The Pitfalls of Weight Loss Programs and Diets
Getting the weight off fast is so desirable that many of us are willing to sacrifice health and ignore common sense in the hope that some new weight loss program or scheme will work. This pipe dream can unfortunately outweigh the negative consequences. So let's examine the downside of dieting.
What Is An Unhealthy Weight Loss Program?
* Any weight loss program that is not nutritionally sound;
* One that works against what the body naturally needs like vitamins, minerals, and a minimum number of calories a day;
* One that requires you to go without eating (for example, fasting or meal replacement drinks);
* One that puts your body into an unnatural state, such as starvation or ketosis.
Your body can only lose a few pounds a week on a consistent basis. If you lose more than that initially, it's likely just water loss. So any weight loss program that promises you will lose five pounds a week, or 25 pounds in 3 weeks, is guaranteeing you will be losing water and muscle mass not fat.
Almost every popular weight loss program out there falls into one of the following diet categories: low calorie diets, meal replacement drinks, packaged foods, unbalanced nutrients, and ketosis diets. Let's see how they stack up.
LOW CALORIE DIETS
Whenever you drastically reduce your calories, the body enters an unnatural state and its defenses kick in. So when calories drop below, say, 1000 calories a day, your metabolism will shut down in an effort to conserve energy. And weight loss with a sluggish metabolism is very difficult.
Your body will start using muscle tissue to provide energy, which again leads to a decrease in the metabolism. Taken to an extreme, the body will break down its vital parts (such as the heart muscle) trying to meet its energy needs.
In addition to these drawbacks, trying to maintain the weight loss over time is nearly impossible because your body is now used to making do with very few calories. Going back to "normal" eating causes the weight to pile back on.
For this reason, low cal weight loss programs rarely work over the long haul.
MEAL REPLACEMENT DRINKS
One of the most unnatural things for your body is to go without solid food, which is what meal replacement plans ask it to do. Some people think that dieting will be easier if they aren't confronted with daily food choices and the pounds will just fall off. This may be true while they are on the liquid diet. But what about afterwards?
Where will the good eating habits come from after you've lost the weight? This is something that takes time, practice and knowledge. Dieters need to establish a healthy attitude towards a life-long eating plan. And no "fad" weight loss program or liquid lunch can help you with that.
Getting hooked on meal replacements can become a destructive way to view food. It often leads dieters to fear food or binge to "feed" their cravings after a long period of deprivation. And that's just the psychological side of the equation.
The lack of fiber in such weight loss programs can be a threat to good physical health. And when the body is denied enough solid food, the intestines go into overdrive absorbing calories and nutrients. This helps you during the diet period, but later it makes it much easier to regain the weight.
Another yo-yo weight loss program that hurts you in the end.
UNBALANCED NUTRIENT PLAN
Be cautious about any weight loss program that has strict rules about good foods and bad foods. Sure, high fat and high sugar foods might be considered bad for the waistline, but moderation not abstinence is key to success.
Why? Because eating the same foods every day (say, grapefruit or high protein meals) is going to result in two things: nutritional imbalance and boredom.
All foods are made up of the same nutrients in different amounts: fat, carbohydrates, and protein. It is the right proportion of these nutrients that will bring about weight loss - not the avoidance of "bad" foods and the consumption of only "good" or magical foods.
In the world of dieting, no one food or nutrient group is magical. Variety and moderation are the keys to a healthy diet and a successful weight loss program.
PACKAGED FOODS
To stay at your ideal body weight, you have to learn how to make proper food choices. By following a packaged food weight loss program you are postponing the inevitable, and spending plenty of $$$ in the process.
Another problem with this kind of weight loss program is that the foods provided are not always healthy. Read the package label and you will see chemicals, preservatives, sodium, sugar and saturated fats. And when all you can eat is packaged food, how do you plan meals with other people? Going out to restaurants and parties and enjoying family meals becomes a big hassle.
Your weight loss program then becomes a burden, not only to you, but to those around you.
KETOSIS DIETS
Ketosis has been defined as:
"An abnormal condition marked by excessive production of ketone bodies. Often caused by high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets such as the Atkins diet."
