Write it down to get it down

How many times have you read something like this: “Only effective as part of a kilojoule-controlled diet”? Why would that be, and what does it mean?

 

If you've ever tried any kind of diet product or slimming aid – like many people have – you will have seen the words  “Only effective as part of a kilojoule-controlled diet”. Often, it's hidden in the fine print. Why would that be?

The first reason is a cynical one: It is a convenient escape clause for the manufacturer or endorser of the product to shift the blame to the consumer if it turns out not to work. “It's your own fault for not using it the way we told you!”

The second reason is one that those same manufacturers would prefer you not to consider too much: If you actually stick to such a kilojoule-controlled diet – and many people don't – that might well be the real reason for your eventual success, and not their product.

There are many ways to lose weight. Some straightforward, some complex. Some healthy, some downright reckless and dangerous. Some work for many people, but not a single one works for everyone all the time.

Despite this, you would not find many dieticians, nutritionists or health care professionals who would argue with this principle: If you continuously burn more energy (as measured in kilojoules or calories) than you consume through eating and drinking, you will lose weight – and you will be healthier.

This is a simple truth, but applying it in practice can be difficult because it requires knowledge and discipline: You need to calculate what a healthy, attainable and sustainable goal weight for you would be. You need to know what a sensible daily kilojoule allowance for your body would be. You need to know how many kilojoules your meals contain. You need to know the size and number of your portions. You need to know how many kilojoules are burnt through specific exercises. You need to know the cumulative influence of all physical activities on the kilojoule allowance in your diet. You need to keep track of your progress and, perhaps most importantly, you need motivation to keep going.

Dr. Christopher J. Mosunic, a weight management and diabetes specialist at Greenwich Hospital in Greenwich, Connecticut, is one of the international experts who have recently come out in support of this approach. He says keeping a daily journal of snacks and meals is one of the things successful slimmers have in common.

"I can split my patients into two groups. The food diary keepers and the non-keepers. The people who keep diaries are usually very successful and I work with them for about 12 weeks. The people who don't are people I sometime see for years," Mosunic says.

“Dieters who keep journals are more successful because they're willing to acknowledge every bit of food they eat, which clearly shows them how many calories (kilojoules) they are consuming per day. One of the key behaviours we can identify and address is how binge eating happens. You can see by looking at something as simple as what people ate for breakfast why their blood glucose goes low and they end up binge-eating in the afternoon.”

Mosunic stresses three key aspects: Keep your food journal simple, record even the smallest amounts of food and share your journal with an expert on weight loss and nutrition.

The internet can be a great tool for doing exactly this, and it is no surprise that especially American and European consumers are spoilt for choice in this regard. However, until now South Africans have had no local slimming website dedicated to providing this kind of content.

Slimtrack changes all this. Not only does it provide online slimming tools and resources equal to or better than foreign sites, but its food and exercise databases are built on South African content and conditions.

If you have not yet registered, go here. And remember, its's free!