Crazy, Stupid Diets and The One Thing That Makes Them Work

After reading about how a woman dined only on Starbucks fare and lost 80 pounds, I laughed, but it also makes me mad.  Why do I let these things get to me?  I know better, but some people seem so blind. Danni from Healthy Kitschy Kitchen agrees and she just posted a similar rant about this. In fact, we seem to share a lot of similar views. Check out her blog for some healthy tips, great rants, and delicious recipes.

Notice the word on the bottom. Do you want your day's worth of meals from this?

This will be short because time is limited, as I've said just about every time I've posted lately. Sorry for being a broken record, but I felt the need for this post.

There have been and still are so many meal-based fad diets like.....

The Subway Diet - We all know Jared and his giant pants he holds up.

Jared and his pants. (source)

A Very, Very, Stupid McDonald's Diet - Ever see Super Size Me? Nuff said. I can't stand to just pass by the place.

There are tons of crazy and stupid (hence this post's title) meal-based diets out there; here's a comprehensive list I found on Diets In Review if you care to see more of these aggravating diets.

I figure most of you reading are fellow foodie bloggers and can laugh at how absurd these things are, but sadly others actually get sucked into to the weight-loss claims and feel the need to try themselves. If you are one of the "others", let me save you some time and frustration....DON'T DO IT!

The basic reason a non-nutritive diet of nothing but McDonald's or Starbucks can let you lose wait is basic calorie math; if calories in < calories out = weight loss.  Here's a handy chart if it helps....

The Cause, Effect & Result of Your Daily Calorie Intake

The Cause	The Effect	The Result
Calories In Beats Calories Out	Caloric Surplus	Muscle gain, fat gain, or both.
Calories Out Beats Calories In	Caloric Deficit	Fat loss, muscle loss, or both.
Calories In = Calories Out	Maintenance	Everything remains the same.

source

Yes, it gets more complicated than this when you take into account the thermic effect of food, but that's another post for another day. For the most part, if you take in less calories than you use, you will lose weight.

If you really want that, just eat a pint of Ben and Jerry's Chunky Monkey (~1200 calories) spaced out in 3 or 4 sessions each day and you will lose weight.  I'm assuming most of us burn at least 1200 calories just living.

Here's your breakfast, lunch, and dinner in one!

But please...don't do that either! Instead, avoid what the media says and do actual research on food; it is your health after-all.  Or, choose real, whole food not found in packages and you'll be on your way to a healthy way to change your body.  As a big bonus, when you consume whole foods like fresh fruits and veggies, lean protein, and healthy fats, you rarely need to count calories.  These foods will naturally fill you up with their healthful fiber which helps keep you from overeating.

Now, some of us have other issues like intolerances and allergies (including me), and that part is just trail and error...and help from the doctor.  Either way, a whole food diet will always beat meal-based diets where certain food groups are cut out b/c they are "bad" or you are limited to one place for all of your meals.  In other words.... whole food diet > meal-based/fad diet.

Tell me, what are your thoughts on these crazy diets?  Are you one of the "crazies" who fall into the media trap and try for yourself?  I admit I'm guilty of this in the past.

On a separate topic, I just got this Soyajoy G3 soy/nut/seed milk maker and am really excited to share my new creations with you.  I just made quinoa milk for my first run and it's still cooling now, so I'll update you once I try it.

Also, only one day left to enter my Navitas Naturals Giveaway; don't miss out!

Have a wonderful day; it's almost the weekend!

Diets Are For Quitters!

After reading a couple of WebMD post about why diets do not work in the long term and why we keep falling for them, I was inspired to make it the topic of the day.
A diet is really anything a person, animal, or entire group consumes on a regular basis; but the word “diet” seems to correspond with “restriction” for most people. With the government setting guidelines using pyramids and, more recently, a plate, along with numerous media sources spouting opposing claims on food, it’s no wonder the population is so confused on what to eat. We have commercials, radio, internet pop-ups, SPAM e-mail, and just people making claims about this and that and what is “guaranteed” to make you lose weight or get stronger. The reason for such ambiguity, to me, is simply money.

Most sources spouting their views and ideologies really don’t know 100% what works. For one, each person is different as to how their bodies react to certain foods and exercise. But, these sources making claims that usually go against another claim all have one thing in common; the desire for profit. As salesmen, some do a great job at persuading us that eating this or that will make us simply “shed the fat,” but money is a common motivator either way.

The Atkins Diet is a great example of this. Dr. Atkins comes out with “revealing” information on how a low carbohydrate diet with more fat and protein will result in fat loss. Toss in some great marketing and you have the next big fad diet with many seeing a great way to make some money. With the popular diets like Atkins, there are the brand name products sold as official Atkins approved snacks, meals, and drinks. Like most packaged items, these are usually over processed foods with “functional” ingredients added to make the nutrition label read as desired. With the increase in popularity other foods come out boasting “low carb” or “Atkins approved” on the front, which is usually all most consumers need to see to make the purchase. Then there are multiple cook books (usually including specific name brand ingredients) and success stories online and at the book store. You get the picture; popular diets enable multiple ventures a way to profit through exploitation of the diet’s terms.

There is a plentiful amount of diets that make the claim for better health and weight loss; some may work short term, but most follow strict guidelines and are not good to follow in the long run. If you’ve followed a fad crash diet before, you may recall feeling irritable and run down; not the way you should live just to be healthy.A simple Google search will provide many sources with studies on “why diets do not work”, and most that do, result in the participants gaining all or more of their weight back.

