Where Diets Go Wrong

When we discover that we are heavier than we want to be, we have a natural inclination to eat less food. We may skip lunch or eat only a tiny amount of our dinner in the hope that if we eat less our body will burn off some of its fat. But that is not necessarily true. Eating less actually makes it more difficult to lose weight.

Keep in mind that the human body took shape millions of years ago, and at that time there were diets. The only low-calorie event in people's lives was starvation. Those who could cope with a temporary lack of food were the ones who survived. Our bodies, therefore, have developed this built-in mechanism to help us survive in the face of low food intake.

When researchers compare overweight and thin people, they find that they are roughly the same number of calories. What makes overweight people different is the amount of fat that they eat. Thin people tend to eat less fat and more complex carbohydrates.

Losing weight is not something one can do overnight. A carefully planned weight loss program requires common sense and certain guidelines. Unfortunately, there's a lot of misinformantion floating around and lots of desperate people are easily duped and ripped off.

Every day one can open a magazine or newspaper and see advertisements touting some new product, pill or patch that will take excess weight off quickly. Everyone seems to be looking for that "magic" weight loss pill. Millions of Americans are trying to lose weight, spending billions of dollars every year on diet programs and products. Often they do lose some weight. But, if you check with the same people five years later, you will find that nearly all have regained whatever weight they lost.

A survey was done recently to try and determine if any commercial diet program could prove long-term success. Not a single program could do so. So rampant has the so-called diet industry become with new products and false claims that the FDA has now stepped in and started clamping down.

Being seriously overweight and particularly obesity can develop into a number of diseases and serious health problems, and it is now a known fact that when caloric intake is excessive, some of the excess frequently is saturated fat.

The myth is that people get heavy by eating too many calories. Calories are a consideration it's true, but overall they are not the cause of obesity in America today. Americans actually take in fewer calories each day than they did at the beginning of the century. If calories alone were the reason we become overweight, we should all be thin. But we are not. Collectively, we are heavier than ever. Partly, it is because we are more sedentary now. But equally, as important is the fact that the fat content of the American diet has changed dramatically.

People who diet without exercising often get fatter with time. Although your weight may initially drop while dieting, such weight loss consists mostly of water and muscle. When the weight returns, it comes back as fat. To avoid getting fatter over time, increase your metabolism by exercising regularly.

Select an exercise routine that you are comfortable with and remember that walking is one of the best and easiest exercises for strengthening your bones, controlling your weight and toning your muscles.

Submitted by Joe R.

Weight Loss - Its in Your Head

When you truly consider the weight-loss process, the battle waged is mostly in your mind. "Should I eat the corn muffin with butter or would it be better for me to have margarine or better yet, have jelly? What am I doing eating this muffin anyway? It's so caloric and filled with saturated fat. I'm such a pig. I have absolutely zero willpower." It's no wonder you'll eat that muffin with the butter and slather jelly on top to quiet that negative self-talk.

What you need more than a diet is a way to shift those negative self-defeating thoughts to more adaptive, positive self-statements. As with most things worth doing, this requires a bit of practice. First, become aware when you're using a negative statement, then determine what about that thought is faulty and finally, replace it with a self-defense response or coping thought. In the corn muffin example, instead of listening to "I'm such a pig" which clearly mislabels who you are, respond with "Pigs are animals and I am human. I don't have to be perfect."

Many people cannot change their eating habits until they change their thoughts about food, eating and drinking. By shedding "distorted" thoughts and replacing them with productive ones, eating habits can be changed. It is possible to rid yourself from many self-critical thoughts, but like any ingrained habit, it takes vigor and vigilance to change. Here are some other thinking distortions to challenge:

Shoulds. Should statements are more about other people's values, not ones chosen by the person who wants to lose weight. Additionally, should statements reflect an attempt by the dieter to motivate herself without really believing in the value. Better to determine what works for you. "I will eat up to two Hershey kisses daily and thoroughly enjoy them."

All-or-Nothing. This kind of reasoning is the foundation for perfectionism. An all-or-nothing individual views the world as black or white. Since there is no allowance for gray areas, the behavior is either perfect or a failure. "I've ruined my diet by eating all that pizza. I can't stay on a diet and I'll just always be fat." Maybe the problem does not arise from the behavior? maybe the problem is with the diet that does not allow for pizza. "I do not want to give pizza up for the rest of my life, so what I need is a way to include pizza in my diet without feeling like a failure. Let me try having a salad (dressing on the side) before the pizza to take the edge off my hunger."

