Get Off the ‘Sick Cycle Diet Carousel’ in 2012

One of my favorite bands in the last 10 years is Lifehouse.  They are usually on my ipod on workout days, and their lyrics are always so true to life.  One of their all time best songs is Sick Cycle Carousel.   When you listen to the song, it really speaks to anyone because we all have those life struggles that don’t seem to go away no matter how hard we try. We keep going around and around doing the same thing hoping for a different result.



For us to be free of any issue in our lives, we must get off the carousel once and for all.  I have counseled hundreds of men, women and children (usually of those parents) on managing their weight.  More than ever, I am seeing people continuing on the same cycle that has left them unsuccessful over many years.  It is my job to have them consider another way so they can, not only be successful in the short term, but once and for all.  The cycle is usually something like this:

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Your approach may change slightly – switching from one fad diet to the next – but for the most part, it is the same.  I am here to tell you they do not work.  What I love about the new year is that it gives us each an opportunity to do things differently.  As mothers and fathers, we owe it to our children to get it right for ourselves so we can be better role models.  Jump off the sick cycle carousel and jump on the wellness cycle.  It looks more like this:

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Although this pictorial algorithm is simplified, each component is vital for success.  I spend a lot of my time encouraging my clients to eat enough calories at meals (especially breakfast) and snacks in order to get into the sweet spot of the wellness cycle.  When they do, weight drops, lean muscle increases and for the first time in many years, they feel great.  They are fit, and ready to tackle other challenges in their lives.

Some people come and go out of my office and choose not to get off the sick cycle dieting carousel.  After all, change is very scary.  Eat more calories?  Eat more times per day?  That goal of being thin no matter what will drive you to make wrong decisions.  The media does not help with this at all.  Everywhere you look, articles abound that promise the latest dieting secrets.  Be very careful.

So, it is up to you.  Which cycle do you choose for 2012?  As for me, I continue to choose the wellness cycle.  I have some agressive fitness goals for this year and it's the only way to get there.  If you want to choose wellness, consider contacting a Registered Dietitian near you that specializes in weight management that can lead you along your new path.  Many insurance companies are now covering the benefit.  Even if it's not covered, it will be money well spent.

Here's to a Happy & Healthy New Year!