Introduction Very few of us are ever entirely happy with our weight, and I hate the feeling of putting on a few extra pounds. But I've found some healthy and acceptable ways to get down to a healthy weight- things that really work. If you're like I once was- tired of going on and off diets and up and down in weight- I'm going to help you get and stay naturally fit while eating anything you want, not depriving yourself, and appreciating the wonderful body you have. How can I make such claims? I am a veteran of the diet wars, a doctor, and a reporter. Between medical school, my internship, and my residency, getting pregnant for the first time in my thirties and the second time in my forties, and doing live television, I've done it all: I've starved myself, and I've pigged out; I've binged, dieted, skipped meals, and lived to tell about it. I subsisted on vanilla wafers and black coffee while serving my residency in pediatrics. I relied on graham crackers and peanut butter during my surgical training. I've been on liquid diets and protein diets- one week this diet, the next week that diet. I've exercised in sauna suits, and I've dieted on carrot sticks. There are times when I spent so much time poking my head in the fridge that my nose got frostbite. Add what ever you've done to this list, and I would understand. But finally, when diet became a four- letter word to me, I said, Enough is enough. I started making friends with food. So now I have an easy rule. I regard food as fuel. I eat foods I like- even some things that might not be so good for me. As a result, I find it easier to lose weight- I just eat a bit less and exercise a bit more and it falls off. I'm not a member of a health club- it's just not my thing. I prefer walking, hiking, or biking outdoors to keep fit. I watch my weight, but I'm not obsessive about it. And I wouldn't deny myself something I really wanted. Every week, I try to enjoy something from each of my four favorite food groups: the chocolate group, the ice- cream group, the pizza group, and the chips group. But most of the time, I choose healthy foods. Do I have a perfect body? Far from it- but I know I'm healthy. Making friends with food, with diets, and with your body isn't easy. And a big reason is that most of us have been following certain "rules" for losing weight all our lives. These rules come and go. We are fascinated by them; we follow them. We throw out everything we're doing and embrace the latest rule. If it doesn't work, we blame ourselves for messing up. The truth is that these rules are largely "myths," misinformation that is often considered to be true. Nutrition is a fairly new science and it's pretty boring stuff unless you are a dietitian. But the most important thing we all need to remember is it is always changing. That constant change generates loads of myths, many of which I'll explode in this book- myths like calories don't count, carbs are bad, and you can't keep pounds off. How do such myths start, and why do they continue? Some myths are holdovers from our mothers and grandmothers, such as "Bread crusts will make your hair curly," or "Gum takes seven years to pass through the digestive system." Others come from fad- diet promoters who use only part of accurate nutrition statements but don't tell you the whole story. Most are interested in making a buck, not in helping you lose weight or keep it off. Other times, the media report news based on incomplete research or the half- truths these diet promoters pr Excerpted from Diet Myths That Keep Us Fat: And the 101 Truths That Will Save Your Waistline--And Maybe Even Your Life by Nancy L. Snyderman All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
