Seeking Weight Loss? Avoid Fast Weight Loss Fads
There are so many diets on the market, all promising to help you achieve the body you have always wanted. The problem, though, is that many quick weight loss diets are quick because they are not lasting.
The truth is most people could lose ten pounds in a week if they ate only cabbage (have you tried the cabbage diet? Or the grapefruit diet? Or the soup diet?).
The reason so many of these diets fail is that they do not foster a lasting change in your lifestyle, which is what you really need to lose weight and keep it off.
If you struggle to lose weight, quick weight loss diets are very tempting. They appeal to us because we are so frustrated with our efforts so far -and our failures- that we are willing to try anything, and there is always the hope that finally we found the solution we’ve been searching for.
We also want fast results. When you’ve battled your weight for years, losing ten pounds in a week is a dream. We’ll take it, even if deep down we know it won’t last.
Quick weight loss diets don’t work: if you are thinking of trying the “newest and best” diet, consider the following:
1. They’re boring!
Most quick weight loss diets focus on specific food; they don’t encourage a balanced approach to eating. We eat the same foods all the time.
It quickly becomes tedious to prepare food and eat it. While you may think this will help you eat less, it actually leads to?
2. Cheat a little, cheat a lot.
If you’ve been doing well on your fad diet, eating the same foods in the same amounts for days, you figure you’ve earned the reward of a sugary, high calorie treat. That one little treat, a tiny harmless cookie, can lead you down the road to overeating.
Quick weight loss diets lead to cheating which leads to overeating.
3. Not made to last.
Considering the boredom and risk for overindulging, many quick weight loss diets are very hard to stick with.
4. I weigh more?
Nothing is worse than losing a little weight with a quick weight loss diet and then gaining every pound - and sometimes more - back the instant you start eating normally. Your body may be trying to retrieve some of the nutrients you lost while on the diet, or your mind may be rebelling.
Nothing is more frustrating that being back at square one.
You can avoid all the pain and frustration of quick weight loss diets by eating healthy and exercising.
There is no getting around it - these are the only things that work to help you lose weight and keep it off.
Real weight loss begins with simple changes. Here are some ways you can adopt healthier habits:
* Make sure to get plenty of veggies. These are nature’s super foods and are excellent for health and weight loss.
* Add more fiber to your diet. Not only does it help improve overall health, it helps your body burn more fat.
* Eat smaller meals more frequently.
* Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and it should be the largest. Make dinner small and light.
* Move more. Even simple things like taking the stairs, doing some sit-ups and push ups during commercials, or playing catch with your child can have a big impact on your fitness level.
* Have regular workouts. If you are too busy for one long exercise session per day, do several short ones.
* Add nutrient-rich whole grains to your diet.
* Make better calorie choices. Opt for nutrient-dense foods to get the most benefit from each calorie. Eat quality before you reach for empty calories.
There are hundreds of other ways to make changes. If you make a commitment to integrate these little steps into your lifestyle, you will see big changes in your body and your health.
The best way to lose weight and keep it off is to adopt a healthier lifestyle. It will become part of your everyday life, not a “diet”, which means it will be much easier to stick with.
The majority of quick weight loss diets are, at best, temporary fixes that promise far more than they deliver.