64A - Fit and Well Column for March 21st, 2004

64A - TITLE: "Ten Most Common Nutrition Mistakes"

Trish, Angelica and I are back from Brazil! And it’s great to be home (although a little frosty!). We had a great time, and have some interesting information to share with you next week. But, as promised, this week we are going to talk about dieting, nutrition, and the ten most common mistakes people make in this area.

Yes, folks, believe it or not, one of the most common, and self-destructive, errors people make when trying to lose weight, or manage weight, is to eat TOO LITTLE!

People assume that by eating less and less, their bodies will need to burn more and more fat. Unfortunately, this is far from the truth.

What happens when you decrease food intake on a daily basis is that the body actually adjusts to the lower caloric input, and actually starts lowering the caloric expenditure accordingly. So, eat less, burn less. It is a vicious cycle.

Both Trish and I have worked with people who are literally starving themselves (under 1,000 calories a day), and actually GAINING weight. Of course, their energy level is tremendously low, and most likely they are actually doing damage to their system. So, in short form, "don’t do that!".

• Eating Too Much

Needless to say (but worth saying anyway), eating too much will force the body to retain energy stores (accumulate fat). Meals in the United States are notoriously large. We have mentioned before the dangers of "Super Sizing". But even in non-fast food restaurants, we have found the portions are as much as 200% larger than they should be for the average person.

It is very difficult for anybody to restrain themselves from finishing what’s on their plate (And what did we learn as children? CLEAN YOUR PLATE!). And, of course, "all you can eat" buffets are a no-no!

Trish and I have formulated an effective strategy to resolve this problem. We ALWAYS share one meal when eating out. We just ask for an extra plate. Some servers look at us "askance", but the benefits truly "outweigh" the potential embarrassment. And, besides, it always makes for a "cheap date". We even share our Dairy Queen (though my licks are bigger!).

• Skipping Breakfast

No, there is NO excuse to skip breakfast, regardless of your schedule. Skipping the first meal signals your body to shift into "starvation mode", and pretty much guarantees that for the remainder of the day, you will burn LESS calories, regardless of your level of activity. Consider whole grain cereals and breads as a good choice, along with a low-fat source of protein. But please, stay away from donuts, unless of course you’re in law enforcement.

• Eating a Late Dinner or Snack

As you get closer and closer to your bedtime, the amount and type of food that you eat becomes more and more critical. The body naturally slows down during sleep. Consequently, any available calories being offering internally is readily converted into fat stores. The principle is, as always, "use it or wear it". Eating a large calorie-laden meal and falling asleep assures maximum storage. If you MUST eat late, do some light to moderate exercise before retiring for the night. Too cold outside? Use your imagination to engage in some effective and fun indoor exercises. But always keep the noise down, especially if the baby is sleeping!

• Eating One Large Meal

I have seen many people starve themselves all day only to binge on a large dinner. Again, totally counter-productive. The body will react by maintaining a low basal metabolism, and will be tremendously efficient in retaining most of the calories consumed. And, besides, eating when you are literally starving takes much of the please and joy out of the experience. Spread out your meals, or spread out your body!

• Deprivation Diets

Engaging in an eating pattern that does not adequately nourish the body is simply foolish, and actually dangerous. The body is a delicate machine, and requires fuel and proper nutrients to function properly. Depriving yourself of food guarantees imbalance, and eventual illness. And, besides that, because of the body’s propensity to alter metabolism towards what I call the "survival mode" (lowered caloric expenditure), eating an unbalanced diet actually supports weight gain.

• Specificity Diets

We’ve mentioned them before…. The Ketosis based diets (Atkins, South Beach, etc.), Grapefruit Diet, No Carb, No Fat, No Sugar, No Ice Cream (YIPES!), whatever… These diets are typically effective SHORT TERM to reduce fat stores, but cause a myriad of organic stresses and potential disorders.

Utilization of these diets for weight loss usually results in the dreaded "yo-yo" effect, periods of weight loss followed by even stronger weight gains. Very harmful, and certainly tremendously discouraging!

• Use of Drugs to Lose or Control Weight

Hey, I’m old enough to remember the times when doctors were prescribing Amphetamines on a regular basis for weight loss. The pharmaceutical companies were pleased, the patients were happy (and quite peppy, too!), but the damage was quite significant. More recently, people have used "natural" substances to enhances or support weight loss. Again, though seemingly effective, there are numerous risks involved in this approach. Sometimes truly life-threatening.

• Not Becoming Educated Regarding Good Nutrition

It is amazing to both Trish and I how uneducated most people are regarding nutrition. These are people who not only make decisions that are bad for them, but are modeling behaviors for their children, and making bad choices for them. We strongly believe that the first step to sound nutrition is proper education. There is a tremendous amount of good information available in books, videos, television, and the Internet (and, of course, THIS weekly column!).

But, certainly, there is BAD information, also. You need to consider the source, and always be a bit skeptical before accepting any premise or program that seems to promise big gains with little effort.

• Forgetting About The Importance of Lifestyle

It is a common assumption that lowered weight equals better health. This is absolutely NOT true! Yes, excess fat stores do interfere with healthy functioning, and often causes internal imbalance and dysfunction. However, just being "thin" doesn’t guarantee, or even reflect, good health.

Proper nutrition, combined with a whole list of other lifestyle choices are what adds up to good health, vitality, longevity, and a happy body, mind, and spirit. You need to review and consistently consider, assess, and often modify your lifestyle choices to get well, and stay well.

We thought you’d never ask! Be sure to catch next week’s column when we talk about our adventures, and lessons, visiting the jungles, and cities, of Brazil!

TORI: THE FOLLOWING FOR A "BOX":

• DO check with your health care practitioner before embarking on ANY diet and/or exercise program.
• DO consult a nutritionist to get accurate information and advice on what YOU need!
• DO be diverse in your menu, don’t eliminate any of the necessary food groups.
• DO allow yourself to continue to enjoy the experience of eating. It IS a joy!
• DO ALWAYS eat breakfast.
• DO consider eating at least 6 small meals a day.
• DO incorporate resistance training and aerobic exercises into your program.
• DO Identify your "passion foods", and NEVER deprive yourself of them!
• DO remember that food is NEVER the enemy, only bad choices are!!!!