easy to pack on extra pounds and the cycle continues.
As the owner of a small personal training studio and physical therapist, I am very much a “pusher” of exercise, whatever form you choose, to compliment your eating habits and create a well-rounded, healthy lifestyle. I believe that even with good eating habits our health is not complete without some sort of extracurricular activity.