What is the Little Black Dress of Nutrition?

by Brooke on July 27, 2010

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Women often refer to the little black dress as the perfect outfit for a wide variety of special occasions.  It compliments your figure, is always in style, and brings a smile to your face.  I love the little black dress concept and started thinking…how does this apply to nutrition?  What healthy eating pattern compliments your figure, is always in style, and brings a smile to your face?  Any ideas? 

Diets go out of style just like many garments have throughout past decades. 

The Hollywood 24 hour diet and other similar liquid diets will not bring a smile to your face.  This type of diet could lead to a rapid weight loss; however, once a normal eating pattern resumes all the weight lost will be quickly regained.  Basically, these diets starve your body over the course of a few days.   Therefore, the problem with starving your body while on these liquid diets is that you will be dizzy and  seeing spots by the end …very similar to the polka dots found on many of the sixties dresses.

Another diet that comes and goes out of style, just like the bell bottom pants from the seventies, is the Atkins diet. Low carbohydrate diets like the Atkins diet generally have the following similarities: low carbohydrate intake, large intake of fats and protein, and no calorie restriction.  Regardless of what these low carbohydrate diets are named, the end result is the same.  Once, you get off the diet you will end up very similar to the design of the bell bottom pants…bigger than when you started.

It is hard to make healthy lifestyle choices with all the gimmicks and gadgets out there.  These products often sound too good to be true, because they are.  The key to weight loss does not require magical, cheap, quick, and easy pills or products.  Weight loss only requires two things: 1) Eat less and 2) Move more.  Remember, those paint splattered clothes from the 80’s?  I feel like these gimmicks and gadgets are very similar to that style.  Both are a splattered mess that will not help you look good tomorrow.

The 90’s held an era of cute baby doll fashion with baby doll dresses and thigh-high stockings.  I find this trend very similar to those diets based on one food like cookies, muffins, grapefruit, cabbage soup, etc.  There is nothing cute about eating cookies everyday to lose weight.  Sure it sounds yummy in theory, but no one food has magical powers to burn calories.  These one-food diets also result in nutrient deficiencies that will leave you feeling fatigued.  One-food diets are out of style and won’t leave you feeling cute.

So what is the little black dress of nutrition?  I believe it is eating in moderation, watching your portion sizes, and increasing your physical activity.  I believe the healthy plate model combined with physical activity is the best example of this.  Breakfast consists of 1/3 grains, 1/3 fruit, and 1/3 protein for example: 1 cup of dry cereal, 1 cup of skim milk, and a small apple.  For lunch and dinner, fill half your plate with vegetables as they have no cholesterol, are full of fiber, provide many nutrients, and are low in calories.  The other half of the plate consists of 1/4 protein and 1/4 grains.  An example of this could be a generous portion of fresh grilled vegetables, 3-4 ounces of grilled chicken, and 1 cup of brown rice. 

I would wear my little black dress everyday if I could, so why wouldn’t I also eat healthy everyday to have the same effect!  They both compliment my figure, are always in style, and bring a smile to my face.

Diets are trendy, but go out of style.  A healthy lifestyle is the little black dress that is timeless!

{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }

Lisa @ 14 Months to 50 July 27, 2010 at 5:14 am

Great article — love the header, too!

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Brooke July 27, 2010 at 4:18 pm

Thanks Lisa!

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Jennifer Lowe July 27, 2010 at 10:36 am

Great entry, Brooker! I find it odd that I don’t own a “LBD”… Maybe this is why I fall off the “Little Black Dress of Nutrition” wagon occasionally!! Because I can’t find one to fully compliment me! Haha! Guess I should go find one and then fill up my plate with 1/2 veggies! Great start, sweetums!!!

xoxo, JeniBoo

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Brooke July 27, 2010 at 4:17 pm

Jeni you need to go get yourself a LBD and get on the veggie wagon!

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Adam July 27, 2010 at 12:02 pm

Great piece to start your amazing new website! I’m super-impressed, Brooke! Can’t wait to see where this goes!

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Brooke July 27, 2010 at 4:15 pm

Thanks Adam!

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Christina July 27, 2010 at 1:14 pm

Congrats Brooke! What a great start. I’ve added you to my reader and look forward to hearing what you have to say!

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Brooke July 27, 2010 at 4:13 pm

Thanks Christina! I will be posting a new article every Tuesday and look forward to your feedback :)

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Matt Cheuvront July 27, 2010 at 7:23 pm

Great to see things off and running here, Brooke! If you ever need anything – you know where to find me! Best of luck and can’t wait to see where you take this in the future!

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Brooke July 28, 2010 at 11:17 pm

Thanks for all your help and hard work Matt! Chicago will miss you!

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Crysta July 27, 2010 at 8:09 pm

Congrats on the new website – looks awesome!

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Brooke July 28, 2010 at 11:17 pm

Thanks Crysta! I hope things are going well for you :)

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Jeannine Guyette July 27, 2010 at 8:09 pm

Brooke! The website is awesome, good work girlfriend :)

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Brooke July 28, 2010 at 11:18 pm

Hi Jeannine! I hope you are doing great! Thanks for the support!!!

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julie janas July 27, 2010 at 10:01 pm

hey brook!..
congrats on your new website! keep up the great work!…
julie

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Brooke July 28, 2010 at 11:20 pm

Hi Julie! Thanks! If I make it on your reading list, I will definately feel special :)

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Meagan Plants July 29, 2010 at 5:00 pm

Brooke!! CONGRATS- website looks great!
Remember the flight to Denver when you first started working on this! Thinking of names and brainstorming ideas! Well you did it and before the next FNCE!
Inspiring!

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Shea Cohen February 22, 2011 at 3:35 am

Brooke,
What a nice surprise to find you have started a website! Congratulations! I hope that things are going GREAT! I enjoyed reading your articles, as usual! I started a new chapter… moved cross country to follow my childhood dream of living in the mountains, now that my kids are grown. I am in a little town called Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. It is where the Ford Ironman is held every year…on the water, surrounded by mountains! It is incredibly beautiful! I hope you will keep in touch! You were always one of my favs! Keep smiling! PS…I do own several LBD’s! :) Shea

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Tanya @ Dine, Dash, & Deadlift August 14, 2011 at 11:21 pm

What a great analogy of comparing fad diets to fleeting fashion trends!

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