Most dieters will regain at least half the pounds they shed within two years. And once they return to watching their weight they look in all the wrong places for ways to lose weight. Rather than watching how many calories they consume, dieters are looking at what they are eating, says Dr. Shalini Reddy, assistant professor of internal medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. Eliminating a large category of foods such as carbohydrates may result in nutritional deficiencies, says Reddy. It also reduces the availability, variability and palatability of food in general.
Many older women attempt to prevent osteoporosis by taking calcium supplements.
But they may be forgetting an important ingredient - vitamin D, which is necessary for the efficient absorption of calcium. Without it, bone mass diminishes and the risk of bone fracture increases. In addition, as people age their production of vitamin D may decrease. Most multiple vitamins contain about half the needed amount of vitamin D, and calcium tablets contain about a fourth your daily need. Check with your physician if you think you are not getting enough vitamin D through your diet.