Want to lose weight?
1. Quick-fix weight loss programs are everywhere these days. They claim to produce easy weight loss and immediate health benefits. While losing weight will better the health of an overweight individual, these diets often produce more health problems than they cure. Some are yo-yo diets where you put the weight back on as soon as you discontinue the diet, some severely restrict caloric intake and/or vital nutrients, and still others proclaim the superiority of one particular food item or group with little or no proof to back it up.
2. You should never engage in a "diet" that you couldn't follow for the rest of your life, or else as soon as you discontinue the diet you will gain any weight back that you may have lost -as is seen with an estimated 95 percent of dieters- and often you will gain back more than you started with because of how you have altered your metablism. That's why we promote lifestyle changes. It is the only way to lose weight effectively and for the long-term while increasing the health benefits that come along with weight loss.
3. "Banning" certain foods has got to be one of the biggest mistakes people make when dieting. This will only lead to cravings, and subsequent binges, causing weight gain instead of loss. There are no "good" or “bad” foods, there are just "good" and "bad" eating habits. Dieting should be about altering those poor eating habits so that you not only lose weight, but keep it off permanently. Even a twinky can be part of a "healthy diet", just as long is it's not for every meal.
4. Changes in eating habits need to be made gradually, focusing on only one thing at a time, giving yourself realistic expectations and plenty of time to make that change. Don't try to change everything at once or you are likely to get overwhelmed, decreasing your chances of success. For example, if you drink a lot of soda and not enough water, it is not realistic to make the goal of "don't drink soda and drink 64 oz. of water a day". Though that is ultimately a healthy behavior to aim for, start small with something you can realistically acheive. Purhaps make a goal to drink one glass of water for every soda you drink. This will increase your water consumption and decrease your intake of soda. When you have succeeded there, move on to the next step of possibly just having soda for lunch and focusing on water, juice, and milk for the other meals. Make it part of your life. When you're comfortable with one step in the right direction, then take the next step. .
5. Do not drastically restrict your caloric intake. Doing this will slow down your metabolism and your body will start holding on to everything you eat and you will gain weight. At your healthy lifestyles assessment you will discover your Basal Metabolic Rate, which is very specific to you, your age, your body type, your gender, etc. This typically ranges from about 1500-2500 calories a day. These are the amount of calories you body burns when resting, so if you were to lay in bed all day long - never lift a finger, never lift a toe, never move a single muscle - you would burn this number of calories in a day just to keep your heart beating, your hair growing, your digestive system working, your lungs expanding, your brain functioning, etc etc etc... Consuming less than this amount in a day harms these functions before it burns any fat you wish to reduce, so rather than eating so much less, try altering where your calories are coming from instead. Instead of a bag of potato chips try a sandwhich with whole wheat bread, lean meat, lettuce, tomatoes, etc. It will fill you up more effectively and give your body the nutrients it needs, leading to probable weight loss, without taking you below your basal metabolic rate and causing your body/metabolism the harm it sustains by eating too few calories.
6. Ditch the scale. The numbers on the scale mean absolutely nothing. If it doesn't tell you the percentage of fat in your body then it does no good. You may lose a few pounds, but that could be just water - how do you know? You could gain a few pounds, but that could be your body replacing fat with muscle, which weigh more than fat so you would gain weight on the scale even though you are becoming slimmer. If you were to put two be people side by side, one being very slim and the other appearing overweight, they could step on a scale and weigh the exact same amount. This is because the slimmer person has high muscle mass and a low fat percentage while the other may have very little muscle and a higher fat percentage. So if you base your progress on the number on the scale, it's not dependable. A better measurement is by a measuring tape. Measure certain areas like your waist, hips, thighs, etc. and then measure the exact same spots a month later (avoid measuring yourself too often as weight loss occurs gradually and you may end up discouraged when you don't see a change each time you measure).
Above all: Stay Away From Fad Diets!!! Stay tuned for upcoming posts in which we'll dive deeper into the dangers and harm of fad diets.
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