Determine the Effectiveness of Your Diet With a Diet Checklist
Every year, publishers rank the most popular weight loss diets. Most of the time, this is the practice of mental masturbation because it leaves out the most important success factor: commitment. Instead, avoid the Diet Index Enjoyability Total or DIET cookie cutter recommendations.
The Overall Diet Pleasure Score (DIET) is a hypothetical number created by Dr. Yoni Friedhoff, founder of Weighty Matters , who also runs one of the largest obesity clinics in Canada. Dr. Friedhoff noted that the pleasure factor of the diet is one of the most important determinants of success. As he put it:
“If you don’t like the life you live in while you are losing weight, you will almost certainly get it back. Simply put: the weight lost through suffering is more likely to be regained. “
There are pretty good reasons for this assertion. A recent meta-analysis (research study) published in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that dietary adherence – compared to other factors such as low and high carbohydrates, etc. – was a major factor in determining the effectiveness of the diet.
Indeed, all diets seem to work ; the hard part is finding one that you can stick to. To determine the overall stability of the diet, review Dr. Friedhoff’s checklist below and give it a pleasure score of 1-10 before you decide to try this diet:
- Hunger
- Thrust
- Feeling full / satisfied
- Prepare special meals for other family members
- The opportunity is still there with friends and family
- Energy levels and general well-being
- Complexity of dietary requirements
- Eating flexibility versus monotony
- Severity of dietary requirements (i.e. prohibited foods / food groups and impact on quality of life)
- Expenses / cost of dietary requirements (e.g. expensive foods, supplements, etc.)
There is no perfect diet, and there are contradictions and trade-offs between the items on the list. For example, one diet can be very flexible, but the abundance of choice increases the complexity. However, the checklist is very helpful in determining which diet ultimately works for you in the long run. The next time you decide to change your diet, take a look at this checklist to make sure it’s sustainable.
Diet Evaluation – What Every Weight Loss Study Needs | Important questions