Now that you've decided to lose weight, what are you going to do about it?
Go on a low-fat/no-fat diet for a few months? Go on a crash diet and get this over with as fast as possible? Try yet another diet that gets results for a few months before you return to wearing your "fat" clothes again?
Many health care experts agree that diets do not work. The key isn't "I'm going on a diet to lose weight." Rather, it's: "I'm going to change how I eat once and for all."
Stephen Sinatra, M.D., who deals with weight loss every day in his cardiology practice, is a huge proponent of altering your relationship with food—not for two weeks or several months—but forever!
Here's what he has to say about healthy weight loss:
Q: What does that mean exactly—altering your
relationship with food?
A: There's no question about it, but
that weight loss requires a lifestyle switch Once you make the switch, you won't
want to return to the typical American diet, which is made up primarily of
unhealthy fat. The average person—once he detoxifies himself from white flour,
additives, preservatives and sugary foods—is going to get immediate fatigue and
won't feel good if he continues to eat these foods. The alarm will go off and
he'll say: 'I've just eaten something that I wasn't used to.'"
Q: What type of weight-loss program do you
recommend for your patients?
A: The program I've developed over my
many years as a cardiologist employs the right amount of fiber, protein,
carbohydrates and healthy fats to help you lose—and maintain—a healthy weight.
My goal, of course, is to ensure that you also stave off heart disease, which is
a leading killer of men and women. Excess weight is among the many contributors
to heart disease.
Q: Is your weight-loss plan good for
everyone, or mainly people who have or want to prevent heart disease?
A: This plan is great for everyone who
want to lose weight. But I want to stress that it's not a one-week or six-month
plan. It's a lifestyle change that trains you to eat with awareness—for life.
Q: What does it involve?
A: It involves the following: