Health Weight Week

The first full week of January, this year the 18^th-24^th, is Healthy Weight Week. This event is sponsored by the Healthy Weight Network, and is an effort to put a stop to fad dieting and the culture of thinness that is so prevalent in our society. They have chosen the third week in January to promote this effort, because many people make a new year’s resolution to lose weight, start dieting with good intentions, and are off the diet by the third week! The goal is to have people stop the cycle of dieting, falling off, dieting, falling off, and on and on. Instead, lifestyle changes which promote overall healthy living are recommended.

Frances M. Berg, founder of the Healthy Weight Network, gives her top 10 reasons not to diet.

1. Diets don’t work. Dieters don’t lose weight in a lasting way.

2. Dieting can cause lasting injury and death.

3. Dieting disrupts normal body processes.

4. Dieting causes weight cycling (yo-yoing up and down).

5. Dieters often feel tired, lightheaded, and have difficulty concentrating.

6. Dieting leads to binge eating, disordered and chaotic eating.

7. Dieting is the primary precursor to eating disorders.

8. Dieting causes food preoccupation.

9. Dieting diminishes women, and increasingly men and children.

10. Dieters put their lives on hold, “waiting to be thin”.

Instead of dieting, she recommends eating well. This includes listening to your body’s signals as far as hunger and fullness, taking pleasure in eating, eating regular meals (3 per day) and small snacks when needed, enjoying food variety, tailoring your tastes to food low in fat, sugar and salt, and cooking at home with family and friends. Also, being sure to eat foods that meet your body’s nutritional requirements is important.

What this all boils down to is making lifestyle changes that can benefit you in more ways than just losing weight. The stress that is caused by believing that we have to lose weight day in and day out may actually do more damage to your health than being overweight! So instead, be confident in who you are and work, small step by small step towards your goal of living a healthy lifestyle. If you are ready to start making these changes and need some support, Main Street Chiropractic Center can help you along the way. Not only will we work with you to achieve spinal health, we will also assist you in reaching your wellness and lifestyle goals. On the web, visit http://www.healthyweightnetwork.com/ for more information on healthy weight week, and www.mainstreetchirocenter.com.