Hi All,

I read this on Reuters this morning… the headline actually was “Many Diets Work About The Same, U.S. Study Finds”.  So I added the dramatics, but in reading the article it does say:

“Looking for that perfect diet? Researchers have bad news — all diets have just about the same result, and none of them are great, U.S. researchers reported on Monday.  A typical diet helps people lose an average of 6 percent of their weight, typically 10 to 15 pounds (5 to 7 kg), and most people put it all back on after five years. Weight loss drugs are similarly ineffective in the long run, said Dr. Michael Dansinger of the Tufts-New England Medical Center in Boston.”

On the flip side, the good news was:

“The news is bad for those who hoped a gentler approach to dieting might be more effective over the long-term. Programs that made people eat fewer calories worked better, as did those that involved more frequent visits to either diet groups or to a counselor’s office.  But there is good news — even a small, temporary weight loss can benefit health, Dansinger said.”

So really what it does down to is making lifestyle changes — making the conscious effort to stay away from foods that are bad for you; staying away from the junk food and making healthier choices and getting in regular exercise.

It really is easy.

Take today for example.  I can not drink tea without sugar; however I am trying to also stay away from artificial sweeteners.  So what am I to do?  Simple, I made “spiced” tea (or masala chai).  It was really very easy, and I didn’t miss the sugar or sweetener!  I simply took one cup of water, added a small piece of cinnamon and one cardamom (whole) and boiled it in the microwave for 2 minutes and 30 seconds.  At the 2 minute mark (so 30 seconds left) I added a decaffienated tea bag (Tetley) and continued to boil.  Once it was done, added some 2% milk and drink!  It was that easy.

Masala chai may take some getting used to, but I didn’t miss the sugar or sweetener at all!

Breakfast was also a shift in attitudes.  I love white bread, but at home now we buy the thin sliced stuff instead.  One regular slice of bread has 85 to 100 calories.  The thin sliced is half of that.  So I can still have two slices (or even four) and I’m not really overdoing it.

But I made a change.  Normally I would have two-three slices of regular toast in the mornings.  Now, I have two-four (yes, I know still a bit too much) slices of thin sliced bread instead.  I’ll top it with a fat-free, thin sliced cheese and tomato and bake it in a toaster oven for a few minutes.

All it takes is small baby steps and before you know it you’ve cut down from several thousand calories per day to something more manageable.  At that point, exercising is more fun because you’re not trying to burn 500 calories to get your count down.  You’re burning 500 calories because you’ve eaten well and the extra burn will help you lose the weight and tighten your skin making you appear slimmer!

Go ahead.  Try it.  I dare ya!

Take care my friends!

Here is to your health,

Regards,

Mohammed

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