The Pyramid is Dead!

On January 31, 2011 the US Department of Agriculture released the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010. Maybe this 112-page document isn't a real page-turner, but it tells us should be no surprise. In the press release issued on the same day, the USDA acknowledges that two-thirds of American adults are overweight or obese. Stop and think about that number. Two out of every three Americans! Do you know what it takes to become obese? There are five agreed upon classifications for Body Fat Percentages, and they are different for men and women, as would be expected. A women's body fat needs to be more than 30% to be considered obese, and 1/3 of Americans are just that! If you weight 190lbs, and your percentage of body fat is 30% this means that you are more than 57% fat.

There are various ways to measure body fat on each person. The least expensive way would be to have a Skinfold test done. This is a simple technique where a trained professional walks around to various parts of your body, and using calipers, measures the thickness of skinsfolds at various points. Sounds like fun doesn't it?! While this might not the best method, it is certainly the most cost effective approach and does yield results that can be measured over time.

So, back to food and the latest guide issued by the USDA. What's the big difference between this guide and the good ole food pyramid? Take a look at the image below. Notice that the majority of our food intake was supposed to be breads, cereal, pasta and rice; six to eleven servings a day! What is amazing still is that grains ranked higher than fruits and vegetables. Really?

One of the most important messages that this new guide is telling us is to eat foods that we can identify, meaning, not processed and simply eat less of it. One of the fastest ways to lose weight and to keep it off is by monitoring calories in vs. calories out. How many calories are  you eating on a daily basis and where are those calories coming from? Are they empty calories that leave you unsatisfied and even more hungry? Or are they calories that are packed with nutrients that your body needs to sustain itself?

Lose a pound a week!

There are 3,500 calories in one pound of body fat. That's right! 3,500. If you decreased your calorie intake by 500 calories a day, just 500, that would result an approximate loss of one pound a week (500 calories x 7 days = 3,500 calories). Now combine that with a little exercise. On average, 30 minutes of cardio activity will burn 250 calories. Start doing the math and you've created a simple, sustainable weight-loss plan. It does help to have help, support and guidance along the way, but its not impossible to create a healthy lifestyle without going overboard. Take a look at the latest USDA guidelines, couple that with a little un-commonsense (because, let's face it, there is no such thing as commonsense) and dog-gone-it you might see some great changes!

Helpful? Not helpful? Do you disagree?