With the wealth of inconsistent information on what and when you should eat, it’s easy to be confused. So, what should you do about it? Take all information you read or hear about food with a grain of salt and ask yourself, “Does the source of this info profit if I follow their advice?” Or maybe, the source has already been paid to give the advice; you never know exactly, but you can’t really expect anyone to care about your health except yourself. Just like Phillip Morris continues to sell tobacco despite the obvious adverse affects, fast food chains will continue to serve that triple-meat burger with bacon and cheese between a glazed donut bun, and big food corps will continue to roll highly processed packaged food out of their plants and into your local grocer.

You, as a consumer, have a choice that affects your actual “diet” and I urge you to give your food more thought. Also, think of what you eat as your standard of living to help get away from the D-Word. One thing I do agree with on most diets is something in the fine print; the diet works if you include daily exercise. Try to be active every day to help your health; cooking is one way to keep you moving more. Here are some great suggestions from the Foodily Blog on how to avoid unhealthy eating habits and actually enjoy and savor food as it should be.

• Veggies are your buddies. Eat ‘em up; all your low-starchy veggies should be unlimited and enjoyed with every meal and snack from red peppers n’ hummus to morning omelets and dinner stir-fries.
• Roast, steam, poach, bake, braise and broil. No more fried food.
• Don’t confuse thirst and hunger. Sip a glass of seltzer with lime before you reach for food.
• Never travel alone. Pack veggies, nuts and dried fruits to keep you full on the go and help you avoid vending machines and temptations.
• Puree berries, melons and bananas to use as a spread atop toast, crackers, salads or sandwiches. You can also use these as homemade ‘ice-creams’ pureed with nut butters and cinnamon.
• Take a bag of frozen veggies out of the freezer in the morning, by the afternoon they’ll be ready to eat and perfectly defrosted to enjoy with your lunch.
• Avoid ‘fat free’ claims on packaging as you’ll be trading fats for loads of sodium or sugar instead.
• Enjoy a bit of lean protein with each meal to keep you full and keep your metabolism runnin’ steady and strong throughout the day.

• Say good-bye to store-bought chips and drive-through fries; create your own apple, parsnip, carrot and sweet potato chips and fries instead.

• Toast nuts n’ seeds in the oven. Try sweet (honey, cinnamon) or savory (chili powder, sea salt); store in a sealed container and use atop salads, as a snack or in stir-fries and pitas.
• Don’t fear fat. Avocados can be your best buddies. They’re loaded with healthy fats, high in fiber and add a creamy consistency to any meal from oatmeal to salsas.

I always make time for my food and consider the choices as if my life depended on it, because it does! If you do buy packaged foods, read the labels; make sure sugar is far down on the list, that it’s low in saturated fats, and, if a grain food, 100% whole grain is the first ingredient. You won't lose weight fast, that's just not healthy, but try implementing some of these tips in your life and you will feel the change.

This is What You Should Eat….

What I got when I searched for "Hospital Food"

Look appetizing? I didn’t think so. The sad truth is that if enough money was put into marketing this as being a quick weight-loss solution, many people would flock to it. Why? My theory is there are countless diets circulating the internet, TV, airwaves, and by word-of-mouth that most of the population is confused on what to eat. Now, many have left it to a certain “program” to tell us what to eat, when to eat, and how to eat. I can guarantee nearly all of these diets/solutions/programs have something(s) to sell you. In sum, all diet creators have one ultimate thing in mind…..not your health, just how much cash they can make off of their “plan.”

With all of the fad diets selling their books and their bars, it’s no wonder so many of us are confused on what should be on/off our plates. As a past victim from these diets, I made the smart decision to realize money is their only concern and I need to figure things out on my own.

That being said, I’d like to offer my simple approach to choosing what you do and do not eat. I ask nothing in return and you don’t have to buy my e-book with 100 pages of wordy ways to say the same thing over and over while not actually saying anything.

Read nutrition facts and ingredients on anything packaged. If you can’t find info on the package, approach with caution and at your own risk! Ingredients are listed in order by volume of the package; if sugar (in any of its many names) or fat/oil is in the top 3, I put the box back. Also, a short ingredient list with real food names is a good indication you have something worth eating.

Get to know your kitchen. Go buy some carrots, turnips, sweet potatoes, red bell pepper, radishes, celery, apples, and any other fruits and veggies you might like in their whole form at the produce department. Set some time on the weekend aside to wash, peel, chop, dice, and cook your treasure; then pack in air tight containers to be ready for the week ahead. Here are some quick ideas:

• Cut red bell peppers in strips for easy snacking.
• Chop peeled carrots into your own baby carrots or any size you like. I make some thick cuts and use carrots as a utensil to eat small snacks like yogurt mixed with peanut butter.
• Wrap a cleaned sweet potato in a paper towel and microwave for 3-4 minutes on each side to have a potato that only needs reheating when you want one for a quick dinner.
• Dice apples into small cubes and freeze; these are great to mix with your favorite milk or yogurt, some whole grain cereal, and a few toasted nuts for a healthy and refreshing treat or meal. 

Forget everything you hear from the fad diets! Low carb, high protein, low fat, etc. are all unnecessary. How can anything grown from the Earth (asides from poisonous things) be that bad to eat? Yes, I know the way some foods are produced by people can have ill-effects, but focus more on eating whole foods rather than something in a box, bag, or wrapper and you will be off to a great start. Just remember, everything most things in moderation. I feel some foods, like those containing partially hydrogenated oils, sugar as the first ingredient, etc. should be avoided at all costs.

To sum it up:

• Most creators of diets are more concerned with their bottom line than your bottom
• Read ingredients and nutrition facts and know what they mean
• Prepare whole foods to be ready for snacking throughout the week
• Turn away from fad diet advice…I don’t care if the Princess “used” it
• Consume everything in moderation; do not consume the really bad stuff 

This has not been the first, and it won’t be the last post I write regarding the marketing ploys of companies and false promises of diets. I urge anyone wanting to get healthy to stay away from anything with a drive-thru window and most packaged items.