Healthy Diet for July 9 – Write Your Own Best-seller

Looking for the latest, greatest diet book? Rather than scan bookstore shelves for a trendy weight-loss plan with solutions from others, “author” a plan devised uniquely for you. As your personal best-seller, successful weight management needs to match your own health needs—and your own food, lifestyle, and active living preferences.

Most weight problems come from excess: excess calories, excess portions, excess inactivity. But we each take our own road to get there—we each need our own solutions, too.

For the right-for-you action plan:

• First consider what you’ve tried in the past: what worked, what didn’t work over several months, and why.
• Judge it for yourself: What could I change to stick with it? What steps did I take then to control my portions, trim calories, eat a variety of healthful food? What can I do differently now? What physical activities did I do and do I like to do? What am I doing right now—and what not?
• Write your best-selling strategies, a weight-loss approach with you in mind. Follow general guidelines of healthful eating (see January 15 and 16) and active living. And contact a registered dietitian (RD) if you need a “writing” coach. (See March 1.)