Stop Dieting and Start Losing Weight

Every year millions of adults in the U.S. are starting diets in an attempt to lose weight. Many of these adults are frustrated with the results they are getting, and the difficulty of staying on the diet. Those that find success with diets often find that achievement to be temporary only to regain the weight back. Below we’ve listed some reasons why diets are failing and a better approach to safe weight loss.

Why Diets Fail

1. Diets deprive you of foods you like and nutrients you need

Diets are very difficult to maintain because they control the food you can eat, so you are constantly feeling restricted. Because many diets eliminate certain foods or even entire food groups they can become unhealthy affecting mood, brain function, and activity level.

2. Diets are temporary

Even if you are successful with a diet and lose 20 pounds, when you go back to your original way of eating, you will eventually gain the weight back and probably more.

3. Diets can lower you metabolism

Because your body is smart and adapts to changes you make, when you drastically cut back on calories as many diets do, your metabolism will slow down and your body stores those calories as fat. This was a good thing back in the day of hunters and gatherers because they had to endure days without food and this kept them alive. Today however this isn’t a good weight loss strategy because it leads to fewer calories being burned making the diet inefficient.

How to lose weight safely

1. Eat small frequent meals every 2-3 hours

Plan to eat a meal every 2 -3 hours. When you eat more often, your blood sugar level tends to stabilize, which means you are less likely to experience severe hunger. Since your body only needs so many calories at a given time, excess calories become stored as body fat. The longer you wait between meals, the more likely you are to overeat at your next meal prompting your body to store more body fat.

2. Eat Correct Portion Sizes

Research has shown that Americans often underestimate how many calories they are consuming each day by as much as 25%. Therefore many people think they should be maintaining or losing weight, when they are actually gaining weight. Get a food scale to measure your portions. Drastically cutting calories has adverse effects, but slowly reducing your calories to a normal amount will lead to proper weight loss and maintenance.

3. Exercise to increase metabolism

Research has shown resistance training not only builds muscle but also significantly raises metabolism leading to weight loss. High Intensity Interval Training is another method to elevating your metabolism, burning more calories than traditional steady state cardio in less time.