Nothing has changed, but everything has
As we begin the year, many people will be making their annual New Year’s resolution to lose weight. It’s a challenge that shouldn’t be taken lightly and with just a little knowledge can be accomplished.
Before you begin, you should know a few things. As a nation, we spend over $30 billion dollars a year on diet-related products. Unfortunately, it is estimated that 95% of people who lose weight, gain it all back. This is unfortunate because – hold on – losing weight is not difficult. While writing my book, Feed Your Head, I did thousands of hours of research and discovered a few simple truths that should be helpful.
While there is no shortage of diet advice, over the past fifty years, very little has changed – eat more fruits and vegetables and exercise. Yes, it is a little more complicated than that, but not much.
Unfortunately, in American society, there are many things that have changed. Harold Goldstein of the California Center for Public Health Advocacy makes the point: Imagine a vast national experiment to encourage weight gain. We put fast food on every corner, we put junk food in schools, we got rid of P.E., we put candy and soda at the checkout stand of every retail outlet you can think of. The results are in. It worked. I would add; over the past 20 years, portion sizes have become enormous. The all-American bagel has gone from 140 to 350 calories and individually, we consume over 115 pounds of sugar per year! So, reduce portion sizes and be aware; sugar is in almost every product.
While the CDC states that over 66% of Americans are overweight or obese, I have proclaimed: “It’s not your fault.” We do live in an environment that promotes weight-gain. Now, what can you do about it? I say: “Eat more.” Start your day off with a high-fiber cereal (loaded with fruit), for lunch; pack it, for dinner, be sure to have vegetables with a low calorie main dish. And don’t forget to snack, snack, snack. Yes, at least three times per day. Try an apple or even a handful of your high-fiber cereal.
I am on a mission to assist with our national dilemma. So, be sure to communicate with me.
Ken Leebow is author of Feed Your Head Diet
www.FeedYourHeadDiet.com or www.Leebow.com
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