The article below is taken from the British Dietic Association, a ‘real’ nutrition information organisation. Remember the only people you should ever approach for specific dietary advice are those correctly qualified as Dieticians - you might be surprised how easily you can gain a “qualification” in nutrition...
A survey conducted by the British Dietetic Association in
2004 found that a third of people quizzed ended up heavier
than their original weight only weeks after dieting.
Does this sound familiar?
Part of the reason for this may be the current popularity of
fad diets - the kind of regimens where you eat a very restrictive diet or an unusual combination of foods for a short
period of time, lose weight quickly, but then get fed up, start
eating all the wrong foods and pile the pounds back on. To
help you out of this cycle we've come up with some tips to
help guide you through the maze of dietary information that
surrounds us.
How to spot bad dietary advice
Stay away from diets that:
2004 found that a third of people quizzed ended up heavier
than their original weight only weeks after dieting.
Does this sound familiar?
Part of the reason for this may be the current popularity of
fad diets -
eating all the wrong foods and pile the pounds back on. To
help you out of this cycle we've come up with some tips to
help guide you through the maze of dietary information that
surrounds us.
How to spot bad dietary advice
Stay away from diets that:
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Promise a quick fix
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Recommend magical fat-
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grapefruit)
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Promote the avoidance or severe limitation of a whole
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food group, such as carbohydrate foods or dairy foods
(and suggest large doses of vitamin and mineral
supplements as a replacement)
(and suggest large doses of vitamin and mineral
supplements as a replacement)
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Promote eating mainly one type of food (eg cabbage
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soup or eggs)
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Suggest easy, rapid weight loss (more than 2 lbs a week)
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Recommend eating foods only in particular combinations
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Make claims that sound too good to be true'
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Focus only on your appearance rather than on health benefits
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Who knows what?
Don't be fooled by the fact that many beautiful celebrities are
following some of these weird and bizarre regimens. They
are blessed with beauty genes, and usually have armies of
trainers, chefs and stylists rather than nutrition qualifications.
You should also be wary of unqualified practitioners who
may be offering unproven techniques for diagnosis and
treatment of nutritional problems. Be very sceptical of the
following:
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Iridology
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Kinesiology
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Craniosacral therapy
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Hair mineral analysis
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Face reading
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Tongue reading
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Colonic irrigation
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Magnetic therapy
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Seek the advice of your doctor or a dietitian. Dietitians have recognised qualifications and will be able to give you safe, unbiased, evidence-
Basic Guidelines
So what's the best advice for getting rid of the extra pounds and keeping them off? You need to think about not only the food you eat but also your lifestyle and the amount of activity you do.
You also need to think carefully about ways of changing your behaviour and developing new healthier habits if you are to lose weight and keep it off in the longer term.
Here are a few ideas to get you going:
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Keep a diary and stay more aware of habits and problem areas
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Choose lower fat foods, eg lean meat and lower fat dairy products
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Watch those portion sizes!
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Fill up on vegetables and fruit as snacks, with meals and f or desserts.
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Have regular meals, starting with breakfast
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Get active, aim for at least 30 minutes daily of moderate activity. If you can mange more than that even better -
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Be realistic about weight loss; aim to lose 1-
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(0.5-1 kg) a week
Get Weight Wise
And why not check out either of our fantastic interactive
websites at: www.bdaweightwise.com and
www.teenweightwise.com which are packed full of
information, practical advice and support for anyone who is managing their weight.
Designed by dietitians and funded with a grant from the
Department of Health, all the information is independent,
scientifically sound, and trustworthy!
And what's more -
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