Don't Obsess About Food!

One of the dangers of dieting is the 'diet mentality'. The constant need to weigh, measure,
count and account for food that most dieters feel can become an obsession with food that
comes close to that experienced by someone with an eating disorder. Is it possible to
lose weight without becoming obsessed with food?
Dr. David Katz, author of "The Way to Eat", suggests a better way. While it's important to
balance the calories you eat with the calories you burn, he says, it's not necessary to
obsess about food by counting every calorie. Instead, he suggests, focus on eating well
for your health and permanent weight loss will follow.
Dr. Katz's suggestions include replacing highly processed foods which contain added
sugar, fat, starch and salt with more wholesome foods with short ingredient lists. Avoid
foods with added 'flavor enhancers' like monosodium glutamate and high fructose corn
syrup which tend to stimulate the appetite and make you want to eat even more.
Instead, focus on healthier alternatives within food groups. That's far easier to do than
you'd think. A simple change in your diet like replacing the light cream in your coffee with
low-fat milk can save you 50 calories per cup. If you drink a lot of coffee, that could add
up to a substantial lowering in your overall daily calorie intake - with the added bonus of
giving you all the calcium and vitamin D you usually get with less than half the fat.
But, you say, you just can't drink your coffee with skim milk? That's fine, too. We all have
little luxuries that we think we can't live without. Take a few minutes to analyze your diet
and figure out which things you just can't give up - then make adjustments in other areas
to account for them. Can't live without cream in your coffee? Skip the muffin you usually
have with it, or replace the butter you use on it with a low-fat margarine substitute. Eating
healthy is about choices - not obsession.
Here are some other suggestions to help you stop obsessing about calories and start
eating healthier:
1. Toss out sugared breakfast cereals in favor of a whole-grain cereal that has little or no
added sugar and drop a few berries into your bowl instead.
2. Switch to an all natural, no additive peanut butter instead of a highly processed one
that contains added sugar and oils for stabilization.
3. Keep a baggie of dried fruit in your desk drawer for a high-potassium pick-me-up at
mid-morning. You'll be far less inclined to overeat at lunch - and you won't find yourself
yawning at 11 A.M.