Desize Me - Diets that Work by Reducing Portion Sizes - Only Eat the Better Half

Losing weight is very hard especially long term. Only 20% of people who start a diet keep their weight off for 12 months and perhaps only 10% permanently.

The major problem is that diets are short-term, but long term weight loss depends not on diets but permanent changes in eating patterns and major lifestyle changes.

Diets have to transform naturally into a lifestyle change that are very simple to follow - Eat Less and Exercise More.

Many people who are permanently on diets are miserable for years but don't lose weight. Permanent Weight Loss requires changes in lifestyle not Diets

The best way to do lose weight is by reducing portion sizes, stop snacking.

Only Eat the Better Half - Halve what you eat and eliminate the poor quality parts of your diet.

Track Daily Calorie Deficit to Guarantee a Weight Loss Program

Desize Me - Eat Less, Eat Less Often, Reduce Portion Sizes

We each more Often, Eat more Snacks Food and Drink and Eat Bigger Portions (Upsize Me)

A recent study reported that in the USA the average calorie intake per day for adults rose over a 30-year period by a whopping 570 calories. Most of this increase food intake was due to 'snacking'. There was an increases in the number of drinking and eating occasions and an increases in average portion sizes as well.

The annual daily energy intake for adults inn the US increased by about 30 kcal per day per year between 1977 and 2006.

• The biggest contributor to this was change in the number of Eating Occasions, accounting for roughly 22 kcal (70%).The average number of Eating Occasions increased from 3.5 per day to 5.0 per day.
• Increased Portion Size accounted for 10 kcal (30%).
• The Energy Density of the portions actually decreased accounting for roughly −4 kcal.

The conclusion from the study is that people eat too much and the keys to weight loss are reducing portion sizes and reducing the number of meals and snacks consumed.

Weight Problems and Obesity Increasing Alarmingly Despite Billions being Spent on Weight Control Programs

Government Weight Loss Programs are not Working. Why?

The prevalence of obesity in the United States continues to be high, exceeding 30% in most sex and age groups. The obesity epidemic make the US population the fattest in the OECD.

Obesity overweight rates have risen steadily since the 1980s in both women and men. If the trend continues, three quarters of the population will be obese or overweight within 10 years.

Half of all Canadians who are over 40 of age will be obese in 25 years.

Child obesity rates are also alarmingly high, but obesity rate increases has slowed down. About 40% of American children are currently overweight, and 20% are obese. The rates have flattened out in the last ten years, but are still far too high.

Obesity is expected to surpass smoking as the leading cause of preventable illness and death and is a major burden on health programs and budgets.

The rising obesity rates clearly shows that focusing on getting people to eat the Right Foods has proved to be the Wrong Advice. Government Weight Loss programs are not working.

The government programs such as Mypyramid and Myplate are meant to be strategies for weight loss, BUT these programs don't offer specific weight-loss plans, they merely give nutrition suggestions about the number of serving of various types of food to eat. These programs are NOT strategies for successfully losing weight. To quote from the 2010 US "Dietary Guidelines for Americans"

Calorie Counts on Menus have not Worked and Calorie Counting is a Flawed Approach

Exercise Helps but won't work for weight loss if you don't eat less

You only have to look at the calories burnt via exercise to see that exercise itself will not help much in losing weight.

Voluntary Programs by the Food Industry have been a Dismal Failure

In Australia research has shown that junk food advertising during the time when most children watched television actually increased after self-regulation was introduced.

Stomach band surgery works but it is expensive and risky.

What has worked for those who have lost weight and kept it off?

A study of more than 75,000 women who were surveyed in 1982 and again in 1992 was designed to examine the association between weight and various food choices and behaviour.

This study showed that:

• Over the ten year period weight increase ( body mass index) was associated with the amount of meat consumption and stopping smoking.
• Weight loss over the 10 year period was associated with vegetable consumption, vitamin E supplements, continued smoking, and vigorous exercise such as jogging and running.
• Body mass index decreased with walking 4 or more hours per week, especially in women

The researchers involved in the study concluded:

Another study of National Weight Control Registry members showed that losing weight and maintaining reduced weight levels is possible for several years. To qualify for the registry all dieters had to show that they had lost at least 30 pounds and kept the weight off for at least 12 months.
The study found that Members lost an average of about 30 kg more than 5 years. The strategies that helped to keep he weight off were:

• physical activity for about one hour a day
• eating a low-fat diet, low-calorie set of regular meals,
• eating breakfast every day,
• monitoring weight regularly
• maintaining a regular and unchanged eating pattern on both weekdays and weekends.
• Strict following of exercise and diet strategies
• managing depression and disinhibition

Conclusion

While the strategies mentioned work - they work for only a small number of people. Why?

• Traditional dieting methods involve counting calories, keep track of everything we eat and working out the calorie count, amount of sugar and fat etc., and eating strange foods that we normally don't eat - the diet foods. Many diets are simply unpleasant.
• Most diets are unnatural and so unrealistic that they can never lead to lifestyle and food plans that can be maintained after people have lost weight. People lose control drop the diet and put all the weight back on again.
• If your weight loss and maintenance program is to succeed is must be pleasurable and not hamper your normal behaviour such as eating out or having a dinner party.

The key to success is Portion control - Only Eat the Better Half

© janderson99-HubPages

This strategy progresses naturally from the diet to eating less and changing your way of life Eat Less and Become Fitter and Healthier.