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 ear 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 protein.
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 misinformation floating around.
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.
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