If you're thinking of going on a diet to lose those extra pounds think again. Long-term weight control through dieting is near impossible, for the simple reason is that diets promote only short term solutions not long term.
After dieting you'll certainly look lighter on the scales, but in most cases this is because you've dumped a few pounds of body fluid and muscle, and not because you've lost any significant amounts of body fat.
One of the main reasons diets don't work is because they send the body into starvation mode - a survival mechanism for times when humans faced periods of famine. Cutting back on our energy intake causes the body to lower its metabolic rate, which reduces its ability to burn fat.
At the same time, hunger signals increase and we quickly start to crave high energy foods loaded with fats and sugars - the exact foods we are trying to do without!!!
Alarmingly, research has shown that repeated dieting actually makes it harder to lose weight and easier to put it on!!
This is because when you dump the diet and return to normal eating habits, the drop in metabolic rate caused by the diet means that your old eating habits actually represent an excess in calories. Not only do you regain the fat stores just lost, but you may even gain a bit extra.
"Five more reasons to stop dieting"
? Diets sap energy - Too little food means not enough
energy for physical activity.
? Diets lower your metabolism - Dieting causes your body
to conserve energy, making results harder to achieve.
? Diets are unhealthy - A cycle of rapid weight loss
followed by weight gain can lead to a loss of lean tissue
from your body and calcium from your bones. It also
strips the body of essential vitamins and minerals.
? Diets make food the enemy - Food provides nourishment
and comfort. Diets can make you afraid to eat, depriving
you of one of life's pleasures.
? Diets cheat your confidence - Going from one failed ? diet to the next can leave you feeling depressed and ? create a cycle in which guilt battles against food.
Regular physical activity and a healthy, balanced diet aren't as glamorous as the quick fixes, but they do get better results.
Start with one extra exercise session and one less fatty takeaway meal per week, and gradually work towards a lifelong plan for achieving your best weight.
If you change the way you eat or exercise to lose weight, ask yourself this question. Can I see myself sticking to this routine for life!!
If the answer is "no" then its time to change what you're doing. Any healthy weight loss plan should include the following:
? A wide variety of foods.
? Regular and enjoyable exercise.
? Enough filling foods to avoid constant hunger.
? At least 1200 calories a day.
? Flexibility for treat foods and social occasions.
? A realistic goal of your best weight (not necessarily
your lowest weight.)
Fact
A realistic weight loss is around one to two pounds per week. Fast weight losses are not fat loss but glycogen and water. If you lose weight quickly then you will probable return back to the weight at which you started as quickly as it was lost.
Fiction
? Weight loss is quick and simple.
? Exercise is not necessary.
? Certain exercises can spot reduce.
? Carbohydrates (for example, bread, potatoes, rice,
and pasta) are fattening.
So the way to lose body fat and maintain muscle or increase it is to have a food program for life and more energy output. Increase the amount of fruits, vegetables, non-fat dairy products, whole grains and beans that you eat.
Eliminate calorie-dense foods such as cookies, sugary desserts, chips, fries, pizza, candies, crackers etc. Research on people who have successfully lost a lot of weight and kept it off long term, shows that the vast majority succeeded by consuming a low fat diet high in fibre coupled with strength training and cardiovascular activity. These are the basics you'll need to aim for.
A sound weight loss eating plan should:
? Be nutritionally sound, providing all the nutrients you need.
? Never promise fast weight losses.
? Offer an eating plan based on real food.
? Allow you to eat out.
? Avoid expensive meal plans, products and supplements.
? Not avoid carbohydrate foods, e.g. bread, rice, pasta, cereals and potatoes.
? Make gradual dietary changes.
? Provide knowledge.
? Allow you to eat all foods
? Recommend physical activity.
Fat calories are more fattening than carbohydrate calories. Your body can easily convert the fat you eat in food into body fat, so to lose weight you need to cut down on fats and foods that contain it.
Consider the following steps to reduce fat in your diet.
? Use skimmed or skimmed milk in drinks, cooking and on cereals.
? Buy a non - stick frying pan.
? Buy a cheese slicer
? Cut the visible fat from meat.
? Eat very little pastry.
? Learn how to read a food label.
? Substitute low fat yoghurt for cream.
? Remove the skin from chicken and turkey.
? Eat fruit as snacks rather than eating chocolate and biscuits.
? Eat fewer burgers and sausages.
Gary Matthews is a fitness trainer from "down under" who has been coaching clients from athletes to bodybuilders for two decades. You may contact Gary directly at gary@maximumfitness.com and visit his website at
limousine Ackley .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareAn ancient practice from Eastern Medicine, bowel cleansing is fast... Read More
Fifteen years ago the doctor's suggested that we eat pasta... Read More
Ready for a hardcore diet to get lean in a... Read More
I never intended to get fat! I am not exactly... Read More
There are several factors in winning at weight loss. Sometimes... Read More
One of the worst things you can hear in life... Read More
Staying Toned After Weight Loss ---------------------------------------- Following significant weight loss,... Read More
Fat Burners refer to the hundreds of products on the... Read More
The following are diet tips that can help you shape... Read More
In order to identify hunger, you must first understand what... Read More
If your low carb diet is going nowhere, maybe its... Read More
Visualizing and Declarations are today's topics.Visualize what you want as... Read More
As our country gains weight at an alarming rate, we... Read More
The safe way to lose weight begins with a thorough... Read More
From the moment of birth your first emotional experiences establish... Read More
Weight Loss is something that many Americans struggle with. In... Read More
Once there were these two Nuns and they...just kidding! Do... Read More
I've talked to quite a few fellow gastric bypass patients... Read More
Eighteen or twenty years ago, I was into high protein,... Read More
Most Americans do not get enough calcium in their diets;... Read More
Getting Started on The Clean DietIf you want to lose... Read More
We must all now be familiar with the Atkins Diet.... Read More
I have put off writing a motivation article because of... Read More
Do you know this year Florida will go through a... Read More
Each month I receive hundreds of e-mails from consumers who... Read More
shuttle from O'Hare Alexander ..In 1994, I had a RNY surgery. At 350 lbs... Read More
It is common for new WLS patients to ask, "How... Read More
1. What is my BMI and how do I calculate... Read More
Any dietary plan on the market has some portion of... Read More
Both men and women around the world are becoming fatter... Read More
You may be considering a low carb diet program, but... Read More
Just the facts on bodybuilding weightloss strategies that work. No... Read More
Although many patients have few problems after bariatric surgery, there... Read More
Most Americans do not get enough calcium in their diets;... Read More
What is negative calorie effect? Whatever food we eat,... Read More
Most people who want to burn off some excess pounds... Read More
Gastric-bypass surgery is only the first step many morbidly obese... Read More
Magnetic weight loss is the newest fad diet supplement to... Read More
(But What You Need to Know if You Want to... Read More
Women on diets need more calcium than normal to avoid... Read More
This is a very important topic that needs to be... Read More
Losing weight on hips and thighs has always been a... Read More
Tip 1) DRINK A GLASS OF WATER AFTER EACH SNACKThis... Read More
I learned about gaining weight when I heard the question... Read More
Lose a pound of fat? what does it take? Not... Read More
Welcome to bodybuilding weightloss exercise tips!This is the engine room... Read More
"How do I lose 5 kg or 30 kg?""How do... Read More
You may not like what I'm about to say, but... Read More
Recently a woman went public in her online diet community... Read More
Most people are unsure about how to begin a fat... Read More
Weight Loss |