Whats's the matter with my new diet?

You would have had to have your head under a rock the past hew weeks to not notice the new wave of whizz bang diet programs being advertised as the ultimate answers to weight loss. Even I am shocked at the number of these programs being flogged on TV and in print media. The reason that dietitians get so frustrated with these money making weight loss programs is that we are often the ones who have to see the clients after they have tried nearly all of them but are still fat. And there is nothing harder than trying to get a persons metabolism on track again after they have tried numerous low carb, low calorie shake, soup and water based diets (think lemon detox!).

Generally speaking all of these diets are low calorie (<5000kJ per day) and low in carbohydrate (<100g each day). Yes, they will work but few are sustainable, and fewer teach any of the lifestyle skills necessary for long term habit and behaviour change which are ultimately the variables which result in long term weight control. So, if you want to spend more of your hard earned $ on these programs, go right ahead but basically you can do one yourself if you want to eat this way for a week or for as long as you like.

For example, if you would like to try the Lemon Detox Diet, all you need to do it add a teaspoon of sugar to a glass of water and drink one of these 6-8 times a day (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-_qXwT1guE) for more info on this one. Or if you prefer a low carb plan just eat an omelet for breakfast, tuna and salad for lunch and 100g steak and green veges for dinner and you have your own low carb diet for free.

So, this year, stop making money hungry businessmen richer and don't be sucked into paying more money on expensive and generally unsuccessful weight loss programs. Instead, get serious, change the way you think about food, your body and your health and simply start to make some positive changes to your lifestyle. Eat less, eat more vegetables, cut out the alcohol for a few weeks and walk each day. You may not lose as much weight as you would on a low carb diet but these are habits you can maintain and build on to get your weight off slowly, but for good.

Remember the truth is that:

"Diets aim at the wrong target - the belly, not the brain. They focus on a symptom rather than the underlying causes. the key to permanent weight loss is changing the attitudes and habits that determine what, why, when, how much and how often you eat" (Parade Magazine, 2005)

Best Books of 2009

Overcoming Under Earning by Barbara Stanny - a must read for any woman in business
Man in the Mirror by Wayne Bennett - fantastic insight into the psychological functioning of young athletes from the coaching master himself
The Volumetrics Eating Plan by Dr Barbara Rolls - one of the USA's top diet books
The Princessa by Harriet Rubin - a fascinating look at the way women go into battle compared to men
Are you the one for me? by Barbara De Angelis - one of the best relationship books you can read
Affluenza by Oliver James - if you are looking for meaning this book explains why we are making it hard for ourselves to find it
Life's Too F**king Short by Janet Street Porter - a light, funny read thta takes the piss out of many a female behaviour
The Art of Forgiveness, Loving kindness and Peace by jack Kornfield - a must read for any one who finds it difficult to forgive and move on or to recover from grief
The Money Club - if you have thought about starting a share club, this one will inspire you to go for it
Woulda, shoulda, coulda by Dr Arthur Freeman - if you find your head in the past much more than the present you need to read this one
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls - a brilliant true story, beautifully written which demonstrates the power of resilience no matter what your family background - a great pool read over the break
Surviving adolescents by Dr Michael Carr-Gregg - I don't even have teenagers and i loved this one
The Don't Go Hungry Diet by Dr Amanda Sainsbury Sallis - for any chronic dieter, this books explains why dieting almost makes it impossible to lose weight
Mindless eating by Dr Brian Wansick - a fascinating read about how our food environment shapes exactly what and how much we eat
Reinventing your life by Dr Jeffrey Young - if your past profoundly affects the way you behave and interact in relationships, this book may explain why, with a particular emphasis on parenting and past experience

What Have You Learnt This Year?

The majority (not all) of new music seems a bit to same-same, and been done before.
You need to get everything right for a healthier life:- sleep, mind (stress or lack of), diet and exercise. Excel in one area but drop the ball in another results in minimal gains.
Tip your hairdresser (for guys), as they are paid paltry $, and you will get more attention and better service next time around.
Do I need it or want it?
Never too old to start surfing
Czech beer is very good
ABC and SBS are so much better than the 3 commercial stations.
tabata (interval) training using compound (cross-fit type) exercises provides extreme fat loss and strength
Sydney traffic is getting progressively worse each year

Anthony

To always trust your gut instinct
Never complain about food in a pub
Expectations of good service in Sydney are wasted
The Y generation come from a completely different planet
Sometimes you need carbs at night to get the metabolism going
Adding walnuts to your diet to lower cholesterol really does work
A couple of parking tickets each year is really not that bad when you live in the city
There is a big difference between men and boys

SB

No matter how much you plan, research something, deliberate, reason
about something - things sometimes just do not go to plan!

