Beware The Dieting Pitfalls

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By By April Zepeda

Summary

Most of us try to attain something that is not realistic. We have some tips to help stick to a healthier lifestyle.

Story Published: Jan 15, 2002 at 3:38 PM PDT

Story Updated: Jul 28, 2009 at 1:47 PM PDT

Beware The Dieting Pitfalls
SEATTLE - The New Year and a vow to lose weight go hand in hand.

"I'd like to be 190 pounds. Now I'm 220. So I have a lot of work ahead of me," laughed Shawn King at Green Lake.

But studies show 90 to 95 percent of us break our diet resolutions by the end of February. The number one reason we fail to lose the weight, according to experts, is we promise ourselves we won't eat certain foods.

"Like desserts, pie," explained Arvil Lammers at the food court in the Seattle Center.

Registered Dietitian, Kathleen Putnam says never say never about any food.

"People say they are never going to have something, or this isn't allowed on the diet and they end up waiting to go off the diet," said Putnam of Swedish Medical Center.

The No. 2 diet blunder; outlandish goals.

"Most of us try to achieve and attain something that is not realistic," explained Putnam.

Putnam says don't promise to exercise an hour a day, when you don't exercise at all now. Don't try to lose 5 pounds a week, when 5-pounds a month is the recommendation.

Rounding off the top reasons we lose the battle of the bulge: We don't make a healthy diet permanent.

Putnam says if you want to lose the weight, commit to changes you're willing to live with the rest of your life.

And don't get caught up in the numbers. Counting calories, counting pounds, won't get you as far as counting on a healthy lifestyle.

Other diet blunders include stressing out, which leads to cheating; and expecting quick changes.

Studies show it takes six weeks of a behavior change before it becomes a new habit.

Swedish Medical Center offers a 10-week course on weight management called the Healthy Weighs Program.

Bi-weekly sessions include exercise, group support, and nutritional counseling.

For more information on class dates and fees, call them at (206) 386-3193. Or check out their Web site at www.swedish.org