Oprah Diet Recommendations

We all know that Oprah Winfrey has had a career-long--if not lifelong--battle with her weight. We've watched her gain and lose, gain and lose, for years. With access to all the diet advice and weight loss products money can buy, she's had the unique opportunity to try as many different plans and programs as she wants without breaking the bank. Whether or not that's been healthy for her body (or would be healthy for yours) is an entirely separate issue, but the fact remains that she's been at a distinct advantage in the battle of the bulge.

Two of Oprah's diet plans that have gotten the most attention are the Dr. Oz Diet and, more recently, the Best Life Diet by her trainer Bob Greene. Both plans generally follow a common-sense approach to weight loss: watch portions, choose foods that are nutritious and filling, and get more exercise. Both advise you to avoid processed grains (such as white bread), trans fats, and alcohol, and concentrate on eating a lot of fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. The Dr. Oz Diet is a little more restrictive, but the Best Life Diet is more structured, with three distinct phases. Both of them emphasize gradual weight loss and longterm lifestyle changes. Sounds sensible enough, right?

So why does Oprah's weight keep fluctuating? I don't know her personally, and I'm not her doctor, but I do know that she has called herself an emotional eater. While I'm not in a position to say whether or not her thoughts and behaviors constitute an eating disorder, if she actually has one, dieting will only treat the symptoms, not the cause. If you suffer from compulsive overeating, it's equally if not more important to treat the causes of the behavior as it is to curb the behavior itself, or lose the extra weight you may have gained. Make sure, if this is something that you struggle with, that you cultivate a healthy body image as well as a healthy body.