Americans Spend Three Times Too Much on Processed Food

For generations, diets have approached nutrition and weight loss as temporary states, whereas maintaining a lifestyle that promotes health and wellness is truly a lifelong journey. Experts often argue that rather than dieting leading to short-term weight loss followed by long-term weight gain, the relationship should be analyzed in the opposite direction. In other words, people who are prone to gain weight are more likely to follow a diet in the first place. This is why going on a low-carb diet for two months is doomed to failure for most dieters.

Americans spend nearly three times the amount recommended on refined grains as well as frozen or refrigerated entrees, which are over-processed food products. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Standard American Diet comes with a multi-billion dollar price tag. Even though dieting is a proven approach that produces obvious weight loss benefits, how you reduce caloric intake may not be as important as continuing calorie reduction during the maintenance phase, in addition to:

• COUNTING CALORIES - You don't want to consume too many calories but you also don't have to count them, as they are certainly not equal. Counting calories can be misleading and may work against your weight loss goals.
• DEALING WITH CULTURAL NORMS - Many Americans have abandoned hope that a diet is a temporary change of eating habits that will allow them to adjust their weight. This has caused a cultural shift in seeing strict dieting or fad dieting as an effective way of achieving permanent weight loss.
• NOT ADOPTING HEALTHY HABITS - Crash dieting doesn't work for the long haul as the more rapid weight loss slows your metabolism. Since it is difficult to burn fat quickly, a substantial amount of metabolically active muscle can be lost and you have your body working against it.
• FRUSTRATING STANDSTILL - Dieters often find they are frustrated and confused over the results of their last diet as they continue to search for their next diet. Following strict dietary guidelines invariably leads to craving restricted foods, which most often ends in a negative experience.
• TOO RESTRICTIVE OF A DIET - It might sound counterintuitive but food restrictions set you up for failure. Being too restrictive is not sustainable and leads to a fad diet burnout with binge eating and future weight gain.
• NOT ADJUSTING IN REAL TIME - So, you did not stick with your diet plan this morning and figure it won't hurt to take the rest of the day off. After all, you can start fresh tomorrow... NOT! Every time you eat, is a critical opportunity to get back on track.

Maintaining your target weight in a weight-reduced state is not a temporary event measured by the number of weeks on a diet. Instead, it is a lifelong journey where many healthy approaches can help you lose the weight and keep it off. Unlike diets that focus on excluding food groups, a personalized diet allows you to consume healing foods while shifting your focus towards restoring your health and wellness. You will be able to consume large amounts of whole foods for better satiety.

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