Please consult your doctor or regular health physician before following suggestions found in any Sun Day health columns/stories.
The holidays are now over and many are fighting unwanted pounds, clothes that donāt fit, and New Yearās resolutions that include dieting. The word ādietā is a set course of eating and drinking in which the kinds and amounts of food one should eat are planned in order to achieve weight loss.
Counting calories and making sure foods are low in fat are most often the method used. This is either done on oneās own, with a doctor or dietitian’s instruction, or by choosing one of the numerous programs on the market.
One of the most popular plans is Weight Watchers. Based on total calories consisting of carbohydrates, protein and fat, every food is assigned a point value. Clients are allowed so many points a meal but no foods are off limits.
Jenny Craig is a program which sells frozen food to clients who pay for shipping. Again, based on calorie count, all foods, including desserts, appear on the menu. This plan appeals to people not wanting to give up their goodies.
Nutrisystem is much like Jenny Craig only there is no shipping fee and the meals are cheaper. Both of these companies sell foods based on portion control, but they do not necessarily promote health.
Medifast is a program promoted by over 20,000 doctors, allows six small meals per day, and uses medication such as appetite suppressants.
Atkins is different from all the others as it slashes carbohydrates and increases fat and protein.
Other programs include Mediterranean, South Beach, Zone, Vegetarian, Mayo Clinic, and many more.
As I was searching the web, I was shocked at the products being sold that we are told melt fat. Two of these, green coffee bean extract and Garcinia Cambogia, were talked about on the Dr. Oz show. Many companies have tried to copy the products and make claims for fast weight loss but they are not the real thing. I donāt believe any one product can make claims to melt fat while allowing people to eat any way they desire.
We will talk next time on why dieting is not the way to go.
