MAKE MINE LOW CARB, PLEASE...

Poor Dr. Atkins never saw the true success of his theories take off with the hysteria and abandonment of today's low carb followers. Perhaps the tweeking of his regiment by a fellow colleague who developed the South Beach Diet, just a low carb program with some wiser, reduced fat choices, was just what the doctor ordered, so to speak, to get the craze started.

Anyway, it's gone crazy. Everywhere one looks, fast food restaurants, the regular supermarkets, TV cooking shows, all now have low carb agendas. Will it be successful??? Will more people finally shed the excess pounds they've been trying to loss with better and long lasting results???

My answer. Probably not.

I believe low carb, low fat, and/or restricted-calorie diets all work, if followed faithfully. The problem lies with the person who begins any weight-loss program and after several weeks/months, begins to "cheat." Or after losing the weight, let their old eating habits, creep back into their lifestyle, and soon, they are even heavier than they were in the first place. Thus the yo-yo dieting syndrome occurs.

There's no special trick to this folks, no magic pills or formula. It's simple arithmetic -- limit calories, exercise more, use more energy that you take in and ... viola -- minus the pounds. Making wise food choices is helpful in getting more quantity for your calorie budget, but all this is easier said then done. With the abundance of decadent, or just plain junk foods on every market shelf and restaurant menu, the temptation to sooth one's soul with the comfort of Ben and Jerrys Chunky Monkey, or (fill in the blank here with your favorite _______), will probably consume (no pun intended) 3/4 of the calorie budget for the day. The beginning of the end of any sensible eating plan.

How do I know? What makes me the expert on diets? Because I am the perfect example of the constant dieter, struggling each and every day with the battle against food. I'm the perfect example of the professional dieter, still waiting for the next new plan to change my life and my weight.

I truly know, all I need to do is be consistant in make wise food choices, utilize sensible portion control, and exercise more, to be successful and reach a realistic goal, but I am not disciplined nor patient enough to follow through for the necessary period of time to experience a reasonable and permanent weight loss.

So here's to the perfect low carb, low fat, sugar-free, high fiber reduced calorie meal -- a cereal box (not cereal, just the box) and a glass of water. Enjoy!




- posted by rosemary @ 3:20 AM