Confused!!!

Question
Hi Tasha, I hope you can help clarify some of my confusion. I am a 37 yr old female, 5'4, size 8-10 and weight 145-147 lbs. This is the heaviest I have ever been! All through my childhood and high school weight and food was never an issue for me. I was a healthy size 4-6, 120-125lbs. I basically only ate when I was hungry. Once I started University that's when the weight gaining started because I was emotionally eating due to the unhappiness I was feeling in school. During University to the present I have lost and gained that weight a few times. I have always been active in sports or the gym. I am having trouble losing weight now because I am confused with all the "diets" out there.  I don't want food and planning my meals to be the thought that occupies my mind. Can I simply make the healthy food choices and eat ONLY when I am hungry and not adopt the "eat so many meals in a day" mentality?
Thanks in advance.

Answer
First you must understand that every person's body is different and often a diet that works for one person may not work at all for you.

To be honest with you, I do not feel that your current weight is unheathy.  Body weight is strongly influenced by genetics, and if you come from a line of stocky people, there is a very strong possibility that you too will be stocky.  Trying to fight your genetics is a losing battle and you will ultimately be very frustrated.  Take a look at your grand parents on both sides and you will see what type of genetic influences you are dealing with.

Secondly, in addition to genetics, of course, what you eat also effects your weight.  People who consume highly processed foods tend to have weight issues.  This is very obvious in the United States where nearly 30 percent of the population is obese.  This problem is most certainly directly related to diet.  One hundred years ago in this country there were virtually no processed, pre-packaged foods and the obesity level was less than 10 percent.  In addition 100 years ago the cancer rate was 7 percent, today it is very nearly 50 percent.  Again, this relates to diet.

If you wish to reach your desired weight, taking into account your genetics, the best way for you to do this successfully is to alter your eating habits.  The ideal diet should be 75 percent raw, whole, unprocessed vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts, seeds and vegetable oils.  The other 25 percent should not include dairy products and meat consumption should be limited to 2 3 ounce servings per week (a 3 ounce serving is approximately the size of a deck of playing cards).  The meat that you consume should be anti-biotic and hormone free, preferably organic.

I get many emails from people on allexperts.com who are vegetarians and they are asking me what to eat to gain weight!  Again, these people descend from a line of thin people, genetically, so they are very predisposed to be slender.  However, by eating the right kind of diet you can attain your LOWEST HEALTHY WEIGHT, whether than be 140 or 120 pounds.  

For more information on diet please check out my blog at http://everydayhealthandwellness.blogspot.com  Feel free to contact me any time.

Tasha

1. Prev:Proper Nutrition when Training for a 1/2 Marathon
2. Next:Inches but not pounds