England Chiropractic Clinic

The Number One Resolution

According to a recent news report, the number one New Year's resolution made by more people than any other is to lose weight.  Really not much of a surprise there.  It seems that everyone is subject to weight gain over the holidays with all the rich food, the desserts and the high calorie beverages we consume.  Many of us are feeling a little tight in our clothes and less comfortable when we move.  So if you have resolved to lose weight, what can you do?  If you are like millions of other Americans, you go on a diet!  Unfortunately as we all know, most diets do not lead to long-term weight loss.  While you can lose weight with most diets, the key is keeping the weight off over a long period of time.  Also, not every diet will work for every person.  What might work great for you might not work at all for your neighbor.  So what can you do to insure long term success in weight loss?

Any diet you go on must be one that you can make part of your daily life for the rest of your life.  A grapefruit diet will help you lose weight but you cannot realistically stay on a grapefruit diet for the rest of your life.  A dietary plan has to be sensible and practical.  If it is too restrictive, then you will feel deprived and that will make it hard to keep.  There needs to be some flexibility that allows for occasional treats.  At the same time, it is important to understand, if you are overweight you got that way by eating the way you have been eating. 

Obviously, you have to make changes in what you eat if you want to lose weight and at first those changes may seem dramatic.  For example, I believe one of the easiest things you can do to lose weight is to simply stop eating bread.  By this I mean ALL bread - white, wheat, whole grain, or cornbread - for a period of time.  That sounds hard for most people and drastic but it really is easy to do once you get used to it.  And it does not have to be forever.  Just do it for 90 days and see what happens.  After that, you can eat some occasional bread.  That's what I did.  I stopped eating bread for a while, lost 12 pounds, and now I mostly eat bread only when  eating out.  I do not buy bread and use it at home.  And since I eat most of my meals at home, I don't eat much bread.  Not everyone has a problem with bread but most of us have a problem with something when it comes to food. What is your problem food?  Is it chips and snacks?  High calorie drinks?  Pasta, rice or potatoes (starches)?  Whatever it is, eliminate it for a period of time and see what happens.  Of course you have to replace it with something else so what will that be?  Think vegetables, fruits and lean protein.  Replace those calorie-dense foods like breads and starches with nutrient-rich foods like carrots, broccoli and brussels sprouts.  You want to learn a new way of eating, one that you will enjoy and that will support your weight loss goals. 

The same news show also reported that the three top leading diet plans - the ones that get the best results - are:  Weight Watchers, the Atkins Diet and the Mediterranean Diet.  All of these three are good but the one I like best is the Mediterranean Diet.  In fact, the Phase II Diet plan I have given many of you in my office is patterned on the Mediterranean Diet.  It is a way of eating that you can adopt for the rest of your life and it is easy to follow.  If you would like a copy of the Phase II Diet plan, just drop by the office or call us at 501-842-1004 and we will be glad to mail you one.  We are here to help you and support you in all your health related goals.

Happy New Year!

Dr. Wyly