Pat Barone asked:


For every 100 dieters, one will maintain their weight loss after 5 years, which is the marker determining permanent weight loss to the medical community. Research indicates diets actually add pounds in the long run.

Why are diets so destructive to our weight and health? Here are some of the reasons.

1. Severe food restriction causes real hunger.

It’s a fact that most diets last less than 72 hours. Hunger is a basic human urge. Man continues to survive (and has for thousands of years) because of the ability to cope with famine and scarcity of food. Hunger has been the powerful motivator for that survival.

2. A diet is an artificial plan which is different from your lifestyle.

Your new diet book has pages and pages of special recipes but you don’t like to cook. Your diet says you must prepare all your food, but your job requires you to entertain clients. Only you can set the boundaries around eating and make them work within your lifestyle.

3. A diet is a temporary solution to a permanent problem.

The diet industry makes billions (yes! over $42 billion a year) by convincing people to follow a diet for a few weeks or months to solve lifelong problems of emotional eating, eating for the wrong reasons or eating food that is nutrition-less. Once a diet ends, the weight comes back because the problems and behaviors are still there. Maybe you squeezed yourself into the bridesmaid’s dress in time for the wedding, but you still have the rest of your life ahead of you.

A first step toward success is to accept that there is no free ride. If you lose weight on a strict diet, you will always pay for it later.

4. A diet doesn’t take into account your likes and dislikes.

If your diet prescribes cabbage soup and you don’t like cabbage, you are in real trouble. Or perhaps it limits you to high protein foods but your body doesn’t digest protein easily. Should you really eat in an artificial way that causes you pain and suffering?

No.

Look at the big picture and make the choices that support your goals. Following someone else’s rules can also put you at risk for new health problems that you don’t need.

5. A one-size-fits-all diet cannot possibly be useful to everyone.

You are unique. Different people need different amounts of protein, carbohydrates and fat to feel and perform at their best. No diet can guarantee that you will feel good while following it; no dietician or nutritionist can figure out what makes you feel energetic and balanced. Only you can determine what pattern of food intake keeps you feeling great.

6. Cravings are real.

The body produces cravings for a reason. There are real, productive cravings for things your body needs (like water), and there are self-defeating cravings that come from psychological causes. It’s not hard to train yourself to recognize the differences and act accordingly. A little moderation goes a long way.

7. Diets set up feelings of deprivation and punishment.

The psychological aspects of dieting can be devastating. Diets are often used as self-torture, to “validate” deep-rooted negative feelings or chip away at your sense of worth. Remember, it’s the diet that fails, not you.

8. Dieting puts the emphasis only on food.

A 1995 Baylor University study followed three groups of participants who wanted to lose weight over a two-year period: (1) the Diet Only group; (2) the Diet/Exercise group; and (3) the Exercise Only group. After 3 months, the Diet Only and Diet/Exercise groups had lost more than the Exercise Only group. The Exercise Only group showed a smaller loss of 4-8 pounds.

At the 12-month mark, the Diet Alone and Diet/Exercise groups again had lost more total weight than the Exercise Only group BUT they had gained back some weight from their 3-month mark. (In simple terms, they lost all the weight they were going to lose very quickly, in 3 months, and were now regaining the lost weight weight.)

At the 2-year mark, the Diet Only and Diet/Exercise groups were back at their original weight or MORE. The Exercise Only group was still losing weight. It’s a variation on the Tortoise and the Hare. A good question might be, “Where do I want to be in two years?”

Putting the emphasis on food allows us to believe food is the issue and that, if we change food, we’ll achieve permanent weight loss. This simply isn’t true. Changing our behaviors with food is the key.

9. Dieting promotes weight loss, not fat loss.

The number on your scale may be going down with a severely restricted eating plan, but it is only a temporary change of the non-fat elements of your body (water, muscle, interstitial and organ tissue, and even blood volume). The real issue: Do you want lower the number on the scale or permanently burn fat?

Long-term health lies in fat loss, which can only occur at 1/2 to 2 pounds per week. This is why quick weight loss is always followed by quick weight gain.

10. Dieting leads to new problems or compounds old ones.

If you are concerned with your weight and health, you don’t need new problems. Many popular diets cause fatigue, low energy, loss of sleep, depression, stress and erratic mood swings. Who needs that, especially when the dieting effort doesn’t solve the weight issue in a permanent way?

Your best indicator that you are eating well is how you feel. Your best approach to weight loss is an individual one that takes your preferences, lifestyle, needs and attitudes into consideration.

Be kind to your body. It’s the only one you’ll ever have. Give it the fuel and exercise it needs on a consistent basis — and it will stabilize at a comfortable, reasonable weight.



Roland

Steven Magill asked:


Copyright (c) 2008 Steven Magill

Everyone wants the impossible when it comes to dieting and weight loss! And most people will believe almost anything, if it sounds like they’ll be able to lose weight faster and easier, even if it is a little far-fetched.

