ALL
DIETS
WORK
that’s the problem
25 tools to help you stop dieting
and start losing weight for good.
Jen Brewer, RD
All Diets Work, that’s the problem
Copyright © 2011 Jennifer Brewer, R.D.
All Rights Reserved
Published in eBook format by:
Petersen Press
P.O. Box 6074
Rochester, MN 55902
No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except for pages designated for reproduction.
ISBN-13: 978-0-9835-1401-5
To order a copy of this book, please visit: all-diets-work.com
At the time of publication, all website addresses were verified as accurate. The Author does not assume responsibility for updates, errors, or changes in website content or addresses that occurred after publishing.
The ideas and information presented in this book do not replace the information from the reader’s health care provider, and is not engaged in rendering professional advice or services to the individual. Please see your health care provider for individual consults and to obtain a medical release before engaging in any physical exercise or nutrition program.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This book exists today because of the work of incredibly talented people. Whitney Archibald’s editing made every section much better than I could have imagined. David Cheney’s artistic talent made the pictures inside take on a life of their own, and Brad Singley brought to life a cover even greater than my expectations. Ryan Ledebuhr was somehow able to take all of the pieces, wave his magic wand, and make it all flow perfectly together.
And, finally, I hold a huge debt of gratitude for the bookends of my formal education: Susan Smith, my first grade teacher, who taught me that if I chewed my carrots last at lunch, they would help ‘brush my teeth’ — opening my eyes to the wonder of food. And Dr. Nora Nyland, my dietetics professor, who taught me a whole lot about nutrition, and even more about life.
Thank you.
THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED TO:
My Mom: Whom I still call for help in the kitchen.
My Dad: Who stayed up way too late way too many nights helping me hone countless writing assignments throughout my schooling years.
My Husband: Who helped encourage me to write by telling his colleagues, patients, and everyone he knows that I “had a book coming out” — before one word was ever put to paper.
My Children: Who inspire me everyday … and provide brutally honest opinions on my cooking endeavors — the good, the bad, and the downright inedible.
SECTION 1
THE DIET DILEMMA
If you’re trying to lose weight, or even live healthier, there is no shortage of advice. Month after month, almost every magazine in the checkout line touts “The new miracle diet” or the “breakthrough pill that will end your dieting woes!” I especially love the ones that say “Lose 20 Pounds by Christmas”— in the December issue. In fact, google the word diet and you will be hit with over 330 million responses in .15 seconds. Good luck with that. Let’s face it. If you drop the calorie intake enough, any diet will work to take pounds off. If you stick with it. Forever.
“Of course you
lost weight on
the cabbage
diet; you got so
bored eating
only cabbage
that you just
stopped eating
altogether!”
—Jay Leno
The Problem with Diets
“I’ve been on a constant diet for the last two decades. I’ve lost a total of 789 pounds. By all accounts, I should be hanging from a charm bracelet.”
—Erma Bombeck
The traditional use of the word “diet” has changed over the years. Originally the definition of diet was “what a person or animal usually eats and drinks; daily fare”1 (as in, the Viking diet consisted of…). It referred to what a person ate consistently throughout his or her entire lifespan.
The word has evolved to mean a temporary change in eating habits. Our language reflects this change in word meaning: “I’m going on a diet.” Although no one says it out loud, the rest of the sentence is implied: “… so at some point, I will be going off a diet.”
Fad diets are very powerful in our culture because they are started by companies that are after profits — not pounds. They have ONE goal: to make money. They often enlist false testimonials with paid actors claiming to have lost vast amounts of weight. As the novelty of a fad wears off, marketers start promoting a new one.
Be especially wary of any diet that requires you to buy (and keep on buying) the powder, pill, potion, or packet. It will not work for you in the long run.
I could fill this whole book dissecting specific diets, but I won’t because:
1. That would take the rest of the book.
2. By the time this book hits the press, the list would already be obsolete, as more and more diets hit the stands daily.
Chances are, the celery-and-peanut-butter diet that helped your neighbor lose 50 pounds, would be horrible for you. And in fact it will be horrible for your neighbor, if he cannot stay on the program long-term. There is no “one size fits all” approach to a healthy lifestyle.
Despite this overabundance of “solutions,” however, the obesity rate continues to grow. From 1990 to 2006, the average obesity rate skyrocketed from under 15% of the population in most states to over 20% in all states. That means one in every five people is obese. Two states even reported obesity rates of over 30%. That’s one out of every three people! In the three subsequent years, eight more states went over 30%. Epidemic? Absolutely.2-6
Obesity consumes vast amounts of time, energy, and resources and leaves immeasurable personal devastation in its wake. In February 2010, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimated direct and indirect health costs due to obesity at $147 billion. In 2006, each obese patient spent an average of $1,429 more on health care than his or her regular-weight counterparts.7 Many diseases have been shown to be directly or indirectly linked to obesity, including heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, stroke, respiratory diseases (sleep apnea, asthma), osteoarthritis, gynecological and pregnancy complications, and cancer, just to name a few.8,9
Obesity also has psychosocial implications. Although larger body sizes have been associated with affluence throughout history, in our modern-day society, having a body mass index in the obese range leads to social stigmas. Obesity also has been shown to have some link to fewer years of education, lower levels of income, and lower rates of marriage.10
Your Lifetime Eating Program
My