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Take This Diet Quiz:
Are You Ready To Lose?
By Judith Hurley, M.S., R.D.

Measure Your Readiness Prepare to Lose Diet Report

If you have tried to lose weight without success (or, like most people, have lost weight but the pounds crept back on), you may blame yourself for lack of willpower. But losing weight has less to do with willpower and more to do with knowing when and how to lose weight.

The first step is to find out if you’re ready. This means having the right motivation and attitude combined with realistic expectations. Take our quiz and find out if you’re ready for a slimmer, healthier you.

Measure Your Readiness

Rate Yourself
Give yourself 1 point for each A answer, 2 points for each B answer and 3 points for each C answer.

10 points: Not ready. Now may not be the best time for you to try to lose weight. You may not be ready to focus on long-term weight loss. Talk to your doctor about your weight and how losing weight would improve your health. Then read up on healthy, long-term approaches to losing weight and keeping it off — and why fad diets, gimmicks and quick weight-loss approaches don’t work.

11 to 20 points: On the brink. You’re almost ready, but you need a push. To boost your motivation, write down how you will personally benefit from weight loss. Pin it to your refrigerator or wall. To raise your confidence, learn more about specific changes in exercise and diet that will help you lose weight. A good place to start is with the book Dieting for Dummies, by Jane Kirby, for the American Dietetic Association.

21 to 30 points: Ready to roll: Congratulations! With a little planning, you’ll be on your way.

Prepare to Lose
If you took the diet quiz and know that you are ready to lose weight, the next step is to prepare an action plan for weight loss. The following three steps can help:

Step 1. Make a list of your diet and exercise goals. Examples: “Eat fewer high-fat and high-sugar foods” and “Start taking brisk walks.”

Step 2. Now turn your goals into realistic actions. List one or two specific behaviors that you will engage in. Don’t try to do too much. Choose things that are specific and that you have confidence you can accomplish. State what you will do and when. Examples: “I’ll take a healthy bag lunch to work rather than eat at a restaurant at least three days each week” or “I’ll take a 30-minute walk four evenings a week.”

Step 3. Write down what preparations you need to make to achieve your behaviors. Examples: “Shop for a week’s worth of healthy bag lunch items this Sunday” and “Buy some comfortable walking shoes tomorrow.”

Want some extra guidance?
Log on to www.thedietchannel.com or consult a registered dietitian. For group support and sound advice, sign up for your health plan’s weight-loss program or join a Weight Watchers group.

Diet Report: Why a Balanced Approach Is Better

DIET CLAIM WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution by Robert C. Atkins, M.D. Only carbohydrates make you fat. Eat protein and fat instead, and you’ll lose weight. This diet is high in saturated fat and low in fruits and fiber. Side effects may include constipation, bad breath and increased risk for heart disease and cancer. This is a low-calorie diet in disguise. Simply put: Cutting carbohydrates cuts calories. The Zone by Barry Sears, Ph.D. The ratio of carbohydrates to protein to fat in the diet should be 40:30:30, which puts insulin levels in the “zone” for weight loss. It’s a reasonably healthy diet but low in whole grains and calcium. This diet provides about 1,000 calories a day. The low calorie level causes weight loss, not any magical proportion of carbohydrates, protein and fat. The New Beverly Hills Diet by Judy Mazel and Michael Wyatt Foods contain digestive enzymes that “activate” the body. Eat foods in the right combinations so that they are digested. Undigested food makes you fat. The premise is incorrect. Digestive enzymes are made in the body, not found in foods. And undigested food is not absorbed by the body, so it can’t make you fat. It is difficult to get adequate nutrition on this diet. Weight loss comes from the low calories, not the food-combining rules. Eat More, Weigh Less by Dean Ornish, M.D. Lose weight by cutting out nearly all foods with fat. This is a generally healthy diet rich in whole grains, fruits and vegetables. It restricts some healthy foods, including low-fat dairy, seafood, lean meats and poultry. It is low in calcium. The low fat level is hard for many people to follow.

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