Spring Time Resolutions

It's the first week of April - how is your New Year's Resolution going?

It’s already April – Wow, how time flies.  But, be honest – are you still keeping with those New Year’s resolutions? By this stage most people have given up or just plain forgot about their new year promises. Here are some reasons why your New Year’s diet isn’t working. If you have noticed that all of your diet efforts aren’t working read the 7 scenarios below and see if one fits your story.

1.      You aren’t eating enough:  many people who go on diets immediately cut a lot of calories from their diets. You may actually need to bump up your calories to rev up that metabolism for full burning optimization. When you dip below 1,200-1,500 calories a day, not only are you not eating enough to get all of your nutrients, but your body slows down the metabolism in order to hold on to precious calories.

Also, if you skip meals to lose weight you could lose your ability to feel full. Evolution has designed our bodies to resist famine and not the buffet table. If you skip breakfast the body assumes that food is scarce, so your body won’t burn calories. You need a morning meal to let your body know it is okay to be burning calories. Within 1 hour of waking up in the morning, you should be consuming 300-500 calories (with 10-15 grams of protein and some fiber).

2.      You reward yourself with food after exercise: Burning 300 calories during a workout is wonderful and certainly a cause for celebration, however – are you rewarding yourself with a healthy treat or a high-calorie treat that doesn’t add up to the workout you just finished?  After exercise you are likely to overestimate how much you burned in the workout, therefore, eating more food than you need. It is true that we do continue to burn calories after we exercise, but don’t fool yourself into thinking this is the best time to cheat and grab high-calorie, high-carb junk food. All you’re doing is cheating yourself of the benefits of a great workout.

 

3.      You drink diet drinks:  Everyone thinks they are doing good by drinking a zero calorie diet soda vs. the real think.  However, research suggests that diet drinks may backfire. The taste of something sweet without the calories can cause your body to hold on to calories (already consumed) as fat. In a 2011 study, diet soda drinkers had 178% greater increase in waist circumference over 10 years, compared with non-diet soda drinkers. All that artificial sweetener can actually raise your insulin levels and lower your blood sugar, which actually stimulates hunger and move your existing calories into storage (i.e. FAT). Plus, fake sweeteners may not quell a craving like real sugar can because sugar triggers a longer dopamine release. So, even after downing 2 diet-sodas you may still want a candy bar or piece of cake.

4.      Your family and friends are fat: You chances of being overweight or becoming obese increases by ½ a percent with every friend or family member in your network who is themselves obese. A 2010 Harvard University study found that your chances of obesity double for every four obese friends you have. Even if that friend lives thousands of miles away, your chances of gaining weight still go up. This may be because your perception of being overweight changes – living larger seems acceptable since the heavy person is a friend or family member. Interestingly, having an obese neighbor that you don’t know very well does not increase your risk.

Experts also think that a person’s lifestyle and behaviors can subconsciously rub off on those in the individual’s circle. But you don’t have to ditch overweight friends to lose weight. In fact, if you embark on a lifestyle change together, you can increase your fun and burn calories at the same time. Research from Oxford University found that exercising with friends and family as a team can actually make the agony of exercise less intense. The same hormones that are released during social bonding, endorphins – also help quell pain. And once a friend starts to lose weight, you have a greater chance of losing as well.

5.      You’ve eliminated wine: New research from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston has found that women who drank 1-2 glasses of wine daily gained less weight over 13 years, compared with those who did not drink alcohol (8lbs. vs. 5.5 lbs to be exact). Remember, everything in moderation though. Women should not drink more than 2 standard drinks in 1 sitting to make sure they are getting positive health benefits from the alcohol. More than 2 standard drinks and you are harming your body.

6.      Your diet isn’t digitally enhanced:  you may know that keeping a food journal can help you automatically reduce your calorie intake (simply by making you aware of each bite). But did you know using a digitized program or application with positive feedback can hlp you lose even more? A new study from the University of Pittsburgh found that people who monitored their diet and exercise with digital devices (which provided daily feedback) lost more weight and stuck with their diet longer than those who used paper and pen.

Not only that, but the techy group increased their fruit and veggie intake more than the paper and pen group. And you don’t have to log in daily or weekly – one study found that diets who recorded meals online just once a month were 3 times more likely to keep off pounds over 2 years compared with those who did report less frequently.

7.      You’ve gone No-Carb or Fat-Free with your diet: did you know that by cutting back markedly on any one food group (let’s just use carbs or fat as an example) can leave you short on the nutrients you need to stay energized. One study found that dieters low in calcium and vitamin C had higher odds of putting on belly fat. The trick is a varied diet that includes healthy fats and good carbs like fruits and vegetables. After all, the biggest reason low-carb diets backfire is that for the vast majority of people they are not sustainable over the long haul.

Not many people can say no to bread, pasta, and birthday cake for an entire lifetime. And as with all diets – once you quit – you regain the weight you lost and more.  These fluctuations can make it an even bigger challenge to lose weight the next time.