Good Foods/ Bad Foods. If the truth be told, foods do not misbehave. Foods are not good or bad. While it is true that some foods have more nutrients or are more fiber-dense than others, all foods can be enjoyed. How we think about food colors what we eat and how much we eat. If a food is labeled as bad (such as fries), then for many individuals that food is taboo. When one eventually succumbs to eating the forbidden, French fries, bingeing may result. Rather than continue with dichotomous thinking of good food/bad food, shift to allow space for all foods you like without judgement. Instead of "I ate those fries which are so bad for me" to "I really enjoyed that small portion of fries. They really satisfied me."

Body Distortions. Rather than dwelling on how fat or thin you think your body is, it is extremely helpful to view your body in terms of what it can do for you. For example, when you look in the mirror, instead of zooming in on your stomach which "looks five months pregnant, although your last baby was nine years ago" tell yourself "my body has given life" or "my body enables me to go where I want to and allows me to have fun."

The conversations that are going on inside your head cannot be stopped. However, what you can do is to be aware of negative self-talk and understand that it has little to do with actual reality. When you believe this, you can respond to the critical voice with a more objective, coping thought. Although negative thoughts may not be stopped entirely, they can be quieted by listening to your compassionate, caring voice. In much the same way you would sympathize and listen to a close friend, listen to yourself. Be your own best friend and chances are you'll have greater weight loss success.

Helene Haber

Holistic Nutrition Coach

Helene Haber, HHC is a board certified health counselor. She designs personalized wellness solutions for women of all ages looking to enhance their lives, get their bodies back in shape and their health back on track. Email: TopCatHelene@aol.com.

http://www.integrativenutrition.com/graduates/HHaber.aspx

The Top Ten Things You Dont Want to Hear About Losing Weight

(But What You Need to Know if You Want to Get Fit!)

10)� No, you won't end up looking like the latest hot young� model/singer/actress!

Let's face it:� your body is your body.�� It's the only one you've got.� Can you still look great?� Sure!� But there are some things you can't change.� You can't make your legs longer or your feet smaller.� You can't grow five inches or elongate your torso.� You have what you have, so work with it!� Concentrate on making a healthy and fit you instead of wishing you looked like someone else.� You don't have to be perfect to be attractive.� A strong, fit body as well as the self-confidence it brings can make any person attractive!

9) It's better to be muscular and weigh more than to be flabby and weigh less.

I've said it so many times:� I'd much rather be 135lbs and muscular than 120lbs and flabby.� I've been both, and 135lbs with a lower percent of body fat was definitely better!� I was smaller, stronger and had much more energy.� So, don't always seek that magical number on the scale, but look at your total body composition instead.

8)� You can't get fit in a week.

Okay, well, you can, but only if you're one week away from being in peak condition and you keep working out.� Otherwise, forget about it!� If you want to look good for that class reunion or because you'll be in a bikini soon, then get moving way before that.� Or better yet, get moving for your own health and not for "things" like reunions and bikinis.

7)� You need to put some effort into it.

You want to get fit?� You have to work at it.� You have to plan it, you have to schedule it, and, most importantly, you have to do it.� No excuses.� Sitting on the couch, telling yourself you should be doing something will not burn up a lot of calories.� If nothing else, get out there and start walking.� And while you're out there walking think about a plan of action for a healthier you and get started on it today ? not tomorrow!

6)� You need to exercise.

Can you lose weight just by diet alone?� Sure, you can!� But if you want to get fit, you need to exercise those muscles, including your heart.� And that heart won't get any exercise if you're sitting on the couch, eating broccoli.� Lose the weight that you need to lose and you'll just end up with a thin, but flabby, body.� Get moving!� Weight training is ideal, but if you're really not into weight training, find an activity you like to do that work all your major muscle groups.

5)� You need to eat properly.

Putting aside any low carb/low fat/high protein controversies, the simple fact is, if you want a fit body, you need to nourish it.� Protein, carbs and fat are important, but vitamins and minerals are key elements that your body needs, too.� No matter what way of eating you're following make sure you're getting enough vitamins and minerals.� Add a variety of fresh vegetables and fruit to your diet.� The next time you go grocery shopping, linger around the produce section and not only pick out some old favorites, but experiment a little by trying something new!

