Finding the Right Diet(2)

May 3, 2006 (Press Release) -- The high numbers of people falling off diets in these two studies show how important it is to find a weight loss approach you can live with. The most talked about diet is useless if you can't stick with it. Support from a group of fellow dieters or a professional dietitian can make a big difference in your effort, but you'll probably need repeated meetings.

A major obstacle for most people who want to lose weight is thinking in strictly black and white terms. If they can't follow a diet perfectly, they give up in frustration. But these two studies show that weight loss success does not require 100 percent adherence. Following even 60 percent of any diet brought weight loss. Certainly, if you fail to change any of your habits, you shouldn't expect to lose any weight. But if you are ready to make some changes, the evidence suggests that you can still be successful with these partial improvements. Similarly, a study on the dietary guidelines of the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) to lower cancer risk confirms that the more guidelines people follow, the lower their cancer risk. Yet following only some guidelines still reduces risk significantly.

Reaching and maintaining a healthy weight offers enormous health benefits. Although many overweight people are unlikely to reach an ideal weight range through dieting, even small weight drops are beneficial. The eating changes you make to lose weight can impact your health directly by increasing your consumption of fiber, vitamins and phytochemicals, while decreasing your fat intake. So, instead of focusing on the claims and promises of popular diets or programs, look for healthy changes you can make and realistically learn to keep.

Source: http://www.msn.com/