Losing Weight The Healthy Way

February 27, 2010 1:00 pm     Posted in Body  Candy -- NYU g+ page

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By Candy

We’ve spent the last week discussing eating disorders, what triggers them and how they can negatively affect your life.  But we don’t want anyone to think that all weight loss attempts result in disordered eating or full-blow eating disorders.

If you want to lose a few pounds (or a lot of pounds) there are very healthy ways of doing so. Ways that don’t require you to binge on exercising or skip meals. We asked our friend Erin, a health and diet connoisseur for the college female at Student Body, for her advice on dieting the healthy way.

Her advice is below:

If you want to lose weight, there are questions you should ask yourself before devising a plan.

1. Do you think you’ll be happier once you lose ten pounds? All other aspects of your life will be the same; if you think things will be different when the weight is gone, you’re allowing your happiness to be dependent on your weight and shape. Ask yourself what will really change.

2. Do you really need to lose weight? Contrary to what the trainers in the gym tell you, whether or not you need to lose weight can’t be determined by calculating your BMI or consulting a height-weight chart. It’s unlikely that you’ll ever be at a weight that you haven’t been since middle school. Your ideal weight is nothing more than the weight your body naturally goes to when you feed it well, exercise regularly and feel your best. That is different for every single person.

If your happiness is dependent on your weight and shape, and you’re never satisfied with your physical appearance, these are unhealthy attitudes and may signal  disordered eating.

“Disordered eating is when a person’s attitudes about food, weight, and body size lead to very rigid eating and exercise habits that jeopardize one`s health, happiness, and safety,” according to the National Eating Disorders Association. These feelings and behaviors can lead to eating disorders, so it’s best to recognize them and contact a health professional now before things get worse.

If you don’t feel that your happiness depends on your weight, and genuinely want to lose weight, it will require a plan that takes into consideration the unique situation of the college student. It’s not realistic to think that we’re going to be able to prepare three nutritious meals a day while in school. Convenience, time and socializing are all issues that prevent us from always eating healthfully.

I address the challenges of maintaining your weight while in college on my blog, Student Body and have many tips, ideas and advice to do so. Some of them are:

• First, assess why past diets have failed. “Yo-yo dieting” can have long-lasting, negative effects on your metabolism. If you drastically reduce calories, you’re also likely to deprive yourself of essential nutrients. Nutritionists recommend that sedentary women usually need at least 1200-1300 calories a day, but that’s if you’re carefully monitoring nutrient intake.

•Lose it slowly. Instead of a crash diet, reduce your intake by 100-200 calories and eat more filling, high-fiber foods to combat hunger.

•Small changes are most likely to be long-lasting. Trading mayo for mustard, or a side of fries for a side of veggies makes a big difference in the long run.

•Don’t try to make unrealistic, drastic changes. If you absolutely love a certain food, swearing to never eat it again may lead to craving and binges.

•Brush off mistakes. They are unavoidable. Demanding perfection is setting yourself up to fall short.

•Target mindless eating. Are there any high-calorie foods that you consume that you wouldn’t miss? Food shopping once a week and planning your meals out can be a good way to avoid this.  Now its easier than ever with online grocery services that deliver to your doorstep.

•Treat your body well by appreciating the taste and texture of food and the way your body feels after exercise.

•Finally, don’t let yourself miss out on the important things by spending all your time thinking about your weight. Your diet should be one aspect of your life, and it should never require you to turn down a social opportunity, distract you from school or diminish your self-esteem. If it does, those body image issues need to be dealt with before going on any type of diet.

50 Comments on "Losing Weight The Healthy Way"

  1. John Roberts says:
    Tue, 16th Mar 20103:17 pm 

    I need some help!

  2. Jim says:
    Mon, 5th Apr 201010:40 pm 

    Eat less, be active, walking, NO junk food!
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  3. srccdjg says:
    Mon, 23rd Aug 20108:34 am 

    This write up could not speak more then the truth. Taking on weight-loss through a healthy lifestyle is the only way it can be done and kept off. And, stressing on your weight so much is the only way to ensure yourself for failure. You simply need to be cautious in what you eat and when in how you eat, instead of only going on one of those fad diets.

    People should really pay attention to what you have written because from my own experiences I know it is the right way to go about weight-loss. Eating right and taking it one step at a time, is also by far a life changing experience, and can set you up for a healthy lifestyle for the rest of your life. Along with a well planned out workout program, anyone can be right on there way to there weight loss goals, and living a healthy lifestyle.

  4. Diet Plan Reviews says:
    Fri, 27th Aug 20106:54 am 

    From my experience being at the optimal weight for your body is an incredible experience. I find I have limitless energy, feel light, and my mind is more incredibly sharp. Getting up in the morning is easy and going to sleep at night is a snap. For me, once I experienced all this I never wanted to look back and continue a lifestyle of proper eating and exercise.

    Fad diets just end up making a person feel worse and possibly even heavier in the long term.

  5. Troy Maclean says:
    Thu, 2nd Sep 20106:41 pm 

    I agree with the yo yo diet comment. For years I struggled with weight gain and still do to some extent now but I am alot more educated as to how to lose weight and what works and what is not only a waste of time but potentially harmful. A healthy life style which includes moderate exercise and eating the right types of food is key.

  6. www.start30daysnow.c says:
    Tue, 28th Sep 20104:39 pm 

    Eating less is not a healthy way, you just have to know the amount of food your body needs and pair it with exercise.Live in a healthy way!

  7. Weightloss Menus says:
    Fri, 8th Oct 201010:22 am 

    Very informative post, I'll share this with my students. Way to go Erin! Losing it slowly is the way !!

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    my healthy diet routine include lots of dietary fibers, vegetables and fruits, i always cut down on beef and pork-~,

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