Finding Your Best Diet

The limited research on popular weight-loss plans drives home two messages: (1) weight loss is hard, and (2) finding the optimal diet for you as an individual is the only way to succeed. Here is some common-sense advice on how to choose a diet that suits you.

Long-term weight control is based on changing your eating patterns (and your physical activity habits) for a lifetime. Anyone can go on a diet for a couple of weeks, or even a couple of months, but those who lose weight and keep it off adopt a diet plan they can sustain (with some calorie adjustments) for years. Here, then, are some tips on how to choose a diet that suits you:

• Diet Tip 1 -- Do a self-assessment.

Most overweight people eat out of habit and in response to emotions rather than because they’re hungry. To learn what leads you to overeat, observe your usual diet for a week: Keep track of what you eat, when and where you eat, who you’re with when you eat, and how you’re feeling when you eat. Also make note of your portion sizes (many overweight people eat larger portions and more calories than they think).

This process will give you an idea of your trouble spots and help you decide what diet plan will work best for you. For example, if your portion sizes are too large, you might find that a diet program that provides prepackaged or prepared meals, because you won’t need to make decisions about portion size.

If you are an emotional eater, a diet plan that offers counseling or support groups might be best for helping you cope with the emotional issues that are driving you to overeat.

• Diet Tip 2 -- Find a diet that fits your personality and lifestyle.

You might be the type of person who is most comfortable with a diet that provides daily menus and recipes -- or you might prefer a plan that offers lists of foods from which you can pick and choose (or even provides prepackaged foods). You might require a diet plan that addresses some of your health concerns -- the need to lower your sodium, cholesterol, or fat intake -- or allows you to eat meals away from home because you travel a lot.

• Diet Tip 3 -- Choose a diet that is well balanced.

Trendy diets such as the Atkins plan may produce quick weight loss, but they don’t offer the full complement of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients your body needs to stay healthy -- and they typically lead to weight regain when you go off the diet. These diets are also hard to stay on for the long term because they strictly limit the types of foods you can eat. The best strategy is to go on a calorie-controlled diet plan that includes all of the food groups and doesn’t deprive you of your favorite foods.