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LUDLOW, VT (Nov. 29, 2002): Publicity surrounding a recent
Duke University study, which showed some people can shed pounds
faster on the low-carbohydrate “Atkins” diet,
has once again stirred up a storm of debate. Yet, weight loss
experts have been in this whose-diet-is-best boxing match
for 40+ years, and 40 years of dieting later, we're
just as confused—and getting even fatter. Maybe it's
time to consider that we're looking at the wrong thing.
“As long as we continue to focus on dieting and weight
loss, which food is slimming this month and fattening the
next, we will continue to foster a nation of disordered eaters
and an obesity epidemic that won't stall,” says
Marsha Hudnall, MS, RD, nutrition director at Green Mountain
at Fox Run, a thirty-year-old women's retreat that pioneered
the non-diet approach to achieving a healthy weight. Alan
Wayler, executive director of Green Mountain and PhD in nutritional
biochemistry and metabolism, agrees: “We don't
need to know how to diet anymore; we need to know how to eat.”
Whether a low-carbohydrate diet, or, for that matter, high-carbohydrate
diet “works best” for weight loss isn't
the point. “It's unrealistic to think there will
ever be a cookie cutter method that works for everyone,”
says Dr. Wayler. “Trying to define the ultimate
diet is like attempting to fit a square peg into a round hole
(or, in this case, a round peg—our bodies—into
the square and rigid structure of a diet). Ultimately,
such a diet will still fail many individuals. More importantly,
eating to drop a notch on the scale is very different from,
and often independent of, eating for a long and healthy life.
Eating to feel good allows your body to find its natural
healthy weight—even if that's at a body size larger
than the societal ideal.”
To figure out which foods best support
your individual wants and needs, follow these steps,
recommended by Hudnall:
- Swim, dance, lift weights. Do something
good for yourself, right now. Physical activity is critical
to getting back in touch with your body and encouraging
it to function properly.
- Stay the course. If you continue to
eat erratically, your body's cues may be misinterpreted.
Start having regular, nourishing meals so you can begin
to sort out real hunger signals. The “plate approach,”
whereby you fill half your lunch or dinner plate with veggies
and fruit, one-fourth to one-third with a lean meat or other
protein food, and one-fourth with a starch, is a good place
to start. These proportions model the well-researched guidelines
recently released by the Food and Nutrition Board of the
National Academies, which recommend getting 45 to 65 percent
of your calories from carbohydrates, 20 to 35 percent from
fat (especially mono- and polyunsaturated fats), and 10
to 35 percent from protein. (Note the wide ranges in nutrients;
scientists already recognize that optimal nutrition is highly
individualized.)
- Follow your gut. Stop and focus on what
your body is seeking out beyond the balanced starter plate.
Is your hand instinctively reaching for an extra roll—or
another slice of roast beef? Your body may be telling you
that you need more carbohydrate or protein to be satisfied.
(Remember, we're not suggesting you go wild for either,
just that you add in a bit more as your body demands it.)
- Keep listening. Assess how you feel
directly after the meal and again several hours afterward.
How is your energy, focus, and emotional satisfaction?
- Don't take our word for it. Experiment
from one meal or snack to the next and over time. If you
continued craving carbs after having the roll, try more
protein next time.
- Nurture the whole person. Since emotions
can bury normal eating cues, cultivate all aspects of a
healthy lifestyle. Reduce stress, foster rewarding relationships,
get restful sleep, seek spiritual fulfillment.
If, after practicing this strategy, you continue to maintain
an unhealthy weight, seek the help of a healthy weight professional.
About Green Mountain
at Fox Run
Pioneer in the non-diet approach to health and weight
management
Nestled in the shadow of Okemo Mountain in central Vermont
on 26 secluded, wooded acres, Green Mountain at Fox Run is
this country's first residential healthy
weight loss program and lifestyle retreat for women only.
Green Mountain is dedicated to helping women get fit, healthy,
and happy—and permanently achieve healthy weights without
dieting by developing real, lasting solutions. Providing serious
alternatives to the fat farm,
weight
loss camp and boot camps for weight loss, Green Mountain
at Fox Run marks its 33rd year helping women feel good again.
For more information on Green Mountain at Fox Run and its
life-changing program, call (802) 228-8885 or (800) 448-8106,
or visit online at www.fitwoman.com.
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©2002, Green Mountain at
Fox Run, Ludlow, Vermont.
This information is the property of Green Mountain at Fox
Run.
Permission to use single copies for personal, noncommercial
use is authorized.
For further media information,
contact:
Marsha Hudnall, Program Director
P.O. Box 164, 262 Fox Lane
Ludlow, Vermont 05149
800.448.8106
Marsha_Hudnall@fitwoman.com
For media inquiries only
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