Forget the Fads and Go With a Diet That Works

Lose 20 pounds in two days. Eat as much as you want and shed the pounds. Consume only pink foods to see that waistline melt away.

The claims of some fad diets do sound a bit ridiculous, but that doesn’t necessarily reduce their appeal. When there’s a desire to lose weight, the fastest, easiest methods can be rather attractive. While some fad diets can help people drop weight quickly, the reality is the weight lost doesn’t generally stay off. It’s also likely that the methods employed to produce rapid weight loss might compromise health.  It is important to remember your heart is a muscle and losing weight through calorie restriction can make you lose muscle all over the body weakening the heart as well. 

Anorexics are generally 50% body fat or more and a common cause of death for these individuals is cardiac arrest.

So, what’s the best way to lose weight safely?

No matter what fad diets are popular in the now, there is advice that remains constant. This advice hasn’t changed throughout the ages because of the simple fact that it works.

Here are the five main ingredients for safe, healthy weight loss:

Eat Smarter

Proper diet is critical for weight loss and maintaining any loss that’s enjoyed. A proper diet, however, doesn’t mean having to go on one. Rather than make major alterations to eating habits for a few weeks to drop pounds quickly, it’s smarter to simply make wiser choices all the time and incorporate better eating into the daily routine.

Some tips for this include:

• Eating smaller meals more frequently – Three big meals a day isn’t necessarily the way to go when weight loss is the plan. Instead, opt for smaller, more frequent meals. Be sure not to skip eating either – this can slow down the metabolism and promote retention of weight.
• Making healthier choices – Go with whole grain instead of processed. Pick grilled foods instead of fried. Consider lean meats instead of fattier ones. Just make better choices throughout the day. 
• Selecting the right portion size – Consider taking smaller portions or leaving some on the plate.  Remember that a serving of meat is the same size as the palm of your hand or a deck of cards. Same goes for pasta!
• Picnic and Outing Portions - Reducing your portion sizes of even the most indulgent picnic food and drinks. Bulk up on the good for you veggies and fruits and leave out or take only a 1/4 cup or smaller portion of the not so good for you foods.
• Picking healthier snacks – There’s nothing wrong with snacking if better foods are selected. Instead of chips, grab some un-buttered popcorn. Go with fresh fruit instead of a hunk of cake. Smart substitutions can make all the difference.
• Don’t completely deny cravings – When a good diet becomes a lifestyle, it’s OK to slide once in a while. Don’t worry about eating too much at a holiday meal or selecting the pie instead of fruit after a special meal. It’s OK to be bad once in a while as long as the regular routine involves smarter, healthier choices.
• Let go of any glutenous set backs - If you have a bad day and tend to overeat don't give up.  Everyone has a splurge day once in a while.  It is a part of life.  You only fail when you feel guilty and continue down the overindulgent path.  Get right back on the healthy eating routine the next day without guilt and without giving up.

Drink Lots of Water

Proper hydration is vital for weight loss and maintenance of health. Try to drink at least eight glasses a day to promote proper health and weight loss, both.

Get Active

Diet is important for weight loss, but so is exercise. Get busy to get the best results with any diet. Exercise doesn’t have to be boring or “grueling” to be effective either. Just find something that’s fun and gets the heart pumping and go with it. Start counting your steps! 7,000 to 10,000 steps a day is recommended.  Pick a pedometer at your local retail shop or sporting goods store.

Get Your Beauty Sleep

May individuals have trouble increasing their fat metabolism because they are not getting enough sleep. Sleep is so important in the fat loss process and for general health and stress relief. Get at least 7-8 hours of sleep a night and see your weight melt away faster.

Be Careful About Sugar

Individuals who hold much of their weight in their bellies tend to develop something called insulin resistance. This can cause your body to become resistant to sugar storage thus causing an increase excess in sugar that is easily stored in the fat cells of the belly.  Find out how to eat a low glycemic diet of lower sugar foods especially in the beginning of your weight loss efforts.  Processed foods all tend to spike blood sugar and create the insulin and fat storage cycle.  

Doing Everything Right and Still Not Losing?

You might have food sensitivities that you might not know about.  Many of my female clients that are trying to lose that pesky belly fat find out they are sensitive to wheat gluten, milk, soy, or artificial sweeteners. Talk to a dietitian or nutrition specialist in food sensitivities about how to find out if you are sensitive to foods and how they could be affecting your efforts to lose weight. Check out the EverFit Blog to learn more about my own experiment with finding out if I have food sensitivities. 

Fad diets come and go, but the five main ingredients for weight loss remain the same. Eat right, drink lots of water, get active, maintain 7-8 hours of sleep, watch your sugar, to see results that are likely to last.

Author: Beth Rzendzian Owner & Personal Trainer EverFit Personal Training - www.everfitfitness.com