DON’T FALL FOR FAD DIETS

If you’ve tried to lose weight, you are not alone. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly half of all Americans have tried to lose weight in the past 12 months. There are many diets and products out there promising quick and permanent weight loss. Here are some tips to help sort fact from fiction when it comes to achieving your healthiest weight.

KNOW THE FAD DIET SIGNS

How can you evaluate if a diet plan or program is just a fad or a good option for you? Avoid any diets that have any of these telltale signs:

They promise rapid weight loss.
An eating plan or product that promises losses of more than 2 pounds a week should raise alarm bells.

They require eliminating foods.
A balanced, nutritious diet includes a variety of foods. Unless you have been diagnosed with a disease like Celiac (gluten intolerance), beware of diets that claim entire food groups are bad for you or should be eliminated.

They severely restrict calories.
Your body needs a baseline number of calories to function properly. Severely restricting your calories is unhealthy and unsustainable and can lead to disordered eating.

They promote thinness over health.
Thinness is not always a sign of health, and you don’t necessarily need to lose weight to live a healthy, happy life. Focusing on positive, health-promoting behaviors such as reducing stress, moving more, getting enough sleep, and eating a well-balanced diet of nutrient-rich foods will be more beneficial to your physical and mental health than dieting for weight loss alone.

RESOURCES FOR HEALTHY WEIGHT LOSS

Be sure to talk to your doctor before beginning any weight loss program. There are many different programs out there, and your doctor may be able to recommend one that is right for you. Click here to learn more.

GET SOUND SUPPORT FOR HEALTHY WEIGHT LOSS

The Trust offers the Wondr Health^TM program to all eligible participants and spouses as an alternative to fad diets. The Wondr program can help you achieve lasting weight loss that doesn’t include starving, counting calories or eating diet food. Plus, it can help you reduce your chances of getting a serious disease, like diabetes or heart disease, and increase your chance of living a longer, healthier life. Click here to learn more and watch your mailbox for information on upcoming Wondr sessions.