Atkins and certain other weight loss programs are based on the principle of restricting carbohydrates to the point that the body enters into ketosis. On the surface, a ketogenic diet seems to work for two reasons: First, you'll lose large amounts of weight, which is very pleasing to the dieter. Secondly, you don't experience hunger.
But there are serious drawbacks. Your weight goes down due to water loss (which occurs when you restrict carbohydrates) and a loss of lean muscle tissue. This is NOT true, lasting weight loss.
The loss of appetite comes from having ketones building up in the body, which can harm your health. Side effects of a ketosis weight loss program can include fatigue, kidney stones, gout, and muscle loss. The longer you follow such a diet, the greater the risk to your health.
Clearly not a wise choice of weight loss program, not for the short term or the long.
WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAM QUESTIONNAIRE
There are always new weight loss programs coming onto the market and going in and out of style. To evaluate if a weight loss program is healthy and sensible for you, ask yourself the following questions:
* Is the plan nutritionally sound?
* Will it help improve my weight, metabolism, cholesterol level, blood pressure, energy level, and general health?
* Will I be eating real food and not have to buy special formulas, drinks, etc?
* Will I be eating a wide variety of foods rather than just a few "diet" foods?
* Am I allowed to have some treats and eat my favorite foods?
* Can I eat out in restaurants, have a glass of wine with dinner, or some dessert?
* Can I follow this weight loss program without it interfering with my lifestyle?
* Can I lose weight without feeling hungry?
* Will l develop eating habits for life-long weight control with this weight loss program?
* Is this the last diet I will ever need to finally reach and maintain my ideal weight?
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Indian Food as Part of a Weight Loss Regime
Most people think that you cant possibly eat Indian food, if youre on a slimming diet. Thats a fair statement if you always eat Indian food in restaurants, because many traditional Indian recipes involve either deep frying or the use of ghee (clarified butter). However, if you cook Indian food at home, it can easily form part of a weight loss regime, just the same as any other food. You just need to follow a few simple general rules.
- Avoid altogether recipes which involve deep frying.
- If you need to seal meat before braising it for a curry, use a good non-stick pan and a spray bottle with sunflower or vegetable oil in it. Lightly spray the surface of your pan with oil and that should be enough to prevent the meat from sticking while you brown it.
- If a recipe includes cream or coconut cream, substitute plain yoghurt and another flavouring to replace the coconut.
Tandoori recipes are great as part of a low calorie or low carbohydrate diet. Just marinade some fish (cubed or whole), chicken (cubed or in pieces) or prawns (shrimp) in a mixture of low fat plain yogurt, ground turmeric, ground coriander, ground cumin, crushed garlic, grated root ginger and a little chilli powder (or to taste) for at least an hour. If youre using cubed meat, thread onto skewers. Grill or barbeque with a medium heat until done. Serve with mixed salad and wedges of lemon to squeeze over. If your diet isnt too severe, you can also have a pitta bread, a baked potato or some boiled rice with this.
Curry dishes are fine too (preferably fish or chicken). If you use a recipe which has just a spice and water base or a tomato base, it certainly wont do your calorie intake any harm but be sure to keep the oil you use for frying onions, spices or whatever, to an absolute minimum.
For vegetarians or those trying to cut down on meat because of its relatively high calorie content, Indian cooking is ideal. There are so many recipes for vegetables and pulses which are really tasty that you wont even know youre on a diet!
Dont forget paneer (Indian cottage cheese), which can be cooked as per the tandoori idea above, or in a spicy sauce. If you cant get paneer, try substituting tofu.
Heres to a slim new year!
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How to Be a Petite Girl
Petite girls are beautiful girls who will attract many boys. There are so many petite girls you will find around. Being petite always manages to make you very attractive and, if you are one of those girls, you should be proud of yourself. When it comes to being petite, you will find many kinds of girls. Girls are very interesting creatures and their main concern is to always look good. For this reason, they want to make sure they are petite. The word petite means a tiny or trim girl or woman. It becomes very paramount to maintain such a figure. The best way to ensure that you are always petite is to keep in shape. Girls get up to so much when they are loosing weight when they are looking to be on top of things. Being fit will ensure that you keep the right figure. There are so many things that will ensure that you are doing the right things to keep fit. First, you need to understand exactly how your body reacts when it comes to what you take in. It is vital to ensure that you see or seek advice from a professional. This can be a nutritionist or a doctor. It is always vital to start on this so as to rule out any complications when you are getting fit.
