Which Message Do You Hear?

Flipping through the radio stations this morning, I was both amused and concerned by the conflicting messages that were coming through: an ad for a weight-loss supplement on one station; one for "all-you-can-eat pancakes" at a popular restaurant chain on another; a promotion for a national gym membership on a third. Is this what we need to sort through in order to figure out our course of action regarding our weight? No wonder there are so many overweight people in this country and so much yo-yo dieting going on!

A friend and I recently had a conversation about the new California law requiring restaurant chains to provide on their menus calorie and other nutritional information about the food they serve. We discussed how defeating it feels to find out that the healthy salad you thought you were eating at your local fave restaurant contains 3/4 of a day's worth of fat and calories. Now what? Is this a good thing? What message are we supposed to take away from this? And how will this law change the food restaurants offer?

It can be very difficult to listen to the small, constant voice in your head that tells you what is right. You know that a salad served on a plate the size of an old 78 album, piled high with bleu cheese crumbles, candied pecans and bacon bits and slathered with dressing is going to deliver far more calories and fat than you need in any meal. So use your common sense: if it's way bigger than what you'd serve yourself at home, eat only half (or less) and take the rest home for another meal or another day. More isn't necessarily better. You probably didn't need the nutrition information on the menu to tell you that, but it's a good reminder.

The key is to ignore all the messages except the health-affirming ones you tell yourself or get from other sources. Don't be influenced by the all-you-can-eat ads (obviously) that will only leave you with regrets if you let them win. Use restaurant menu nutrition guides as simply that: guides. That doesn't mean any food is off-limits; you just may want to eat less of it or order it less often. And that gym membership ad? Only join if you believe you'll use it. Otherwise, save your money and go for a brisk walk. Listen to your own messages of health and well-being and you'll be doing a lot less yo-yoing this year.