Diets: What Works and What Doesn't

Diets: What Works and What Doesn't

With more people being overweight and the percentage of obese people rising, certain activities like dieting are becoming more and more popular. One of the many common approaches to dieting is what I would call depravation. A lot of people tend to cut certain things mostly or completely out of their diet with the purpose of losing off the pounds quickly. Some people even quit eating for a few days because they impatiently want to shed off the pounds. Some of the times it doesn't work, other times you lose the weight but you end up sick.

The reason why this happens is that often times when you lose weight, you don't just lose fat. You often lose muscle and water as well as fat, which would leave you feeling weak. The first few days you may lose quite a bit of pounds and you may even look a little thinner but your metabolism will slow down due to the shock of the drastic change. Loss of muscle can also be the cause for slowed weight loss. Muscle tissue is said to be beneficial to burning fat. Another reason the body slows down its metabolism is because its water is not being replenished.

The reason diets fail is because many people take the wrong approach to dieting. For one, dieting is not about just cutting foods. Wise dieting is about making sure you get all the vital nutrients your body needs. There are nutrients that are responsible for your metabolism, immune system, respiratory functions, bone strength, energy, healthy mental functions, etc. Many of these vital nutrients are found in natural foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains.

One wrong approach to dieting is treating it like it is a temporary phase. Many people take what some might call the yo yo dieting approach. They eliminate some of their favorite foods completely out of their lives while waiting to get to a more desired weight, and once they get there, (they don't always get there) they go back to their former habits which often results in them gaining back their weight and even more weight. Healthier eating habits would have to be a permanent adjustment in your life for it to be effective.

The key thing to think about is moderation. Our bodies aren't designed to carry around tons of food at a time. Believe it or not, a stuffed stomach will weigh you down. Any energy you would feel from the food you eat would be sapped. You know that drowsy feeling you get after eating that big meal. You sleep it off, you'll feel better but most likely you'll put on some weight. Watch out for those "diet" products, especially ones that claim that you can lose 20 pounds in 20 days or something to that effect, a lot of them are manipulated and tampered with, and of course there is more to that diet than they say upfront.

The best thing to do when dieting is to first add some healthy foods to your diet. It's best to add foods like fruits, vegetables and other foods that have the vital nutrients. As you add healthy foods, subtract some of the comfort foods. You don't necessarily have to eliminate them completely from your diet but a small moderate amount of comfort foods should be sufficient. Be sure to drink enough water to replenish your fluids. Also, try to get some exercise to build muscles in your body so you can burn fat even quicker. Break your meals down and eat smaller portions so the energy you feel from the food doesn't get cancelled out by a "heavy" feeling. Lastly, don't put too much pressure on yourself. Some doctor's say stress contributes to weight gain due to the release of cortisol. Take it one day at a time and even journal your progress for each day.

Of course there is no one diet that will work for everyone and the above information will not necessarily work for everyone. The very important thing to do is to find out how your body works by consulting a doctor and also do some research about nutrition so you can get a better idea of how you might want to approach living a healthier life.