7 Reasons Why Diets Fail to Keep Your Weight Off.
"At first a diet can give you a sense of control. You are taking charge of your eating patterns. You may see success as the scale drops. But soon you are fighting cravings for forbidden foods, as well as hunger pangs and a lack of energy from the lower calorie level. Eventually you rebel against the diet and start "cheating." If your cheats are small you can still be losing weight, although more slowly. But soon you may go into full rebellion and return to your old eating habits" American Psychologist. 2007
The very idea of losing weight by calorie reduced dieting is based on a false premise.
The false premise is that body weight is purely a consequence of the calories you eat and expend. If you eat more than you use the excess is stored as fat. If you eat less than you use, the body burns excess fat to make up the shortfall.
This is a mistaken idea.
This idea is reinforced by the stories we see in the media about our celebrities who have to eat almost nothing in order to keep the waist size and good looks that generates their income. Yet we probably know someone who is stick thin and seems to eat whatever they want. This anomaly is usually ignored because personal experience tells us that when we eat what we want when we want we get fat.
But there is plenty of research out there (none of it paid for by the diet industry moguls) that demonstrates that diets simply do not produce lasting weight loss. In fact, the whole multi-billion dollar diet industry is based on the fact that dieting is only short-term successful. If it wasn't there would not be any money in it. You might also want to consider that long-term dieting has a seriously detrimental effect on your health before you sign up for weight-watchers or slimfast.
These are the 7 reasons diets don't work.
1. Too much effort.
21% of people give up on their diet within two months. 45% of people don't last the year. All that calorie, or syn or point, counting just gets to be too much work and it's so much easier just to eat what you like.
2.'Famine' mode.
The body is an intelligent system. It's intelligence is primarily geared toward survival. When food is scarce it thinks 'famine' and lays down supplies of fat; slows down metabolism to conserve energy; and burns lean muscle for its energy needs, because, when resting, lean muscle tissues burn calories. To the body's intelligence, a diet looks just like a famine.
3. Mood.
The majority of so-called experts regard excess weight as a calorie problem. It isn't. But it is an emotional problem. Eating is often an attempt to improve mood. Dieting itself can cause social isolation - hence the popularity of slimming clubs. This can lead to low moods, rebellion against the diet, or even depression.
4. Diets keep you thinking about food.
Meals are no longer spontaneous. They have to be meticulously planned. Recipes have to be followed. Specific items need to be purchased - sometimes even specific product brands. Life is no longer about fun and enjoyment. Life is about food.
5. Diets lose weight, not fat.
Weight loss in diets is almost entirely down to muscle loss. This makes it more and more difficult to lose weight each time you diet because bodies are reluctant to release fat - especially quickly, which is the way most people want it. The only way to release fat instead of muscle is to do it slowly.
6. Exercise.
Exercise is essential. Exercise builds muscle. Muscle burns calories - even while resting. Exercise boosts metabolism. Exercise increases fitness, vitality and lifts mood.
7. Unreasonable Expectations.
People have surprising expectations of the amount of weight that can sensibly be reduced. If you are 16 stone (224lbs) an initial weight loss goal of 14 stone (196lbs) would be good to aim for. A 2 stone (28lb) success is easily achievable and when maintained for a while will be the place to decide to shift a little more.
Diets just don't work.
If you want to discover how to lose weight without the rigid discipline of a diet and still be allowed to eat what you want then check out my website here..
The very idea of losing weight by calorie reduced dieting is based on a false premise.
The false premise is that body weight is purely a consequence of the calories you eat and expend. If you eat more than you use the excess is stored as fat. If you eat less than you use, the body burns excess fat to make up the shortfall.
This is a mistaken idea.
This idea is reinforced by the stories we see in the media about our celebrities who have to eat almost nothing in order to keep the waist size and good looks that generates their income. Yet we probably know someone who is stick thin and seems to eat whatever they want. This anomaly is usually ignored because personal experience tells us that when we eat what we want when we want we get fat.
But there is plenty of research out there (none of it paid for by the diet industry moguls) that demonstrates that diets simply do not produce lasting weight loss. In fact, the whole multi-billion dollar diet industry is based on the fact that dieting is only short-term successful. If it wasn't there would not be any money in it. You might also want to consider that long-term dieting has a seriously detrimental effect on your health before you sign up for weight-watchers or slimfast.
These are the 7 reasons diets don't work.
- They are too much effort.
- They cause 'famine' mode.
- They affect mood - and not in a good way.
- Thoughts of food predominate.
- Diets lose weight not fat.
- Exercise is not included.
- Unreasonable expectations.
1. Too much effort.
21% of people give up on their diet within two months. 45% of people don't last the year. All that calorie, or syn or point, counting just gets to be too much work and it's so much easier just to eat what you like.
2.'Famine' mode.
The body is an intelligent system. It's intelligence is primarily geared toward survival. When food is scarce it thinks 'famine' and lays down supplies of fat; slows down metabolism to conserve energy; and burns lean muscle for its energy needs, because, when resting, lean muscle tissues burn calories. To the body's intelligence, a diet looks just like a famine.
3. Mood.
The majority of so-called experts regard excess weight as a calorie problem. It isn't. But it is an emotional problem. Eating is often an attempt to improve mood. Dieting itself can cause social isolation - hence the popularity of slimming clubs. This can lead to low moods, rebellion against the diet, or even depression.
4. Diets keep you thinking about food.
Meals are no longer spontaneous. They have to be meticulously planned. Recipes have to be followed. Specific items need to be purchased - sometimes even specific product brands. Life is no longer about fun and enjoyment. Life is about food.
5. Diets lose weight, not fat.
Weight loss in diets is almost entirely down to muscle loss. This makes it more and more difficult to lose weight each time you diet because bodies are reluctant to release fat - especially quickly, which is the way most people want it. The only way to release fat instead of muscle is to do it slowly.
6. Exercise.
Exercise is essential. Exercise builds muscle. Muscle burns calories - even while resting. Exercise boosts metabolism. Exercise increases fitness, vitality and lifts mood.
7. Unreasonable Expectations.
People have surprising expectations of the amount of weight that can sensibly be reduced. If you are 16 stone (224lbs) an initial weight loss goal of 14 stone (196lbs) would be good to aim for. A 2 stone (28lb) success is easily achievable and when maintained for a while will be the place to decide to shift a little more.
Diets just don't work.
If you want to discover how to lose weight without the rigid discipline of a diet and still be allowed to eat what you want then check out my website here..
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