Thursday, September 27, 2012

Eating For Health, Not Weight


I really liked this article published in the New York Times a few days ago: Eating For Health, Not Weight. It reminded me why I'm on this weight loss journey: to stay healthy. Sometimes I find myself straying from this goal and focusing on the superficial (like how hot I'll eventually look in a bikini), or becoming obsessed with the number on the scale. But, the important thing is that I'm becoming healthier, fitter, and stronger.

The article points out that thinner is not necessarily healthier. What you eat is essential for maintaining good health, and the benefits of a healthy diet go far beyond the benefits of losing weight. While it is possible to lose weight on just about any diet, not all diets will reduce your risk of chronic disease (especially heart disease) and premature death.

So, what do you do? Focus on health, not weight. Eat a diet rich in healthy foods like fruits, veggies, and whole grains. Limit consumption of overly processed foods especially those containing added sugar.

What did you think of the article? What healthy habits did you adopt when you started trying to lose weight?

6 comments:

  1. Hi Krissy:) Well I read the article and believe it was mostly accurate. I know I eat too much red meat, even though I'm slowly losing weight. I am trying to stay far away from sugar and now wheat products, except once in awhile. My grain of choice is oats. I am eating more fish, but am reading the packages and making trying to ensure it was wild caught and not farm fish. I have walked more in the past 6 months than probably in the previous 6 years, sad to say about the previous 6 years, but good news for this year.

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    1. Sounds like you're doing awesome! My Achilles heel is my sweet tooth. I've always eaten a pretty healthy diet...except for the embarrassingly large portions of sweets. I'm getting better though.

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  2. I'm gonna have to chew on that article for while. I can see that I will have to revise my eating habits slowly over time. Right now it feels like a struggle to just eat fewer calories than I'm used to eating. Trying to find the perfect balance of proper foods is something so foreign to me, but as time progresses and I am able to replace bad with good, I desire to do that.

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    1. That sounds like just the right approach, starting with one change at a time. It probably makes sense to start with eating fewer calories for now, and over time begin to add other healthy changes.

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  3. Good luck on your health and weight loss journey. Luckily weight loss and a healthy diet go hand in hand. You might want to reconsider whole grains as part of your diet. Grains spike your insulin which makes you hungry and tells your body to store fat. It makes dieting difficult.

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    1. Thanks for visiting my blog! I know that low carb and paleo diets work well for many people, but they don't work for me. Whole grains don't have the same dramatic effect on insulin as processed refined grains, so I don't feel that I need to limit my whole grain intake for health reasons. And, when I try to limit grains in my diet I find myself feeling constantly hungry and tired. I really enjoy eating grains. I do not want to cut them out of my diet forever, and I am trying to lose weight by making lifestyle changes I will be able to keep up forever. So, for me, they stay.

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