Have you ever wondered why diet books always seem to have a section of recipes?
Apart from the desire to make the book look larger and therefore more worthwhile, why should we be so interested in studying foods and ways to serve it when we are trying to avoid it as much as possible?
It is inconceivable that we have reached adulthood without the basic skills to boil, bake, steam, or roast our food.
We all know that these are the only low fat methods we should be using on any diet. And whatever we eat, plainer is better to control calories.
So what are all these recipes doing in a book that is supposed to be redirecting our attention away from food?
Is it a case of mutual fool-yourself-time?
The diet authors know that unless their menus have taste, and enticing pictures or detailed ingredient lists, no one will select their plan and they'll lose money. In their real diet plan outline, they identify what is allowed and what is forbidden. Their recipe section might have been written by someone else. Certainly there are substitutions made to qualify as diet food but desserts, dips, and brunches?
We bury our heads in the sand, keep taunting ourselves with those addictive sweet flavors, and crow about the minimal number of calories in a serving of the dish (a thimbleful size - check the small print on how many people this little dish is supposed to serve).
Admit it, the only reason we crave recipes is to spice something up, to increase our pleasure and make the whole dieting task less painful. We can eat food plain without any fancy recipes but that would be no fun.
So we convince ourselves that all the stuff we are adding to our basics: low fat gravy, liquid margarine instead of butter, lemon and capers in place of tartar sauce, vinegar and oil rather than creamy Ranch, and a variety of sugar substitutes are all allowed in our plan so we might as well enjoy.
And then we are surprised and disappointed when the weight loss stops.
It must be my glands!
Virginia Bola is a licensed psychologist and an admitted diet fanatic. She specializes in therapeutic reframing and the effects of attitudes and motivation on individual goals. The author of The Wolf at the Door: An Unemployment Survival Manual, and a free ezine, The Worker's Edge, she recently published a psychologically-based weight control e-workbook, "Diet with an Attitude" which develops mental skills towards the goal of permanent weight control. She can be reached at http://www.dietwithanattitude.com. She provides support and guidance in use of the workbook through her regular blog, http://www.dietwithanattitude.com
town car ride to ohare Bethalto .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareThis little known secret has been used by bodybuilders for... Read More
After patients have had gastric bypass surgery comes a very... Read More
1. What is Atkins Diet? Dr. Atkins diet, first introduced... Read More
Fat Loss Tip #2) Drink More WaterI know, I know,... Read More
All of the things we tell sick people so that... Read More
* Not walking on a treadmill everyday for 45 minutes... Read More
Is it easy to lose weight? Yes. Losing weight is... Read More
Over the past 5 years, online weight loss programs have... Read More
Let's not talk about diets. Diets are punishment ? like... Read More
Before many Australians recently, a devastating story unfolded on a... Read More
When we discover that we are heavier than we want... Read More
Many celiacs lose weight before they are diagnosed; indeed it... Read More
If it seems that you have been eating as usual... Read More
In March 2003 our then 13 year old daughter, Helen,... Read More
Wow! You must be on fire by now burning and... Read More
Is a weight loss workout routine right for you? Answer... Read More
Throughout my childhood and teenage years I watched as my... Read More
For years the experts have been telling us that diets... Read More
The humble soybean boasts some extraordinary benefits. This nutritional powerhouse... Read More
After weight loss surgery it is important to include as... Read More
Although the big push for fad diets has died down... Read More
When on a diet, snack attacks can hit hard and... Read More
I wonder how much it is generally known that the... Read More
These fat burning tips can help you discover a fat... Read More
How many of your New Year's resolution start out with... Read More
Gurnee Lincoln Stretch rentals ..In the last 12 months or so, low carbohydrate diets... Read More
I am Greg Ryan, a high profile fitness expert with... Read More
Nowadays, so much of the public is obese (fat) that... Read More
For the person who wants to shed a few pounds... Read More
If it seems that you have been eating as usual... Read More
In this age being ignorant is like committing a crime.... Read More
As hoards of low-carb proponents invade the nutritional landscape, the... Read More
Low carb diets can be classified as food plans that... Read More
Losing weight is a struggle that many of us face... Read More
One Reality TV show, The Swan, thrives on makeovers. Often... Read More
1. Carrying around excess body fat will decrease your energy... Read More
IntroductionThe history of The Atkins Diet goes back to the... Read More
Food is not simply fuel to keep you going. Nor... Read More
Frankly, I'm puzzled whenever I hear this from somebody who's... Read More
Body wraps can help tone and tighten the skin, improve... Read More
Weight loss is a hot topic among college students today,... Read More
We've entered the Twilight Zone when it comes to the... Read More
Over the last 30 years, research into food and blood... Read More
Cellulite is not a medical condition or an aesthetic mutiny... Read More
As a Master swimmer I am made painfully aware, each... Read More
We all know it's hard to begin losing weight, no... Read More
Gastric bypass surgeries are temporary physical fixes to a long... Read More
There are a lot of "crash" diets out there that... Read More
Did you know that how and when you eat is... Read More
In the old West tricksters sold a snake oil to... Read More
Weight Loss |