DIET | DETECTIVE^®

1. Fool's Move: Yo-yo dieting
"When you yo-yo diet or try a fad diet, you don't learn habits you can live with for a long time. What's worse, when you lower your calories too much, the body goes into starvation mode," says Adams. This is when you'll really start to have problems. Most of the weight you're losing is muscle and water, not fat. Since muscle burns calories, your metabolism slows down. And that's just what you're doing to your body: Research also shows that yo-yo dieting can harm the way you feel about food forever. "Studies of severe food restriction show that when subjects were able to eat normally again, they began to obsess about food. Yo-yo dieters may not feel hungry, but they are still thinking about what they'll eat in an hour. That's why people who diet on and off regain the weight they lost and more," says Adams.

Smart Solution: Choose a way of eating you can live with for a lifetime
Thinking about your food weakness will help you make lifestyle changes that match your eating habits. Do you eat out a lot? Do you hate to exercise? Is your job sedentary? "You may have a list of 10 things that stand in your way of weight loss, but choosing a diet for a life means picking one or two things you can successfully change now," Adams advises.

2. Fool's Move: Scarfing and skipping meals
It takes about 20 minutes for the brain to catch up with your belly after you eat. "Research shows that only after food begins to be absorbed and your blood sugar rises will your brain get the signal that you're full," says Adams. Conversely, skipping meals also causes problems. "If you're rushing around and don't have time to eat, when you do eat, you'll overeat because you're so hungry," she says.

Smart Solution: Savor (and smell) your food
Take the time to enjoy what you eat. And while you're slowing down, take an extra second to smell your food. "Studies show that people who actually sniff before eating have an easier time losing weight. If you use your senses to enjoy food, you'll feel more satisfied and you won't need to eat as much to feel satiated," recommends Adams.

3. Fool's Move: Cutting out food groups or a type of food
The problem here is that you miss out on nutrients and that leads to nutritional deficiencies (and eventually other medical problems). "Nutritional deficiencies are difficult for doctors to diagnose, so they often go undetected," says Adams.

Smart Solution: Mix it up
Eat a wide variety of foods. Take a look at the USDA Food Pyramid and try to meet at least the minimum suggestions. "Just because you cut your calories doesn't mean your nutrient requirements change, so you need to get in adequate servings from the Food Pyramid," suggests Adams.

4. Fool's Move: Ignoring portion size
"People don't recognize what a reasonable portion is because we're a nation with plenty of food available and a tradition of enjoying big meals at home and in restaurants," says Adams.

Smart Solution: Write on
"Start out by measuring food at home so you know what a portion size looks like. After that, keep a food journal and log what and how much you ate. That way, you can identify how much you're really eating," suggests Adams. Again, use the Food Pyramid as a resource for appropriate portion size.

5. Fool's Move: Being a couch (or computer) potato
Working the remote and the keyboard really don't burn a whole lot of calories. "If you're sedentary, it's harder to lose weight. You'll have less muscle, so you'll burn fewer calories. Just by increasing your muscle mass, you can raise the amount of calories you need," says Adams. Another incentive: Working out can actually change the shape of your body--weight loss without exercise usually leaves you looking like a flabby but smaller version of yourself.

Smart Solution: Start moving
"You don't have to work out like Arnold or even go to a health class to be more active," advises Adams. Walk the dog, garden or chase your kids-those activities all burn calories. Start looking at your dirty house as a cheap health club. Carry your groceries, take the stairs and park farther from the store. It all adds up.

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