If I had a dollar for every time someone has approached me to tell me they have
tried a cleansing diet, lost 10 pounds, then gained it back, then tried Atkins,
lost 20 pounds but gained it back then tried... You get the picture. We, in
our attempt to lose bodyfat and look and feel good actually in many cases do
more harm to our bodies and our metabolism. How many times have we seen people
who have gone on a "crash diet", lose 20-30 pounds but look sick or "skinny
fat"? So why do we go on a diet, lose the weight only to gain it back again?
Instead of changing our lifestyle and combining a strength training,
cardiovascular training program with sensible nutrition, we put our bodies and
emotions through punishment and abuse in order to achieve our desired goals.
Yo-yo dieting, gaining and losing weight has many consequences.
Yo-yo diets = very low calorie intakes.
Very-low-calorie diets trigger our bodies to go into starvation mode. Actually,
it's more like "cannibal mode." Experts think that this is a built-in behavior
mechanism that may have evolved as a defense against starvation. This means that
your body becomes extra efficient at making the most out of the calories it
receives. How does it do this? The body protects its fat stores for the long
term and instead, it uses lean tissue and muscle as a calorie source.
Ultimately, it results in loss of muscle. That's pure and simple cannibalism of
its own tissues. Since muscle and lean tissue are the most metabolically active,
they burn a lot more calories than does fat. The less lean tissue you have, the
slower the body's metabolic rate (you will need fewer calories to sustain normal
body functions). This, of course, is perfectly ideal in a deprivation situation,
but not necessarily if you are trying to permanently lose weight. The natural
tendency is to fall off the fad wagon, and, everyone knows what happens next.
The weight comes right back on. Did you know that it is even tougher to lose
that rebound weight? This is all the more reason why it is crucial to protect
your metabolic rate during weight-loss efforts. You can achieve weight loss far
more effectively and safely by consuming the correct proportion of complex
carbohydrates, lean protein, and healthy fats, and maintaining a regular
strength-training program.
Tips on How to Prevent Regaining Weight:
•The first thing to do is to put on blinders and strictly avoid yo-yo diets.
•Make a genuine effort to get the recommended amounts of exercise: Many
organizations such as ACE and American College of Sports Medicine recommend
20-60 minutes of cardiovascular activity 3-5 times each week and strength
training 2-3 times each week.
•Get the right amount of sleep every night.
•Do all you can to rid yourself of stress.
•Commit yourself to a lifestyle change at the beginning of your weight loss
efforts.
Foods That Don't Make You Hungry:
If you really want to keep the excess pounds off, this is a very important tip
to keep in mind: Try to stick with protein-based foods for your meals and your
snacks.
A carbohydrate-based meal or snack will cause a spike in your blood sugar,
causing insulin to be released in order to bring your glucose level back down to
normal. As your blood sugars begin to drop, you will feel hungry again
(typically craving carbohydrates) because your body wants to raise your blood
sugar back up again. It is recommended that you combine complex carbohydrates
with your protein in order to obtain the necessary quantities for a healthy
diet. The protein will slow down the digestion and absorption of the
carbohydrates, which will help your blood sugars to stay normalized.
Fiber-rich foods are also a great choice, as fiber takes longer for our stomachs
to digest. Some examples of fiber-rich foods are beans, berries, whole grains,
and green leafy vegetables.
Losing and maintaining weight is not about eating less; it's about eating
better.
*some information compiled from Huffingtonpost.com