I get a lot of questions from my wonderful readers and in January, when everyone is thinking about health and nutrition, it gets really busy. This week, I got this question:
But before I do, let me just put my big giant disclaimers out here. I am not a doctor, I am not a dietitian, and I don’t even try to pretend to play one on my blog. I’m just a Mom (a healthy, fitness-focused Mom) who has success in achieving a goal on a diet and maintaining that goal over a long, long period of time.
Interestingly, after I planned to write about this topic, I discovered that Dr. David Katz, the primary inventor behind NuVal, also wrote an article entitled Chewing on the Best Diet for the Huffington Post this week. I already knew my favorite choice, but I was curious to see what he had to say too. After all, he was just part of the 22-judge panel that chose America’s Best Diets for US News and World Report.
So, where would I point this reader who wants to keep the pants she owns and not invest in larger sizes? Weight Watchers is my personal favorite for weight loss. I have reached my goal weight several times (after I “blew up” in college, after a foot injury, after the births of both of my children and when, like this reader, my jeans just felt too tight). As Dr. Katz and the US News and World Report panel suggests, it’s easy, it’s aligned with healthful eating, and it provides the structural support that many people need. I have done it the “in-person” way (by attending meetings) and the virtual way (using online tools). For more about my life and times with Weight Watchers, you can read the “About” section of this blog.
These days, I’m no Kelly Ripa – but I’m happy with my weight. It’s right smack dab in the middle of the range of “healthy weight” for my height. I work full-time and have a family, so I can’t spend all day at the gym. Given the amount of time I do have for exercise, I’m thrilled with my body’s ability to maintain my goal weight. What do I think my secret is? It’s not dieting. It’s living the lifestyle that I learned at Weight Watchers and pairing it with everything that I’ve learned through NuVal. I choose high-scoring foods whenever I can. I stop when I am full (even if it means that I’ve only eaten a quarter of my plate at a restaurant – the rest can come home with me.) We eat home-cooked and home-packed meals as often as possible (even while in Disney World). I follow the rules of MyPlate. I know what portion sizes look like (thanks to all those years of Weight Watchers) and I never forget it. Water is my friend. Exercise is my sanity.
What’s interesting is that since I’ve adopted my NuVal way of life I really have had even more success at maintaining. I used to find that I would need to hop back on my Weight Watchers diet about once or twice a year as my weight would creep up over goal (sometimes after the holidays, always in March for some reason). That doesn’t happen anymore. It’s a steady state.
NuVal is not a weight loss plan, but we have seen some people have great weight loss results with it. Like Sally Galvin, a mom who lost 115 pounds. And Pastor Monte Meyer, who has now lost over 250 pounds. And Paul Merson, a mechanic who lost 87 pounds.
So my answer to the reader with the shrinking pants is to check out Weight Watchers – and to pair it with a good look at NuVal. The two can go hand in hand. And I think you’ll have more success in keeping the weight off if you combine the lessons you learn at Weight Watchers with the choices of high-scoring, nutrient-dense foods.
For more advice on how to pick a diet that is best for you, check out this post from the HMR diet blog.
Good Luck!
“Melissa, I need your help. I am going to start the first “diet” of my life. I am dreading it, but I just can’t keep blaming the dryer for shrinking my pants any more– mostly because the dry-clean-only pants are too small too. Any small easy suggestions to get started?”
Great question! I don’t really diet anymore. Thanks to a lifestyle that I’ve committed to (more on that in this post below), I maintain my happy weight very consistently. But I certainly have been on diets in the past, so I feel like I can answer this question.But before I do, let me just put my big giant disclaimers out here. I am not a doctor, I am not a dietitian, and I don’t even try to pretend to play one on my blog. I’m just a Mom (a healthy, fitness-focused Mom) who has success in achieving a goal on a diet and maintaining that goal over a long, long period of time.
Interestingly, after I planned to write about this topic, I discovered that Dr. David Katz, the primary inventor behind NuVal, also wrote an article entitled Chewing on the Best Diet for the Huffington Post this week. I already knew my favorite choice, but I was curious to see what he had to say too. After all, he was just part of the 22-judge panel that chose America’s Best Diets for US News and World Report.
So, where would I point this reader who wants to keep the pants she owns and not invest in larger sizes? Weight Watchers is my personal favorite for weight loss. I have reached my goal weight several times (after I “blew up” in college, after a foot injury, after the births of both of my children and when, like this reader, my jeans just felt too tight). As Dr. Katz and the US News and World Report panel suggests, it’s easy, it’s aligned with healthful eating, and it provides the structural support that many people need. I have done it the “in-person” way (by attending meetings) and the virtual way (using online tools). For more about my life and times with Weight Watchers, you can read the “About” section of this blog.
These days, I’m no Kelly Ripa – but I’m happy with my weight. It’s right smack dab in the middle of the range of “healthy weight” for my height. I work full-time and have a family, so I can’t spend all day at the gym. Given the amount of time I do have for exercise, I’m thrilled with my body’s ability to maintain my goal weight. What do I think my secret is? It’s not dieting. It’s living the lifestyle that I learned at Weight Watchers and pairing it with everything that I’ve learned through NuVal. I choose high-scoring foods whenever I can. I stop when I am full (even if it means that I’ve only eaten a quarter of my plate at a restaurant – the rest can come home with me.) We eat home-cooked and home-packed meals as often as possible (even while in Disney World). I follow the rules of MyPlate. I know what portion sizes look like (thanks to all those years of Weight Watchers) and I never forget it. Water is my friend. Exercise is my sanity.
What’s interesting is that since I’ve adopted my NuVal way of life I really have had even more success at maintaining. I used to find that I would need to hop back on my Weight Watchers diet about once or twice a year as my weight would creep up over goal (sometimes after the holidays, always in March for some reason). That doesn’t happen anymore. It’s a steady state.
NuVal is not a weight loss plan, but we have seen some people have great weight loss results with it. Like Sally Galvin, a mom who lost 115 pounds. And Pastor Monte Meyer, who has now lost over 250 pounds. And Paul Merson, a mechanic who lost 87 pounds.
So my answer to the reader with the shrinking pants is to check out Weight Watchers – and to pair it with a good look at NuVal. The two can go hand in hand. And I think you’ll have more success in keeping the weight off if you combine the lessons you learn at Weight Watchers with the choices of high-scoring, nutrient-dense foods.
For more advice on how to pick a diet that is best for you, check out this post from the HMR diet blog.
Good Luck!
