JUSTIN HARMON/Staff
Bland County Messenger

As the new year rolls in, many people take a pledge to better themselves with a healthier lifestyle.

According to the dieticians, however, the only way to slim down with a diet is to change your eating habits.

Cindy Wright, Wythe County Community Hospital’s dietician, says that many diets fail because they require you to take supplements or cut out a certain type of food completely.

One type of diet she condemns is the Atkins diet that requires people to stay away from food rich in carbohydrates, such as bread and soda.

“I do not agree with Atkins,” she said. “It’s not practical to stay away from carbohydrates.”

While the dietician at the Bland County Medical Clinic, Colleen Darling, isn’t completely at odds with Atkins, she isn’t a staunch supporter, either. According to her, people should be careful about diets that cut out entire food groups and as far as the Atkins Diet is concerned, there isn’t enough information and research out there to determine the diet’s long-term effects.

Outright starvation is another method Wright frowns on. Wright says that many people think that skipping breakfast and having a light lunch will do them good, but she says it’s quite the opposite. According to her, meals should be well portioned and there should be three of them throughout the day: breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Other diets that Wright says to stay away from are those that require supplements. According to her, it’s not practical to think that someone will drink the same shake or take the same pill for the rest of their lives and, according to her, once you stop using the supplement, you’ll likely gain all the weight back.

According to her, anything the promises quick weight loss isn’t going to be good for you or even last.

“If you gained 50 pounds, you probably didn’t do it in a month and it’ll take time to lose,” she said. “Weight-loss isn’t a quick fix; it’s a life long process.”

In fact, Wright said the only way to lose weight through dieting is to completely change one’s eating habits.

Wright said that some of the cardinal rules for a healthy diet aren’t so much in the food itself, but in how and when it’s eaten. According to her, three meals a day are in order and one should watch portion sizes.

Wright also suggested that people use different preparation methods for their food. Instead of frying foods, she said, try broiling and grilling which reduce the fat content of food. Also, she said that instead of using salts and butters to make food more palatable, spices and herbs should be used for flavor.

Of course, health isn’t all in the preparation, according to Wright and Darling. The foods are a big part as well.

Things to avoid, according to Wright, are foods with a high concentration of carbohydrates, such as pies and cake. Much to the chagrin of many people, soda is lumped in with the healthy diet no-no’s, according to Darling. Another point Darling stresses is that people tend to only watch what they eat and not what they drink.

“Americans in general tend to drink a lot of calories,” she said.

According to her, people should pay more attention to what they drink. Even adding a few teaspoons of sugar to a small cup of coffee could up the calorie intake to 45.

However, avoiding them all together isn’t in order; Wright said that the occasional treat is fine. Darling agrees on this point.

“The key to everything is moderation,” she said.

Wright also calls for plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables in the diet, but said that using the food guide pyramid as a guideline was ideal so long as you don’t have any food allergies. Darling said that we need food from each group to keep healthy.

“Even fat,” she said.

As far as meat goes, chicken, turkey and fish are the leanest, according to Wright.

Also, Wright suggests that people don’t dive headlong into a huge change. Easing in to the diet will help smooth the transition from cakes and candies to fruits and vegetables.

As far as staying on target, Wright says that it could be difficult and backsliding will likely happen, but it’s important to correct missteps as soon as possible.

“You need to start gradually and watch what you do,” she said. “You have to realize there will be times you do (backslide), but you have to just get back on it.”

Weight Watchers

While Wright frowns on several diets, the Weight Watcher’s program isn’t one of them. And wouldn’t you know, the Weight Watcher’s program is coming to Bland. In a press release from Weight Watchers, the program is making its first appearance in Bland this year with meetings being held every Thursday at 4:30 p.m. in the Bland High School. According to the release, meetings generally last around 35 minutes and registration will be free through March 10.

“We’re excited to be in Bland,” said Territory Manager for Weight Watchers Joanna White in the release. “It’s our intention to offer people of this and all communities a convenient place to help people reach their weight-loss goals.”

Source: BlandCountyNews.com