Dear Catie:

People tell me to switch to peanut oil for cooking, and lite margarine for flavoring vegetables and bread. What is your opinion?

Buttercup, Mn 

Dear Buttercup:

 I am a strong advocate against anything advertised as “lite”, “lo-cal;”, “fat-free”, or “sugar free”.

If you like butter, eat butter. But eat the real thing, in moderation. Avoid margarine, butter substitute, or anything that promises to taste like butter but be better for you. If you like peanut oil, it is ok to cook with it, or eat it. Just remember…do not consume more than three teaspoons per day. Olive oil is always great, but again, no one needs more than those three little teaspoons. Fats are necessary. Remember, you can decide to get your fats through cooking, or eating them on your food. Either way, they get into your body. Here is a great little word trick concerning fats:

Do not cut them out. Just watch the amount. 

Dear Catie:

I have been so good on my diet, but when I stepped on the scale, it showed I gained a pound. I wanted to kill the scale. I worked so hard. My clothes are baggier, how could I possibly gain weight while I am starving like this?

Ready to quit, Ohio 

Dear Ready:

Reading this reminded me of the scene where Nell Carter  was choking her scale to death. It may make you feel better, so go ahead. Kill that scale! Scales lie more than they motivate. After ten lbs of weight loss, fat cells begin replacing lost fat with fluid. Fluid is heavier than fat, so it is possible to lose fat and the scale show a  weight gain. When the scale mocks your hard dieting efforts,  it makes you want to quit the whole thing and eat everything in sight.  It gives the attitude of “well I’m not losing, I might as well eat”!  Nothing is farther from the truth!  Clothes don’t “grow”. If they are baggy, you are skinnier. Besides, who cares if the scale reads 330lbs, but look like 130. 

Dear Catie:

Help! My hair is falling out.  Is it my diet? It’s sad to think I have to choose between being fat or bald. What can I do?

Panicking NY 

Dear Panicking:

Sometimes hair loss is associated with stress, hormonal changes, genetics, and a few swear they pull it out over trying to lose the last 10 lbs.

If you are on a healthy diet, and not avoiding fats, chances are the hair loss is not diet related. See your doctor, and continue eating healthy. While I may not know the origin of your hair loss, I do know this: Adding garbage foods back will never correct the problem. When you deny yourself the pleasure of turning to the refrigerator for comfort, you may feel emotionally deprived.  Nevertheless, , it does not mean you are nutritionally deprived.