As more Americans become overweight, even obese, more and more people try to lose these extra pounds through diet. Hundreds of books and diet strategies address weight loss. Clinics, weight loss centers and organizations are in existence solely to treat and profit from diet regimes– and almost all fail. Many people have tried multiple different diets, usually lost some weight, and then put it and often more back on. Yo-yo dieting actually leads to worse long term health than never dieting at all. It’s quite clear that the best approach is to never go on a diet.

Diets fail because no one likes monitoring food intake and everyone hates being hungry. Is health worth it if this is the price?

What then? Just give up and live with extra pounds damaging your back, hips, knees, feet; surrender to chronic diseases, heart attacks, strokes, cancer, dementia and premature death? The solution is food substitution without portion control. Many foods are filling but have lower calorie density- you can eat a lot more of them and not gain unwanted pounds. In fact this approach to eating, not dieting, will gradually bring you back to a healthy weight. For the obese this may take a few years; for the moderately overweight it typically takes 6-18 months. A big bonus is that these lower calorie density foods are usually filled with what your body needs for optimal health: vitamins, minerals, micronutrients and fiber.

Virtually all Americans have strong food preferences, even addictions. Foods high in fat, sugar and salt in various combinations are ubiquitous and often inexpensive. Our food industry knows how to cash in on bad acquired tastes. But these are acquired tastes. Those never exposed to these foods don’t like them, but since they do satisfy natural cravings for fat, sugar and salt they can also quickly get use to them and come to choose them. Food preferences are acquired and can be changed for the worse, but also for the better.

The successful approach to changing eating habits is to make a list of low calorie density foods that you already enjoy and eat them rather than your usual choices. Gradually add new foods, ones you haven’t liked or never tried. Eating a small amount of a new food over and over will often result in preference change. As we discussed in an earlier blog, research has shown that people of all ages can change preferences and habits with this technique. Many who “hate” a certain food discover that this is no longer true and come to choose this food.

Changing what you eat is not easy for most people. Family and friends may not be willing to cooperate. Family meals and celebrations are a big part of most people’s lives. You don’t want to have a picnic with hot dogs and ice cream? What’s wrong with you? That’s un-American! True- for most people being American is being overweight and unhealthy. Your own family dynamic will be your new management problem rather than weight being your management problem. Fast food restaurants and processed foods will be off your menu and this means more time and effort for food prep. but it doesn’t have to be more expensive since there are excellent healthy low cost options like oatmeal, beans, brown rice, yams and potatoes (obviously not fried or with butter which is the way they are usually consumed in America.)

Deb and I found we could change preferences- we no longer want a steak or French fries. We enjoy tofu; we love a wider variety of vegetables and salads, all choices I would rarely make in the past. I love to eat and I enjoy these foods- with no thought of portion control or stopping eating while still hungry.