Get back to basics

All you really need to win the battle of the bulge is to eat simply and get moving

HEALTH | Bev Bennett

A peek inside the typical kitchen cupboard will give you a short history of American weightloss fads. Every promise for a skinnier life, from fat-free to high-protein to reduced-carbohydrate foods, is reflected in a product tucked in the back of the shelves gathering dust.

“People are spinning, they’re latching onto gimmicks and many aren’t getting anywhere,” says Dr. Ann Kulze, a physician who specializes in nutrition and weight loss.

The numbers prove her point. Only five percent of the 50 million Americans who go on diets every year manage to keep the weight off. And, despite the flood of low-carbohydrate, low-fat, weight-loss promoting foods on the market, more than 60 percent of the population is overweight.

Instead of looking for the “silver bullet,” you’ve got to get back to basics.” As you discard the fads and embrace a common-sense routine you’ll feel better, look better and improve your chances for a healthy future.

Diet basics

The fundamentals of weight loss are immutable. You have to eat fewer calories than you burn. Unfortunately some diets distort the reality by claiming you can eat all you want, except for one food category.

For your good health and steady, slow weight loss, Kulze offers three messages:

1. Eat carbohydrates that are rich in vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber. These

include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans and legumes.

Vegetables are essential to combat your struggle with weight loss,” says Kulze. “Vegetables have bulk to suppress your appetite. You can go through a plate piled

high with broccoli and be full on 150 calories,” she says.

2. Eat lean proteins such as fish, shellfish, skinless poultry, low-fat dairy, beans, legumes, soy, nuts and seeds.

“[But] Look to see what else is in the [protein] package, such as fiber from beans. Select protein that’s low in fat and especially saturated fat,” she recommends.

3. Include healthy fats in your diet. The fat-free diet craze of the last decade didn’t transform Americans into a svelte nation. A small amount of fat in your meals is satisfying, so you eat less.

Consume monounsaturated fat which comes from olive oil, canola oil, avocado, nuts and seeds, but don’t overdo it. “Fats are a concentrated form of energy.”

Exercise basics

“When people tell me they’re too busy to get exercise, I tell them they’re too busy to not exercise,” says Dr. David Pratt, medical director for General Electric. However, the more complicated the regimen the more likely you are to find excuses to miss a session. If you have to squeeze into Spandex and drive to the gym, you’re likely to quit much too soon, according to Pratt.

His solution is simple. “We tell people to get 30 minutes of motion a day. It can include parking a coupleof blocks from work, climbing the stairs instead of using the elevator, walking across the office to talk with a colleague rather than using email. Put activity into your life in small ways every day. “ If you can’t motivate yourself, grab colleagues or friends and take a walk or play a game of volleyball.

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