Once you are given a clean bill of health, it is time to do all it takes. Petite girls love to keep active. They frequent gyms and engage in activities like running walking and so on. If you have not yet gotten around to getting fit, let the figure of petite girls inspire you. You can start in a simple manner. Examine what you are taking in. You might be eating things that are working to your detriment. For this reason, keep in mind that you want to take in only those foods that will help you. This is not to say that you do away with certain foods. You simply need to analyze them and know exactly how you can manage them to serve you in the best way possible. When you start eating foods that are whole meal, you will discover that your digestion improves; you need to see the good food working for you. This way, you will be in a position to appreciate and love good food.
The main problem girls' face is forcing themselves to eat certain foods. You need to be happy while eating foods; this is the only way to find true joy. Petite girls need to be employ all the strategies to exercise well. You do not have to start on a high note; you can simply start by walking. Eventually, you will not be surprised at how you desire to be more active in this regard. You must make fitness a lifestyle if you want to ensure that you stay petite. There are so many places in which you can find information that will help you become empowered. You can go online to ensure that you get all information about fitness. It is easy and convenient.
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Slimaluma, a Weight Loss Ingredient With Real Abilities
Review Summary
Slimaluma is a popular new weight loss ingredient that is often compared to the also popular Hoodia Gordonii. According to advertisements, this new ingredient can suppress the appetite, and it is often described as a fat buster. Since there are often new ingredients on the market that do not live up to their advertisements, some consumers may be caution about this natural extract. This is why we will take a closer look at this ingredient to determine how it may work and if it can really support a weight loss program.
Ingredient at a Glance
This ingredient is a patented version of Caralluma Fimbriata, a plant native to Western India. As mentioned, Slimaluma is said to suppress the appetite but promoters also say that it can increase energy levels and regulate blood sugar levels.
Ingredient in Focus
This ingredient is said to work by inhibiting the hunger sensory mechanism of the hypothalamus, which is the part of the brain that controls the appetite. This is said to fool the brain into feeling full, which in turn can help dieters cut down their daily caloric intake and stick to their meal plans. However, this ingredient has also been shown to hinder fat synthesis by blocking the formation of Acetyl Co Enzyme A and Malonyl Co Enzyme A, which are the building blocks of this process.
The initial clinical research on Slimaluma is promising. Not only has it shown that it can perform the above tasks, but it has also shown that this ingredient is not linked to any adverse or ill side effects. So far there have been two double blind, random placebo controlled human clinical trials on this patented ingredient. One was in India, and the other in California. The participants in this trial did show a reduction in body weight and body fat, and many of the subjects were said to lose inches off of their waist and hips. It is expected that any further tests on this ingredient will verify these results.
While Slimaluma is fairly new to the market, it can still be found in an assortment of products. We do think it will work best when contained in a comprehensive, quality formula, and we suggest that people look for supplements that come with a money back guarantee to ensure quality. In addition, we do feel that the patented version may be more effective in delivering results as this was the version the clinical trials tested.
Positives
· Said to suppress the appetite
· Clinical trials show promising results
· Can be found in an assortment of products now on the market
Negatives
· Not much consumer feedback for this ingredient is posted yet
Final Thoughts
Slimaluma does appear to be a promising weight loss aid. As mentioned, many new ingredients in the diet industry are merely a flash in the pan and an attempt by some manufacturer to make an extra buck. However, it looks like this patented ingredient is the real thing, and we are confident that it can support the results of an effective weight loss program. Those people who still desire more information about this ingredient should click on the links below. They will lead to an additional article on this subject that goes a bit more in depth, further explaining its abilities.
Before purchasing any weight loss product, it would be a good idea to see what people are saying about Slimaluma on the very popular DietBlogTalk.com
You can also click here to get even more detailed information from Sensational.com on Slimaluma.
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