healthy you c
WEIGHT LOSS
That’s the philosophical stuff. In more practical
terms, healthy weight loss means losing no more than
one or two pounds a week, says Laura Kruskall, Ph.D.,
R.D., chair of the Department of Nutrition Sciences at
the University of Nevada in Las Vegas. Any more than
that, and it can become counterproductive.
WHAT IS UNHEALTHY WEIGHT LOSS?
If you’re shedding weight at a rate higher than one or two
pounds a week, you’ve reduced your caloric intake too
much, says Kruskall. Your body has finely tuned survival
instincts, and it will go into conservation mode, becoming
more reluctant to give up its fat stores. Also, you may lose
weight rapidly through fad diets, but you’re not losing
much fat. “The human body is 50 to 60 percent water,
and many of these faddish diets exploit this factor,” says
Len Kravitz, Ph.D., associate professor of exercise science
at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. And
water weight goes back on just as easily as it comes off.
You also lose disproportionate amounts of muscle
mass when you restrict your diet too much. Your body
doesn’t just burn fat stores when you send it into
deprivation mode—it also breaks down muscle to use as
energy. And having less muscle makes it even harder for
your body to burn calories in the future. It also makes you
appear less toned and fit.
Don’t sabotage yourself by embarking on crash diets.
Slow and steady wins the weight loss race.
HOW TO DETERMINE HOW MUCH
YOU SHOULD WEIGH
Do you know how much you should weigh? This should
be a simple question but, surprisingly, it’s not. Years ago,
doctors used height/weight charts to determine who
was a healthy weight and who wasn’t (some insurance
companies still use them). A few decades ago, those were
slightly refined into Body Mass Index (BMI) charts, which
are commonly used in doctors’ offices today.
a
quick
guide
to
Eating Better
People think losing
weight requires
dramatic changes in
the way they’ve been
eating. That’s not so.
Research shows
dramatic results
when people fill
up on fruit and
vegetables first
whenever they’re
hungry, reducing
their ability to
overeat less
nutritious foods. For
now, you can still eat
all the other foods
you normally would,
but dig into the fruit
bowl and vegetable
crisper beforehand.
A lot of time and
attention have been
given to the fat and
protein content of
food and not enough
to the fiber content.
Fiber-rich food fills
you up faster, makes
you feel full longer,
and is one of the
most powerful ways
to lose weight. At
every meal, ask
yourself, “How can
I get more fiber in
this?” One of the
best ways to do this
is to make sure
every plate of food
in front of you is
half-filled with
vegetables and
legumes.
Meals, that is,
especially breakfast.
Time and again,
studies show you’re
not cutting back on
calories, you’re just
bingeing later.
Portion sizes have
grown out of
control. Make your
portions smaller by
making your plates,
bowls, and cups
smaller. For example,
use salad plates for
entrees. You won’t
notice the difference.
End each meal by
leaving a little bit
of food on your
plate. We’ve been
conditioned since
childhood to clear
our plates whether
we were still hungry
or not. Deliberately
leaving some food
behind changes your
relationship to it in
an important,
powerful way.
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JANUARY 2009
BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS
P H O TO : VEER
