FITNESS ZONE: The best way to lose weight? Simple: eat less food

Don't be had by a fad! You want the truth - but can you handle the truth?
With summer and warmer weather approaching, I thought this would be a perfect time to share some of my wisdom with those of you looking for the magic cure or diet strategy.
I have worked with hundreds of individuals on their diet and exercise programmes.
As a personal trainer, public speaker in workplaces or doing gym member seminars I am constantly asked: "What are the secrets to weight loss?"
I never cease to be amazed by the mystification surrounding weight loss and gain, given that every day I am bombarded by the obvious contributions to our ever-increasing waistlines.
I thought I would take this opportunity, pull no punches, and launch full on into a rant. I would like to take a moment and apologise in advance if anyone should be offended by the unfiltered truth.
So, put down the copy of Eat Right for Your Shirt Colour, it's time to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
To control weight for a lifetime, don't eat more calories than you burn.
To lose weight, eat fewer calories than you burn. Think about what you eat. Is it going to make you look or feel the way you want? Will it bring you closer to your goal? Or, will it make you feel miserable, run down and take you farther from what you want?
Yeah, I know, when I was younger I could eat whatever I wanted too and not gain weight. But guess what? We don't move enough now to get away with it. You want it? Move more. You cannot or don't want to move more? Then don't eat it!
The saying "You are what you eat" is true. Before eating a food, ask yourself "Is this what I want to BE?!"
Eat smaller portion sizes. Most restaurants give you way too much food to be eaten at one sitting. If we were served reasonable portions at a restaurant, we might feel ripped-off and never go back. At home most of us still load our plate with the mindset of when we were younger and more active.
This is a difficult adjustment for many people. Two suggestions I have are to use a smaller plate - so it looks full, and to always leave something uneaten on your plate.
You absolutely cannot eat the amount of food you would like, sorry.
If certain foods taunt you and you cannot eat them sensibly, consider giving them up. Yeah, you might slip up occasionally, hopefully not more than every couple of months, but that isn't much.
I have known very few people that can eat their downfall food in a controlled manner on a regular basis. It may be easier to make the break.
Eat s-l-o-w-l-y. This will give your body the opportunity to sense the food coming in and register fullness. When you are full, bad foods lose much of their appeal.
Dessert is a habit, not a physiological need for survival.
Habits can be broken. Just get out of the habit.
It is important that we understand the difference between hunger and appetite. Just because you feel the desire to eat, does not mean you are in need of food. Hunger is the true physiological need for nutrition. Appetite is a desire to eat and has nothing to do with need.
If you're going to cheat, at least find ways to do it better. If you must order pizza, get thin crust (and no cheese in the middle), ask for "easy on the cheese", steer clear of the pepperoni and sausage (try chicken, bacon, or ham), but feel free to pile on the veggies
When eating pizza, don't eat the whole thing!
Yes, you can eat fast food. Repeat after me, "grilled chicken salad". If you get cheese, no mayo. You want mayo? No cheese. Fries? Avoid like the plague.
Plan when you are going to eat. If you know that you will be eating every 4 hours, stick to that plan. Do not eat before or after, even if someone is trying to get you to or if food is available.
Sweets, cookies, cakes, pies, doughnuts and ice cream are very poor food choices and there is no way to justify eating them on a regular basis.
This is by no means an all-inclusive list, but I think you get the point.
To test a diet for it's "fad-factor", answer the following questions
1. Does it claim to be effortless?
2. Does it promise fast weight loss?
3. Does it claim to be revolutionary, giving miraculous results?
4. Does it claim to have secret ingredients?
5. Does it claim you can eat anything you want, as long as you use a particular product?
6. Does it involve special passive exercise machines?
7. Does it tell you that you must eat a restricted range of foods with no flexibility?
8. Does it claim that there is no need for exercise?
9. Does it need special products, injections or vitamins for weight loss to occur?
10. Does it seem too good to be true?
If the answer to any of these is "yes", then don't fall for it, the claims have no scientific backing!
There is no secret to weight loss and control. In today's society, it takes diligence and restraint.
High calorie, palatable food is everywhere. The big problem is that few people move much during their day.
This lowers the caloric requirements for maintenance. If fat loss is the goal, then calories must be below maintenance. This leaves little room for error or extravagance. Ultimately, if you want to eat whatever you want, then you have two choices:
1. Move a lot.
2. Gain weight and stop complaining and looking for places to lay the blame.
It is that simple.
Paula Langridge is Director of TrainingZone Personal Training. For training enquiries, contact her at trainingzone@xtra.co.nz, 5714605 or 021657015. You can also hear her every Friday morning on Classic Hits 95BOP FM