Diet traps

[Guest guest]

Since there has been so much discussion on gaining weight and having a hard time

losing it, here are some tips I found in a pamphlet that was sent to me by

BALANCED LIVING, which I could not find on the internet. There was no author,

but a notice that the information had been obtained from ARTHRITIS TODAY, a

health magazine.

Excess weight puts a strain on your joints, but you have been dieting for

weeks and the scales never seem to move. Make sure you haven't fallen prey to

some common diet traps:

1) Skipping breakast may reduce your calorie intake, but skipping breakfast may

make weight loss harder. If you miss your morning meal you are more apt to slow

your metabolism down, so you burn fewer calories throughout the day.

2) A drastic calorie reduction can throw your body into " starvation mode " ,

where it holds onto fat and breaks down muscle tissue instead, lowering your

metabolism. Try cutting your calorie intake by just 200 to 500 calories per day

and add exercise to burn the rest.

3) Try drinking more water. Your body needs water to maintain a proper

metabolism, so keeping hydrated is important for more than one reason.

4) Don't rely on the latest fad diets that are making headlines. It may harm

your health and you will not lose the weight. Talk to a doctor before making

any drastic changes to your diet.

5) Fiber-rich foods will fill you up and curb the need for seconds and those

snacks.

6) Some medicines, such as antidepressants and corticosteroids can intefere

with your metabolism, slowing your weight loss or even packing on new pounds.

Talk to your doctor if you suspect your medication may be a problem. There was

no mention of Gleevec and other TKI's which are problematic to some, so we will

have to rely on the instructions that come in the box or even from each other.

7) Last, but not least is exercise, even when it hurts. Appropriate exercise,

along with healthy eating is the best way to lose weight, I don't think anyone

can argue with that. Studies have shown in the past that endurance,

strengthening and flexibility exercise eases arthritis pain. A joint-safe

exercise can be obtained from your physical therapist or a personal trainer who

has years of experience in that field.

FYI,

Lottie Duthu