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Page: << Prev | 1 | 2 Even worse, she added, "there have been some very large-scale studies coming out of Scandinavia showing that [repeated] weight loss [and regain] actually increases the risk for weight gain."
Often called "yo-yo dieting," this pattern is definitely harmful, Ikeda said. "I tell people if they have lost weight and regained it three times [or more], they should stop focusing on weight loss and start focusing on improving your metabolic fitness." That means leading a healthy lifestyle, eating sufficient calories for an adult. "Sufficient" generally means about 2000 calories a day, but Ikeda stressed that ideal levels can vary by weight and activity levels.
Miller Jones said those trying to lose weight by following a healthy lifestyle should do so slowly. "People who slowly lose the weight are the ones who are going to keep it off," she said. Instead of severe calorie restriction, she suggested, cut back by 100 calories a day -- you'll probably lose a pound a month, she said.
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A realistic weight loss goal depends on your starting weight, Miller Jones added. "If you have 20 or 30 pounds to lose, [lose] a couple of pounds a month," she said. "If your BMI is quite high, over 30 [termed obese], a pound a week makes sense." For reference, a 5-foot 5-inch person who weighs 180 has a BMI of 30, the standard threshold for obesity.
Find an eating plan you can follow, she said, and ideally one that doesn't "demonize" food. "Look for plans that say, 'Here are foods to choose often, here are foods to choose less often,' not 'These are good foods, these are bad.'"
Teens, in particular, shouldn't diet, Ikeda said. "I think they should focus on behaviors that will in fact result in the achievement of a healthier weight. Behaviors such as exercising, drinking less soda, drinking more water, eating less fast food, watching less television, and drinking more low-fat or nonfat milk."
The bottom line? The only way to have a healthy body weight, Ikeda said, is to have a healthy lifestyle.
More information
To learn more about a healthy diet, visit the American Dietetic Association (www.eatright.org ).
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