Quick Fix

Published on: January 3, 2004

by Joe Decker

Dear World’s Fittest Man,

I really pigged out over the holidays. This year I was invited to so many parties I just couldn’t say no to all those festive desserts. What's the quickest way to take off that extra holiday fat? I don't want to commit to anything long term, I just need a quick fix.

Quick Fix

Dear Quick Fix,

You’re not alone in putting on weight over the holidays. Everyone lets their guard down at all of those holiday parties and festivities. I get tempted every year. My mother makes the best brown sugar baked beans and pumpkin pie around. Even I generally pack on a couple extra pounds during the holiday season.

You hear about quick fixes all the time. There are so many fad diets out there it’s hard to keep them straight. There’s the Hollywood Diet, the Cabbage Soup Diet, juice diets, protein diets. If you can name it, it’s out there. Now there’s even a Cookie Diet, Ice Cream Diet, and Peanut Butter Diet. The American Dietetic Association warns that any diet based on a single food is an immediate red flag for a quick fix and I couldn’t agree more.

The problem with these types of quick fixes is just that…they’re a quick fix. Here’s how they work: They severely restrict and limit what you can eat so of course you may lose weight. Anytime you restrict your calorie intake you’re probably going to knock off some pounds. The bad news is that once you get off these quick fix diets, the experts and I agree the pounds come right back.

If you want to take off those pounds, even if it’s just a few extra holiday pounds, you have to do it sensibly. I call it the Power of Positive Eating and it means eating healthy by making simple substitutions in what you eat and increasing your physical activity. This may not give you that quick fix you want, but over time, it will help keep the pounds from quickly coming back.

Here are some of my favorite substitutions. Try:

Skim milk instead of whole milk. The benefit: You’ll cut saturated fat and calories.

Bran cereal instead of sugar filled cereal. The benefit: You’ll add fiber and cut out refined sugar.

Whole grain or multi-grain bread instead of white bread. The benefit: You’ll add fiber and cut out white flour.

A banana or apple instead of a candy bar. The benefit: You’ll cut out empty calories and fat.

This stuff isn’t rocket science. Read the labels on the foods you eat and hold yourself accountable for what you put in your mouth.

For more information on quick fix diets visits the American Dietetic Association website at www.eatright.org.

To send a question to Joe Decker, The World’s Fittest Man, visit his website www.joe-decker.com or send him an e-mail atquestion@joe-decker.com

Column Archives

For archived copies of 23 Get Fit With The World's Fittest Man stories, click the links below:

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April 30, 2004

Mother's Little Helper

April 22, 2004

Legs or Not

February 28, 2004

Lazy But Determined

February 13, 2004

January 31, 2004

January 24, 2004

January 17, 2004

January 3, 2004

December 27, 2003

First Time Skater

December 20, 2003

Sweet Tooth