Starting a Diet

Diet, a four-letter word that can sometimes even be more potent than the equally well known word called love, is defined by Mr. Webster as a prescribed course of what’s to be eaten and what’s not. This scary term invokes images of abstinence from greasy fries, hours seemingly wasted on grueling exercise and severely limited trips to the Chinese deli around the corner. But alongside that are visions of the “Future You,” with a figure that can make Barbie or Blaine cry in envy.

I think it’s safe to say that a rare few, if any, can say they look forward to adhering to their diet plans. But, hey, since it’s the in thing to do, might as well take a shot on it, eh? After all, what’s good enough for Jennifer Aniston is good enough for us mere mortals.

Getting Past Self-Denial: You NEED To Diet

Just like how we recover from heartbreak, the first thing we have to do is get past the denial stage. You believe that something is wrong with your body. And when something’s wrong then we must do something about it because this is one case where time can’t heal all wounds. Now, let’s backtrack a little bit and say that you’re still entertaining this tiny nagging doubt that even though it takes you two hours to squeeze into your pants, you still believe you don’t need to diet. You say you need just one extra piece of proof before you commit yourself to self-exile from the lavishly sweet chocolate cake you love to bake.

Fine by me, then; what you should do now is to calculate your body mass index. Divide your weight in kilograms by your height in meters squared. Err..skipped math on your way to college? That’s okay. There are a lot of sites that provide charts for this for easy identification.

Breathe a sigh of relief if the result is between 18.5 and 24.9 because that means you’re A-okay (but don’t be complacent!). Start worrying however, if the scale hits 25.0 to 29.9 because that’s an indication you’re overweight. But when you reach the big three-oh, that spells obesity for you.

Getting back on track, you are now hopefully resigned to the fact that you need a diet. Good. The next question to tackle is how you’ve reached your present state. Is it because you love to eat two fries more than a happy meal? Or could it be because eating for you is an emotional defense mechanism? For some, it could just be a result of overindulgence of the wrong type of food. Determining the cause of your temporary (we’re into positive thinking here!) condition can help you choose what’s the best diet plan for you.

Finally, we take your preferences into consideration. The dietetic path to a reasonably trim figure is a long, arduous one and a diet plan of your choice can at least it make the journey less painful. And unless your diet is due to a medical condition (e.g. pregnancy, diabetes, lactose intolerance), the world is your oyster. Pick what you feel suits your personality and lifestyle best.

Types of Diet

Diet can be generally divided into three groups – by food, food type and lastly, the fad diets. The first type is simple enough. Diet by food requires you to exclusively eat certain food. The cabbage soup diet is fairly popular, albeit containing a rigid timetable. Meant only for short term weight loss programs, this diet can help you lose 10 pounds in one week.

On the other hand, diet by food type is just a wee bit more complicated because it asks you to recall the basic food groups. The protein diet, for example, allows you to eat as much meat as you want, focusing primarily on protein but discourages you from carbo-loaded food. The high fiber diet, on the other hand, is comparatively easy because it just asks you to eat in moderation while increasing your fiber intake. Besides helping you lose weight, it can help prevent diabetes and even alleviate your condition if you’re suffering from digestive disorders.

And then there are those fad diets we mentioned a while ago. Fad diets are, well, fads. You’ve heard about Anna Nicole Smith’s Trimspa, I’m sure. And then there’s the Scarsdale Diet, the Slim Fast Optima Diet and a lot more.

While I wouldn’t even try to dissuade you from choosing a fad diet that you learned about from TV or just by word of mouth, please keep in mind that adhering to diet plans usually equates to a lifestyle change, and it may be dangerous to your health.  A new kind of diet might seem exciting and promising at first glance but when the novelty wears off, you may find yourself too bored to continue. So let me reiterate once more, choose the type of diet that suits your personality and lifestyle.

But hey, if a certain type of fad diet is the optimal choice for you then go ahead. After all, if the shoe fits, you surely should go ahead and wear it! Though, before starting any diet, be sure to first consult your physician.

 Back to more health and nutrition tips and advice

To teach and learn money skills, personal finance, money management, business, careers, and life skills please go to the Money Instructor home page.