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It’s Not About Diets, But Sustainable Changes!

MEEFRO December 30, 2023

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Instead of attempting a fad diet for your New Year’s resolution, a WVU expert recommends adopting lasting healthy habits like keeping a food journal, as studies reveal restrictive diets often fail (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Family Nutrition Program (FNP)

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‘Opt for lasting health improvements over fad diets in your New Year’s resolution, suggest experts. Considering adopting habits like keeping a food journal, may prove to have a more significant impact on long-term health, given the documented failures of restrictive diets.
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West Virginia University expert suggests making a few small changes to your nutrition and physical activity are more sustainable and have a larger impact on your health in the long term.

Beyond Fads to Effective New Year Habits

Gina Wood with the WVU Extension Family Nutrition Program offers tips on making lifestyle changes that will last.

Quotes:

“Diets typically ask people to make drastic changes. They are either asking you to cut out an entire food group or drastically reduce your calorie intake. They are asking too much of people. The chances of that working are pretty slim”.

“Every food group has its role. The more of those things you cut out, the less nutritious your diet is going to be. It is difficult to maintain health without a full array of nutritious foods. Variety is the key”.

“The first thing to think about is what kind of changes you want to make. Some people aren’t even aware of what their habits are. Maybe start with a food or physical activity journal. Look at what you are doing every day and where you can start making a change”.

“Pick something small. If you notice you are only eating vegetables twice a week, start by adding another serving once or twice a week. Do something small that is realistic, because once you have one small success, you’re going to be able to build on that”.

“People who are successful in terms of weight loss and improving lifestyle, it’s not the drastic changes — it’s the small changes you can maintain over time. Consistency leads to success. It’s about progress, not perfection”.

“Check out MyPlate.gov. It has all sorts of information about the number of servings and quantities of food groups you need. It has recipes, handouts and games, and tons of nutrition information.” — Gina Wood, specialist and Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program coordinator, WVU Extension Family Nutrition Program

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