What's the Best Way to Lose Weight?

This a very common question--with so many diets, diet books, fad diets, diet pills and meal plans, how do you know what really works, or what may even be harmful? I've come up with a short list to help you determine if a diet will work long term for you. Check to see that it incorporates these 5 F's:

1) Food: Is there real food on this plan? Or do you have to make powdered shakes, heat frozen meals, or order supplements from a company? The closer the plan is to how you usually eat, the easier it will be for you to follow. Consider what will happen if you run out of pre-packaged meals or feel like munching on something instead of drinking your breakfast. Sometimes substituting a shake in place of a meal will work; but if you have to keep it up, will you be able to for long?

2) Flexibility: Ideally the diet plan will allow for some changes. If it's a set-in-stone, "this is what you must have for lunch on Tuesday" type of diet, think about what will happen if you have company, want to eat out, have lunch served to you at a business meeting, etc. Good weight-loss plans shouldn't be only black or white: You should be able to substitute a food item, switch off meals during the day and between days, and include some "free" foods if you need a snack. Weight Watcher's is a great example of a flexible plan: you get a certain number of points to use during the day and YOU choose what you eat and when.

3) Financials: How expensive is this plan to follow? If it's all organic or requires a certain brand of snack bar or pre-made meals, you could be in for some sticker shock. How long will you be able to afford this meal plan? There are lots of diet plans that don't require any expensive add-ons. 

4) Filling: Will you be satisfied, or starving? If a diet leaves you continually empty and miserable, chances are you won't be able to stay with it for long. Healthy diet plans incorporate lots of fiber-containing foods to assure your stomach isn't growling long before it's time to eat again. The DASH diet is a great example of a filling and healthy diet.

5) Forever: The best diet is one you'll be able to stay on forever, literally. If you learn to change your habits, eat a bit less and move a bit more, it will simple become your lifestyle; not something you go on and off repeatedly.
The Beck Diet Solution is a great example of how you can change the way you think to change the way you eat. Judith Beck has books and workbooks available to guide you day by day to make these changes. Join us for a group teleclass (that means you can live anywhere in the world and participate with us); find out more and register here. Grab a friend and join us now!

Diet For Blood Pressure and Cholesterol

I just came from a doctor's appointment and was told to "watch what I eat" because I am getting borderline high blood pressure and high cholesterol. With all the conflicting information I never know what really is good to eat and good to stay away from ... do I need to stay away from salt? Should I eat oat bran muffins for my cholesterol? I'm quite confused. --Thanks, Tim J.

Dear Tim,

If your doctor didn't put you on medication for either your blood pressure or your cholesterol, there's a good chance you can affect both of these readings by changing your diet.

A low salt diet (about 2000 milligrams of sodium per day) does help lower blood pressure in some people, but not everyone. Surprisingly, most of the sodium we get in our diet comes from processed foods (frozen, packaged, and especially canned) and fast foods. So it doesn't mean you can never add a pinch of salt to season your food again. You'll have to start reading food labels for sodium content if you don't do this already. Aim for about 700 milligrams of sodium per meal (to total about 2000 per day) so you don't have to count and track every single milligram you eat all day.

A good resource for a reputable blood pressure-lowering diet is http://www.dashdiet.org.

For high levels of LDL (the 'bad' cholesterol) a diet high in soluble fiber helps many people lower their level by as much as 30 points. Oat bran muffins are one source, but the commercial varieties are often scant in oat bran and high in fat, cancelling out any of the benefits of the fiber. If you make your own you can use less oil and even substitute some of it with applesauce or other pureed fruits. Other good sources are oatmeal and oat-based cereals (such as Cheerios). You would need to have several servings a day of these foods, according to most studies, to see the cholesterol-lowering effects of dietary soluble fiber.

Lowering intake of dietary saturated fat also helps many people produce less cholesterol. This type of fat is mostly found in animal products, such as meats (especially fatty cuts, like marbled red meats, bacon, sausage, hot dogs), and whole milk dairy products. Coconut and Palm oil also contain saturated fats and are rarely used in commercial products anymore for this reason.

For lowering both cholesterol and blood pressure, getting closer to your ideal weight helps, and regular exercise helps you with all three of these goals!