4) You can't lose weight overnight.

You didn't gain it overnight -- or in two months -- and you're not going to lose it overnight� -- or in two months.� Think of getting fit as a train leaving the station:� you start off slow, gather speed and then off you go!� Patience is the key here.� Look for consistent trends.� If you're really not losing fat and getting stronger after a couple of months, then you need to sit down and honestly analyze what you're doing.� Keep a journal to help you know how you're really eating and exercising.

3)� You can't spot reduce.

Genetics will decide where the fat will come off.� Doing 1000 crunches won't reduce your belly fat.� Nor will 1000 leg lifts get rid of the fat on your inner thighs.� Your body does not burn the fat it needs from the body part that you're exercising.� Your body will burn fat much like an onion is peeled, a layer at a time, if you will.� So, don't overdo it on the exercise for one specific body part and look to getting your whole body in shape.

2)� There are no quick fixes.

That's right, you heard me.� There are no quick fixes.� None.� Put all those pills, potions, contraptions and miracle diets in the garbage where they belong.� Learn the basics about how your body gains muscle and loses fat, so you won't get sucked in by another scam again.

1)� Fitness is a lifelong commitment!

So, you faithfully work out and eat properly and you've reached your goals.� Now what?� Well, now you've got to keep doing it for the rest of your life, that's what!� You can't just work your way to being fit and then stop, because you'll end up exactly like you were before.� Fitness is a lifelong commitment.� And, you want to know a secret?� It isn't easy!� And anyone who says it is easy is trying to sell you something.� Make fitness a lifelong ambition and you'll reap the rewards of a long and healthy life, filled with energy, strength and an overall sense of well being.

Suzanne Hiscock has been interested in fitness and nutrition for over 16 years.� She is the owner of FitWatch Inc. and developer of the�FitWatch Fitness Tracker, an online food and exercise tracker.� You can visit the site at�http://www.fitwatch.com for a variety of fitness calculators and tools.

8 Proven Weight Loss Tips

There are a lot of "crash" diets out there that promise that you'll drop a considerable amount of weight in days or a week.

I have tried a few of these, and in my experience the weight always comes back on, just as quickly since the weight loss tips given are not something that will work with your body.

One thing you don't want to do if you are actually serious about losing weight is to follow these fad diets and their ridiculous weight loss tips.

After their ineffectiveness has been proven time and again, people will start to wise up to that particular diet, and will head off in search of a new craze.

Lets be honest, people are always searching for new weight loss tips because they want to lose pounds and they want immediate results, but this is just wishful thinking.

To lose weight permanently and effectively it will be a rather slow progress, all depending on your metabolic rate and how much you need to lose.

There are however some proven tried and true weight loss tips for aiding in the weight loss process, and I can make you familiar with them.

Weight Loss Tip 1
Don't skip breakfast. Whatever you do follow this advice, because otherwise you are much more likely in fact prone to binge later in the day.

Weight Loss Tip 2
Don't eat anything for at least an hour before going to bed.

Weight Loss Tip 3
Don't snack while watching TV. It's acceptable to eat a meal while watching television, but never is snacking at this time acceptable.

Weight Loss Tip 4
Substitute fruits like; bananas, watermelon, plums, peaches, and oranges for sugary treats like; cookies and candy.

Weight Loss Tip 5
Substitute honey for sugar, and carob powder for chocolate in all recipes. These taste just as good if not better when used properly.

Weight Loss Tip 6
Eat more vegetables. This can even be enjoyable if you have a good cookbook like Good housekeeping's latest edition.

Weight Loss Tip 7
Avoid unnecessary high calorie foods. Instead of a high calorie salad dressing for instance try cottage cheese or yogurt to improve the salads taste and peel of the pounds.

Weight Loss Tip 8
Exercise at least a half hour each day for five days out of the week. Biking on a stationery bike while reading is a great form of exercise to slim legs.

In conclusion there is nothing stopping you from losing weight except yourself. Get off the "I can't do anything about my weight problem" bandwagon and start dropping pounds today!

For more of Beth's expert advice visit her Website now.