allaboutwomen

Okay, diets don't work. That is the new concensus. Instead, we make life style changes; but what does that mean?

We've change from Low-Fat to Fat-Free to Eat healthy fats.
Okay. Why? My research of many women's magazines and weight loss articles say that fat fills you up longer; it's long term fuel. Certain fats are uselessly terrible, such as the previously known hydrogonated or partially-hydrogonated fats, now known as Trans fats (blame good ol' marketing for the confusion). These fats used to saturated, but the processing delibrately made them partially liquid to mix into food easier. I don't believe anybody has found a way the body healthily uses them. And they tend to stick around the waist line, leading to all sorts of trouble, such as diabetes and heart desiese. While healthy fats, like Omega-3s in higher ratios then Omega-6s (I know that 3 is in certain fish, nuts, seeds: what are 6s in?) actually are healthy because they are more useful, instead of storage as body fat. But we can't eat too many of them, either, because their calories are still more than carbs or protein (I believe it is 9 cals to gram of fat to 4 cals to each carb or protein).

That leads us to limited calories. The entire equation to weight loss is burn more calories than you eat; that way you need to use the stored calories that are hanging around your bottom, middle, and arms. But with all the hundred calorie packs of snacks, and all the diet soda, you would think that we'd all be floating away on the breeze by now. The problem with low calories is that we don't get the "fill up" nutrients, as near as I can figure it. We don't get full, so we A)Eat again shortly, B)Indulge in high-cal foods with the reasurance that we can "fit it in," C)forget about everything and eat the whole freakin' box (that's what I always do). The REAL problem I have with these little snacks is: they contain NO fiber, protein, or whole foods that have those little nutrients that you can't get elsewhere (you know, the stuff you miss out on if you skip flax seeds or seaweed or brusslesprouts. I know, those things sound yucky, but I love them; they taste soo good!) So it's really empty. You just wasted 100 calories (or more) without any gain, unless it's a treat.

Which brings us to indulgences. I've read plenty of things about indulgences: eat what you want one day a week, eat what you want one hour a week, eat what you want but only at certain times of day, eat what you want when you want if you stay within your preset guide lines. The theory with these is that you can indulge within reason, and it gets rid of the cravings with out the guilt! What I've experianced is it intensivies cravings to uncontrolable rages, and when you do give in, even if you set your boundries, you feel guilty because you can't control your hunger. I also think allowing yourself to "cheat" is the dieter's point of view and it isn't healthy. You associate cheating with negativity, and it implies that you are following a strict code, instead of a lifestyle. Besides, what if we applied it elsewhere? Would this work code, this ethic, work in the work place? Min. wage and excessive, exaughstive work except for one day a week with limited outrageous pay for an hour? What would that do to morale? I think it would confuse the employees. Personally, I want to eat what I want to eat, when I want to eat it, and learn to feel saited after a short time, with healthier versions of the food.

So let's focus on wants. Do cravings show a nutritional need? When I've been doing long training, like hours of bikeriding in the summer sun, I crave baccon. I don't like the texture of bacon, so I generally avoid it, but I think the craving is telling me I need salt formost, and more protein. Chocolate is creates a calming effect on most, perhaps signalling a need for peace or rest, or the hormones stimulated by chocolate. Fat satisfies, filling a need for preparing for hard times. Protein energizes.

Let's look back on the purpose and uses of certain foods. We covered fat. What are the others used for? Protein fills us up quickly and lasts a little while in sating us. It's because of the digestion time. Whole grains act the same way. Combining both gives a jolt of energy, with no crash later. Whole grains also carry a lot of plant nutrients that are harder to get otherwise; mulit-grain whole grain is probably best in a set meal-plan. The "whole" part also means that the fiber isn't stripped, which slows digestion, and therefore doesn't let blood suger spike, preventing insulin caused crash. It fills you up with space-taking fiber, filling you without adding to calories. And your digestive tract will thank you. So let's transition to yogart. I once heard it's not a "mirrical diet food," it's just junk food in disguise, because of all the suger manufactures put in it. So? Add a little Splenda to plain yogart, or fruit (I like frozen berries), or put it on top of your all-natural granola. It's good for you; if you believe fat isn't so bad, go for the 2%, because the dairy is saturated fat (that's what my doctor told me). If you think it's too fatty, get the lowest suger fat-free one. My favorite is fat-free Greek Yogart. And of course, as long as you don't go over your calorie limit (there it is again) fruits and veggies, especially frozen, or locally grown, are excellent for you.

But what about the diets of the last few decades? Was there any truth in that carrots have way too many carbs? What about white potatoes? Are certain fruits forbidden? What I learned is that yes, it may have more carbs than seem acceptable porportionably, but that chances are, you aren't going to go crazy enough for the carbs to really count. One medium carrot has less than 6 grams of carbs. That includes fiber, which is almost 2 grams. As for the sugers, less than 3 grams (calorieking.com) Very little fat or sodium, plus a little calcium and potassium. See? Good for you. And while the potatoe's carbs seem high, one is only 80 calories. Some fruit are denser with nutrients, but water mellon at the picknick should not be off limits.

So, what is my personal solution? Food replacement, and feeling like how I eat is "normal" for me and for many other people. Okay, if I'm going out once every few months to eat a nice dinner with my husband, it's okay to eat the steak if that's what I want. It's not often. If I want cereal every day, I can fit a serving of healthy cereal in. If I need chocolate, even if the craving hits me more often than I like, I will have a little chocolate after 15 minutes, to make sure it's a real craving and not a boredom craving. When I make brownies, I make them with pureed black beans instead of oil, eggs, and water (it adds fiber and protein and plant stuff). I drink water all the time. And if I need a donut, one donut is not going to kill me. I'm not dieting; this isn't going to end. If I am going to live with this forever, I need to be able to live with this and me right now.

As I mentioned before, I wrote this blog a few days ago. Today, I watched/read a slide show that clarified and confirmed what I wrote above. Yes, every thing I ranted above I went over (while washing up) on Sunday. This just plopped into my lap and prompted me to write it all out. So, what's your plan people?