Most of us have been on a diet at one time or another. If you have, chances are you probably found that you lost weight initially but always gained it back (and sometimes more). Diets have a 95% failure rate and there are many reasons why they don't work:
Diets slow down your metabolism. When you diet by restricting your calories, your body goes into a "starvation mode" and starts to tightly hold on to energy. You begin to burn muscle and hold on to fat. When you eat normally again, you may gain most of the weight back - some in fat. The result? You have become fatter by dieting!
Diets are limited in essential nutrients and certain food groups. We need to eat foods from all food groups to ensure that we get all the nutrients we need. Avoiding certain food groups or nutrients is unhealthy.
Diets are restricting and often leave you feeling deprived. Feeling deprived puts you at a greater risk for binge eating.
Diets are temporary. You can't stay on a diet forever because you always revert back to old habits. They don't teach you how to make long-term positive changes.
Diets are often money-making scams. They usually promote a particular food product and/or a way of eating that has no scientific evidence for its effectiveness.
Diets create a negative self-image. Since they usually fail, diets make you think of yourself as a failure. It's the diet that's a failure, not you!
Diets do not incorporate regular exercise. As much as we hate to say it, exercise and nutrition go hand-in-hand. Lost weight is almost impossible to maintain without a regular exercise regimen.
Who Or What Is In Control?
Let's say you want to grow a plant. It's a fact that plants need water, correct? You can choose to ignore this fact and try to grow one without watering it. You can try giving it milk, you can feed it food, you can even stand on your head, but if you don't give a plant water, it will not grow. Why? Because you're trying to ignore the PRINCIPLE of growing plants... they need water! That principle HAS NOT and WILL NOT change. Case closed.
Similarly, let's say you want to lose weight. There are many facts (or principles) that exist if you want to lose weight. Again, you can choose to ignore these principles and try to lose weight by attempting a diet. But if you try to ignore the principles, facts and laws of nature, you will NOT permanently lose weight. Why? Because by dieting, you're trying to ignore the PRINCIPLES of losing weight... Again, these principles HAVE NOT and WILL NOT change. Case closed.
Now, let's consider some of these principles:
1. The "law" of nature is that nothing is instantaneous. You can plant a seed, water it and feed it, but you must WAIT for it to grow.
2. The Law of Thermodynamics states that in order to lose weight, the "calories in" (due to eating) must be less than the "calories out" (due to metabolism and exercise).
3. Studies show that in order to create a habit, you must have the right knowledge, skills and attitude.
4. Physiological findings state that your stomach usually empties within 4 hours of a meal.
5. The USDA has found that humans require a certain percentage of nutrients from every food group in order to live a healthy life, in a healthy body.
6. Human beings seek pleasure and always try to avoid displeasure.
Think about the first principle: The "law" of nature is that nothing is instantaneous. You can plant a seed, water it and feed it, but you must WAIT for it to grow.
Everything takes time. But here's the good part! Although not instantaneous, making healthy eating and healthy living important to you will allow you to see major changes in yourself, guaranteed!
You don't have to deprive yourself. There is no such thing as a bad food! We'll repeat that: There is no such thing as a bad food! JUST BAD HABITS! Learn how to eat the foods you love and stop feeling guilty. If it happens to be white chocolate mousse cheesecake that fits the bill, don't deprive yourself. It's not the foods you eat OCCASIONALLY that cause problems. It's when you eat high-calorie foods REGULARLY that trouble begins. Why? Because it goes against the universal principles that govern us all.
Let's explore the second principle - the Law of Thermodynamics, which states that in order to lose weight, the "calories in" (due to eating) must be less than the "calories out" (due to metabolism and exercise). How do we achieve that? By exercising consistently and intensely!
If you want to see results you must exercise...it is the key to burning calories. Your metabolism is depending on you to boost it with exercise. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn. If you could build 5 pounds of muscle you would burn up to an extra 250 calories per day. That means you could lose 25 pounds of fat in one year without changing anything else! 'We're not just talking about a stroll around the park. It's important to use your body's muscles the way they were intended to be used. Work them out! Try simple exercises like fast walking, swimming, biking or aerobics classes!
These are just two of the many principles that come into play when trying to lose weight. If you are serious about developing new eating and exercise habits but "don't have time to exercise," start with increasing your activity level. Take the stairs instead of the elevator! Walk to the post office instead of taking your car! Make a small commitment to burning calories daily and watch what happens. It's easy to see results if you make these new habits as important to you as brushing your teeth. Good luck!
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