Why does it take a diagnosis to change eating habits?

If you were to come into my office and look at my client’s food journals, whose eating do you think is the healthiest? Weight loss clients? Or maybe triathletes? Prenatal clients would be a good guess too but none of these answers are correct. Hands down my most proactive clients are clients who have recently been diagnosed with diabetes or cancer or experienced a life threatening condition. These clients do anything in their power to improve their future health or simply have a future. In a follow up to the "Fat Trap" article the Huffington Post interviewed Tara Parker Pope about her personal struggle with weight. In the article Tara admits to what I just described, “if I had an immediately life-threatening medical condition, I'd drop everything to take care of myself.” She would, most people, like my clients, would.

Why does it have to come to this? Part of it is denial. We know we’re mortal but cannot live our lives fearing cancer or heart attacks, allergic reactions or amputations. That would be paralyzing. And yet any one of us can find out at any time that our health is very different than we thought it was. Let’s pretend  this happened. I know it’s not nice to think about but what if you showed up in my office after finding out earlier this week you had cancer. I often see clients in this numb period when they’re figuring out their treatment plans and lining up their “team”.  What would I tell you do? It would differ depending on your diagnosis but for starters, cancer loves sugar so we’d look at sugar in your diet. I’m not just talking high fructose corn syrup but agave, honey, evaporated cane juice too. Second, I’d look at the amount of animal protein in your diet and suggest that chicken, beef, pork and turkey be cut way down. And forget that take out salad and grilled chicken, all chicken should be organic and all meat grass fed. All chemical cuisine would be gone- the sweeteners (blue, pink, yellow) and the soda and have you read the ingredients in your gum lately? We’d pack your diet with produce with something green all meals (including breakfast). In the scheme of things, with everything you’d be facing this wouldn’t be that hard. 

We think of squeezing in the time to food shop, cook or exercise but shouldn’t it come first? If not, why?

There's No Such Thing as Weight Maintenance

There’s a big misconception when it comes it weight loss. Actually, there are so many but I’m fixated on one today. Many clients, during their sessions say things like “when I’m on maintenance I’ll eat pizza” or “I’m going to keep exercising until I get to my goal weight.” The clients who make these statements are committed to their food plans and sessions; they just see their work as finite. To me, a commitment to wellness shouldn’t be seen any differently from a marriage. Can you imagine, unless you happen to be George Clooney, entering a long-term relationship saying I will love you until 2014? I hope not.

There was an article in the New York Times Magazine written by Tara Parker Pope, right around New Years. It was on the “most emailed” list for days so it was well circulated. The feedback I received was that people found the article, entitled “The Fat Trap” thoroughly depressing. Ms. Pope talks about hormonal and metabolic changes that occur with weight loss making weight loss more difficult the further you go. Also in the article is a profile of woman who goes to great lengths to maintain her results. We’re told that she weighs and measure her food, works out over an hour almost every day and keeps a food journal. I understand why some could be disheartened, it sounds like a lot of work. And yet, maintaining your weight is a lot of work (though weighing and measuring isn’t something I endorse).

The term lifestyle gets tossed around but many still view food modifications as means to an end (or a smaller end). However, there’s no graduation day or finish line with weight or health. There’s only a potential U-turn if you’re not careful. As for postponing treats or certain foods until you’re “done” that’s dieting 101. Learning to treat yourself and go back is one of the most important weight loss skills.  Few plan to live their lives without pizza (or other treat) so we may as well learn to have it, perhaps with a side salad, and not feel we’re off to the unhealthy races. Sure, the amount of exercise or food that works may be slightly different when your goal is to maintain your weight than to lose more weight but you still need to budget. II advise my clients that it’s better not to use the word “maintenance” at all, which seems to connote this food Shangri-La, and focus on doing that hard work every day.  After a while, it’s not as hard.

Do you think the word "maintenance" is a trap? I have my suspicions but where do you suspect this thinking originated? Did you read "The Fat Trap"?