Posted Jan 4, 2011
If you’re looking to lose weight, look beyond what you eat.
Successful diet plans employ a three-part focus: healthy foods, movement and coping mechanisms.
You’ll probably have some success with a single-component diet, says Andrea Erickson, clinical manager for nutrition therapy at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center, but if you want to keep the weight off, you need all three.
One of the biggest keys is behavioral, Erickson said. Dieters need to understand their relationship with food — are they eating to fuel their bodies or to cope with stress or boredom?
Erickson says one of the easiest ways to evaluate a diet plan is to ask if there’s interaction with others — in person or online — rather than just following a written plan. If not, there’s no behavioral component.
Of the commercial programs, Erickson said Weight Watchers is the most balanced, though she cautions the leaders have had personal success, but aren’t necessarily dieticians trained in nutrition counseling.
“Everybody’s quite different,” she said. “Some people are fine going through Weight Watchers. Others need a little different approach.”
Gundersen offers its own six-month program, Winning Ways, that combines nutritional information with a focus on mindful eating.
©2011 the La Crosse Tribune (La Crosse, Wis.)
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