Cracking the Code on Losing That Extra Weight for Good!

Dear Fitness Coach,

What is the best new diet you would recommend for those of us who have gotten too comfortable in our sweats over the past holiday season?

Sista in sweats


Dear Sista,

There is a plethora of new diet books and claims out there, but only a very small percentage offer a long-term solution. If any one of  these books offered any kind of breakthrough diet discoveries, the multibillion-dollar diet industry would vanish overnight.

Radical, abrupt dietary changes rarely work. That is why fasting, juicing or any kind of eating plan that requires significant restrictions will fail in the end. It takes up to 6 months to develop a habit, and none of these fad diets are sustainable for that long.

According to John P Foreyt, director of the Behavioral Medicine Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine, becoming self-aware of bad nutrition and sedentary habits are the first step. Small changes can end up making a big difference. He advises eating slowly, drinking water, choosing nutrient-dense food and drinking calorie-free beverages. He also advises against skipping meals.

Most importantly though, contrary to the claims of many diet books and the diet gurus that wrote them, effective weight loss and maintenance are not easy. Every day you need to make a conscious choice to lead a fit-and-healthy lifestyle - for the rest of your life. It's a sustained effort, but the changes in your quality of life will make the effort worthwhile.