I find it hard to tolerate boredom. Not sure what the answer is to that
one - it's definitely not - eat more!

Sydney is a great city - you just need to know where to go!

Fried chilli cuttlefish is delicious!

Never drink on an empty stomach.

There is nothing wrong with not being warm and nice all the time.

Cindy

1. It isn't the number of friends, but the quality of the friendships
2. You need to let yourself be taken care of once in a while
3. Nothing beats a lovely day out with friends, drinking, eating and laughing
4. You can have a life of meaning and a life of happiness, it doesn't have to be a choice between the two
5. People can tell you nice things, but when nice things are told to you by the people that matter, those words mean more than anything in the world.

JB

You only crave sugar when you are eating it regularly
Mini breaks are the difference between getting through the year happily or not
Sometimes you have to be brutel when it comes to friendships

SM

People are offended by some jokes.

Life gets taken too seriously.

It's ok to be an idiot!

I am dying everyday and that's ok. Eye sights getting worse, loosing
brain cells as we speak/write. And you just can't prevent it!

Caron

Leaving the children to go away is something every parent should do
Motherhood is over rated
Two alcohol free days each week is unreasonable

KC

Four wheel drives are too big for the city
Most women do not know how to drive 4WD's
Teenagers can never be trusted, ever
Every person that comes into your life is there to teach you a lesson

SC

Week 11: 12 Week Challenge: Time to fine tune

As the 12 Week Challenge draws to an end, it is time to think about what dietary changes you can maintain and which you need to tweak slightly to keep up the momentum. Remember, eating well during the week tends to lend itself to more relaxed weekends, and daily movement is a must for long term weight control. Consider which area s of your diet are making your feel restricted or when you feel most hungry - these are the areas we need to work on to develop a sustainable eating plan.

12 Week Challenge: Week 10: Bump up the breakfast

After 10 weeks of dietary changes, and hopefully a couple of kgs of weight loss, you are probably starting to feel hungry. Weight loss studies have shown that individuals lose more weight on a weight loss diet when they have a larger breakfast so this week, why don;t you try and increase the size of your breakfast.

If you are having 1 piece of toast for breakfast, try adding another OR increase your serve of cereal up 1/3 cup or add an extra piece of fruit in. Remember, a well balanced breakfast should keep up full for 3 hours so if you are getting hungry at 930, increase the size of your breakfast so it keeps you full until 10-1030am

12 Week Challenge: Take some time off

With just 4 weeks to go until the end of the 12 Week Challenge, it is time to give your body a break. Research suggests that prolonged periods of dietary restriction can actually make fat loss more difficult as the body fights to keep weight on by secreting appetite driving hormones. So, this week tyr giivng your self a little diet holidsay. A day or two off o a copuple of emals where you indulge and eat what you really feel like. A break will let your continue diet momentum for longer and aslo satisfy any cravings you may be having.

12 Week Challenge: Check your snacks

While snacks have become a regular part of our daily food intake, is could be questioned if, whether given our largely sedentary lifestyles we actually need to snack at all. Snacks can come in handy if they help to manage hunger and prevent over eating at meal times but with a snack needing to be just 400-600kJ, the average coffee teamed with banana bread or muffin can equate to up to 3x that amount of energy. So, this week, try changing your snack routine. Either limit your snacks completely OR swap to low kJ choices. Not only will you eat better at meal times but you can cut your daily energy intake by up to 2000kJ.

Susie's Top 10 Snack Choices
Dairy Farmers Thick & Creamy yoghurt
Punnet of berries
4 Vita Weat 9 grains with 2 slices Light Jarlsberg cheese
2 corn thins + peanut butter
Paddle Pop Ice Cream
Go Natural Nut Delight Bar
Carman's Breakfast Bar
Red Capsicum
10 Wafethins + low fat hummus
Skim Latte OR Jarrah hot chocolate