Diet is a four-letter word!

Losing Weight

Dieting is a word that should not exist! It’s depressing to say the least. Our mind begins to focus on what we can’t have. Then, we mess up, give up and we try again. If you have struggled with your body weight all of your life, the cycle is frustrating. Perhaps you’re someone who has never had a weight problem but seems to have gained weight in college and is unsure of how to go about losing weight.

Everyone seems to want to start with the 1200 calorie diet and hopes for the best. In about 3 days, it’s not going well. Why? Because 1200 calories is too low for almost everyone but if you go on line that is what you will find. The websites suggest this will permit fast weight loss which everyone wants!

Weight loss is about being healthier. If you can match your food intake to your body’s needs, weight loss will happen. The trick – figuring out what works for your body. If done correctly, you aren’t dieting; you are eating well for your body and you continue to eat that way when you’ve reached your goal weight.

Some people need to reduce portion size, others need to manage carbohydrates, some eat out less, and others move more. The list goes on with changes in habits or food that need that you need to incorporate. A dietitian is the best way to get personalized help. Student Life Student Health Services has a dietitian on staff that can help with your weight loss goals.

So how to you start on this adventure on your own: keep a food log for a week.

Then, go to Choose My Plate.gov and compare how you are eating with what is suggested.

Kristina Houser, LD