Diet, Don’t Try It!

There is only one way to lose fat permantley and safely. There is no magic pill, no secret exercise, and no special diet. There are so many diets and weight loss supplements these days that it is difficult to negotiate the good and the bad. Although you may be able to lose pounds quickly on some diets, you will most certainly gain it back. This type of up and down weight cycling is very difficult on the body and can take a serious toll on your metabolism. When you’re body is deprived of adequate calories it tends to go into “starvation mode” in which you’re body wants to hold on to every last morsel it can, making it more difficult to lose weight. You end up losing lean muslce mass, therby decreasing your metabolic rate. When you return to your regular eating habits you’ve got less lean muslce, you gain back more fat, and end up with a slower metabolism than you started with.  Over time, if repeated in an attempt to lose weight, this dangerous cycle will cause you to gain back more and more fat.

Here are a few tips to help you determine whether a diet may be unhealthy:

1. No food should be completely off limits. Any diet that says you can’t eat any particular food is setting you up for failure.

2. It should not be based around a few foods. The grapefood diet, the liquid diet, the celery diet?! They don’t sound like much fun, they certaintly aren’t safe and you will never be able to sustain such a diet for life. Yes, you will lose weight quickly, but it’s not real weight loss.

3. You shouldn’t be starving. Any diet that is based on cutting calories down to a dangerous amount in attempt to lose weight is very unheathly for you. If you’re making a nutrition overhall you may experience headaches and digestive issues when making a change to healthy eating, however you should not be feeling naseaus or have headaches in response to inadequate nutrition. Cutting calories too low also means you’re missing out on valuable nutrients that your body requires to function at its best.

4. Any diet or pill that promises extreme weight loss in a short period of time probably isn’t too good for you. You might want to stay away from a juice diet that promises up to 20lbs in one week. It might sound tempting but just isn’t worth it.

So how do I eat and lose weight?! Following a particular diet may be useful if you’re unsure what healthy portions look like and what foods are better or worse for you. There are a good selection of diets out there that are healthy and resonable, such as The Abs Diet, The Zone Diet, Body for Life and The Thrive Diet. Steady, healthy fat loss should come with an equal mix of good exercise and healthy nutrition. Try to focus on how your clothes feel and your energy levels rather than the number on the scale. Your body fat percentage is a better indicator of health than your weight is.

Any diet you try should be something you can stick to for life, it should be more of a lifestyle change than anything. There should be room to move and it should allow for indulgences. Look for a nutrition plan based around loads of fruits and veggies, plenty of  lean protein, healthy carbohydrates, and good fats. If you exercise, get as much daily activity as you can, eat nutritious food 80-90% of the time and drink lots of water you should feel healthier, reduce your body fat and increase your overall energy levels. Don’t stress out over food and worry that you ate double chocolate cheesecake after a plate of fries and washed it all down with beer, get back to healthy habits the next day, work hard at the gym and have fun with food. Life’s too short.