This is some text prior to the author information. You can change this text from the admin section of WP-Gravatar  Frank is a Registered Dietitian & ACE-Certified Personal Trainer who began his career in NY, but has made his home here in Charleston. Frank specializes in fitness programming/management and nutrition consulting. Work experience ranges from a private nutrition and wellness practice to Master Personal Trainer at the prestigious New York Health & Racquet Club. Education includes: AOS Culinary Arts Degree, Bachelor of Science in Food & Nutrition, and Degree of Advanced Studies in Nutrition & Exercise Physiology at CW Post campus of Long Island University. Frank is owner of Wellspring Health Services here in Charleston, SC. Wellspring is a private personal wellness company, offering: personalized, custom meal delivery service catering to individual nutrition needs, nutrition consulting, 1-on-1 and small group personal training, corporate wellness services and country club management. Frank Koch, RD can be contacted at: 843-609-6688 or online at www.wellspringcharleston.com Read more from this author

Happy New Year!!

It is estimated that this year, 45% of Americans made a new year’s resolution to lose weight. And, of these people, there are two different approaches to improvement.

1. The crash diet, A.K.A. fad diet, where you could lose a bunch of weight in a short period of time (and then usually put it right back on, plus some).

2. Or, make a lifestyle change and commitment to eating healthy and getting physical exercise, which will cause the weight to come off more slowly but at a commitment level that you can maintain.

The concept of one having a diet as opposed to one being on a diet is the single most important factor in a successful lifestyle change as it pertains to nutrition.    

Most diets are difficult to stick to, and because weight loss is so difficult to maintain, it’s no surprise that being on a diet is a short term success, and “DIET” becomes a 4 letter word! The typical ‘dieter’ tends to go through cycles, where they will try a ‘new diet’, (and they are usually miserable about the whole concept to begin with!) possibly lose a few pounds (usually water weight), fall off the wagon, gain the weight back plus one or two more pounds, metabolism slows down, then comes the next diet, weight loss, weight gain, metabolism further slows, etc etc (a concept known as YO-YO dieting which is very unhealthy)…

Experience in nutrition counseling has exposed me to many MANY MANY different “fad diets” and I can tell you what’s right and wrong with most of them. The theories of some are more appropriate than others, and there is a place for many of them.

I would like to invite you all to bounce ideas off of each other and make that important LIFESTYLE CHANGE to getting healthy together.

Any thoughts? What are your plans for change? What has worked for you in the past?

Share your dieting experiences with us!