However, the truth is that there are numerous weightloss and diet myths flying around. Here are some of the main ones, exposed as incorrect:

1. You Do Not Need To Count Calories.

Without knowing your calorie intake and output, you can’t know if your output is exceeding your intake, which is necessary for weight loss to occur. Calorie counting may seem tedious at the time, but it is one of the most exact ways to ensure you slim down to the size you want.

If you go over your calorie intake one day, though, don’t panic. Provided over the course of the week, your calorie intake averages out to what it should be, it won’t matter if you’re over or under your daily allowance. Interestingly enough, if you cut down on just 100 calories a day, in a year, your weightloss will be nearly 5kgs in a year.

2. You Should Eat A Huge Breakfast.

Whilst it is true, to ensure weightloss when on a diet, you should eat something in the morning time, it does not necessarily have to be a three-course meal! You need to eat something that will tide you over approximately three hours, such as oats, until your mid-morning snack (or lunch, depending on what time you wake up). Simply put, breakfast need only be a bowl of cereal and a piece of toast.

3. You Should Not Snack Between Meals Whilst On A Diet.

Although some people do well on a strict three-meals-a-day routine, others who are more active and have a faster metabolism will benefit from having five or six meals a day, providing the portion size is small. In fact, eating more frequently does increase the metabolism, however great care needs to be taken with the size of the portions to make sure that you’re not eating too much at each time, otherwise you will defeat the purpose of your diet in the first place.

4. Never Eat After Eight In The Evening.

This is one of the most well-circulated myths. According to experts, there is nothing wrong with having a couple of hundred calories in the evening time, provided you are careful to account for them on your weekly calorie tally. The problem lies when you start eating in the evening, whilst you are doing something else, and lose track of how much you are consuming. That’s when your diet goes out the window!

5. You Should Not Eat Treats Whilst On A Diet.

Going cold turkey is difficult for anyone, so don’t do it. Allow yourself a treat once in a while, so that you don’t feel completely deprived. You are much more likely to stick to your diet and attain the weightloss goal you set for yourself if you allow a little bit of leeway, and treat yourself once in a while.

Most people who are dieting for weight loss reasons firmly believe that their lives have to be completely interrupted whilst they “lose the weight”. In actual fact, the opposite is true. By being a little careful with your portion size of the meals you eat at any time of the day, you will able to succeed at losing - and keeping - your extra weight off, and looking fit and fabulous once you’ve done so!



Zavier

James Allen asked:


Once you’ve made the decision and found the inner strength and motivation to shed a few pounds, it’s time to find a diet plan to follow. You know that the internet is filled with tons of free information, so maybe you decide to go and find a diet plan there. While this can be a good option, there are some things you need to beware of. Let’s explore some of the potential dangers of free online diet plans.

How Safe Is The Diet Plan?

For those who decide to uncover the perfect weightloss program on the internet, they are often immediately overwhelmed by the amount of free information available. Add to that all the testimonials and before and after shots of successful dieters, and the temptation to begin following one of these plans can be very strong. Remember though, the internet is an anonymous place and anybody can post anything - true or not - online. Photos can be doctored and testimonials can be made up.

Because of this, it is highly recommended that you double check with your physician before you start with any diet plan you find online. Losing weight, if done incorrectly can have many side affects that can negatively impact the health of your body. Don’t jump into this lightly and double check with a health professional before you start.

How Effective Will The Plan Be?

Even for those programs whose results and testimonials can be verified, there are a few points to keep in mind. First off, the people that appear in the before and after shots and their testimonials never represent the majority of people who follow the diet. The people who have incredible results with diet programs are the exception, not the rule. You should not expect the same results for yourself.

It is important for you to decide what your personal diet expectations are ahead of time. Write them down. Do not let your expectations be guided by the results you see in the ads. Set reasonable weightloss goals and give yourself plenty of time to reach them. Setting your expectations too high will only bring you back to square one.

Is This Diet Truly Free?

“There’s no such thing as a free lunch” can frequently apply to free online diet plans too. Sometimes, the free program you signed up for will turn out to be a lead generating device for unscrupulous diet and nutrition companies. After signing up, you may well receive some free information. Soon after though, you might start to bet bombarded with hard-sell follow-ups in the form of mail, emails or phone-calls.

In these follow-ups, the salespeople will try to back-end you with additional supplements, training videos and other products at a premium price. These are often highly trained individuals who will try to take advantage of your desire to lose weight to talk you into the sale. If you are not prepared to deal with these high-pressure tactics, make sure and read the fine print to ensure the diet program is truly free.

So before you flip on the computer and begin searching for a free diet program online, consider the above points first. That way, you’ll be able to make a much more informed, safe and healthy decision as you pursue your diet and weightloss goals.



Gustavo