Wednesday, February 9, 2011

What Is Wrong With Fad Diets



If you do a fad diet and it helps you lose weight fast and get results, what can be wrong with that?

Surley you have seen many ads on the internet and in magazines that say that you can get a huge weight loss in only a few days time.

Is this type of weight loss really possible? Yes - but... in almost every instance the weight loss from a fad diet is temporary and usually due to loss of water weight. Our bodies are made up of a large percentage of water so as soon as your body rehydrates itself you will put that quick weight loss right back on.

What are some of the reasons a fad diet is not good for you?

1. A fad diet usually tells you to focus on a single food type and avoid all others. This means you miss out on the nutrition you really need and can get from a more balanced diet approach.

Quite often these fad diets will even tell you to take vitamins and supplements to make up for all the nutritional deficiencies you experience while on that fad diet. However, your body will not be able to absorb the nutrients from the recommended supplements unless you take them with food. And many of the foods that help you absorb nutrients are banned on fad diets.

2. Fad diets are usually so restrictive and unappetizing that after as little as one day you will begin having overwhelming cravings for other foods and most likely you will not be able to complete the fad diet. This quitting will also wreak havoc on your self esteem as you may beat yourself up for not having enough willpower to stick it out with the diet.

3. Fad diets are temporary solutions to your weight problems. Even if you do follow through to the end with a fad diet you have not made permanent healthy changes to the way you handle food in your life. So fad dieters tend to be yo-yo dieters that go back and forth between extreme lo-calorie fad diets to periods of bingeing on food groups that were missing from the fad diet. So fad dieters are on a roller coaster of gaining and losing the same darn pounds again and again.

No matter what you see in the media about quick weight loss fad diets, realize that these diets will never work long term.

The best way to lose weight and sustain that weight loss (so you never have to diet again) is to eat a variety of healthy foods, avoid overeating, and do regular exercise. This simple formula works every time.

Monday, February 7, 2011

Craving Busters: How to Control Hunger
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Ray_L_Johnson]Ray L Johnson

So many of us start out on a diet with the best intentions. We say to ourselves, "This time I will be disciplined and committed." On days one, two and even three we have a firm resolve but soon enough, hunger strikes and overwhelms and we find ourselves caving to temptation. It seems that being able to combat hunger is the indicator of whether a person is successful in their goal of losing weight and being more healthy and fortunately, there are products such as green coffee as well as behaviours and lifestyle tips that can help an individual not to give in to hunger.
So, what are some of the ways that hunger can be controlled despite a reduced intake of calories?
Fill up on vegetables:
Fibre is essential in most people's diet and consuming foods that are high in fibre helps to bulk up the diet. This means that the transport of food through your system is slowed.
The other good thing about fibre-rich foods is that they are low in calories, enabling you to eat a lot of them without clocking up surplus calories. This is great news as the main goal of any diet plan and the results achieved depend on reduced consumption of calories.
Move more:
Contrary to popular belief, moderate exercise can help to suppress your appetite rather than increase it. Having said this, care must be taken as excessive exercise done at an intense level can stimulate your appetite in the long term.
Moderate exercise is ideal as it encourages circulation and stops the body from feeling ravenous. A good tip is to counteract the feeling of needing a snack with going for a walk...this should curb the hunger and increase energy levels.
Fat is not the enemy:
For many people, dieting means avoiding fat at all costs. Although fat is higher in calories than protein and carbohydrates, foods that contain fat are the most effective in reducing hunger and will have a lasting effect - you may not immediately feel satisfied after eating foods with fat, but you are likely to feel less hungry later.
In most diets, long term strategies to reduce hunger make the difference between success and failure.
Consume hot drinks:
Drinking hot drinks, such as green coffee, green coffee 800, standard coffee or tea is a tried and true way to reduce hunger cravings. Also, caffeine (as is found in standard coffee and tea) may not necessarily be healthy, but it can help to give you more energy and thereby make dieting easier.
However, as the aim of a diet is to reduce calories, you should be careful not to indulge in high calorie, sugar-laden beverages that are, effectively, like eating a dessert! Instead, opt for something healthier and more satisfying, such as green coffee.
Hydrate yourself:
Many people can testify to grabbing something to eat as soon as they feel 'hungry'. However, thirst is often mistaken for hunger. It is important to drink at least two litres of water each day and even more than this if you also consume a lot of caffeine or salt through your diet.
When you are adequately hydrated, energy levels correspondingly increase, concentration and memory are improved and you are likely to feel less ravenous.
A little bit of fruit:
Fructose, a type of sugar that is processed by the liver, is a significant component of any fruit. When eating a meal that is moderate to high in protein or fat, a small piece of fruit can help to keep hunger at bay. This is because liver stores will not fall so low that you feel incredibly hungry.
However, you should be careful not to eat fruit on its own too often. Doing so increases blood sugar levels which will inevitably then drop, leaving you feeling hungry and irritable.
Limit carbohydrate intake:
It is commonly seen that those on a low carbohydrate diet have less of an appetite than those a low fat diet. Sufficient fat in the diet can help to reduce hunger in the longer term and protein rich foods are generally more filling than carbohydrate rich foods.
Increase protein consumption:
High protein foods and therefore high protein diets are known to be more filling than their carbohydrate rich counterparts. Added to this, digestion of high protein foods forces the body to burn more calories and give you a reduced calorie intake.
Lean sources of protein, such as: chicken breasts, fish, turkey and egg whites are excellent sources of protein that can be easily incorporated into many diets.

By the way, do you want to learn more about health and fitness? If so, I suggest you check [http://slimmerscoffee.com.au/]green coffee and [http://slimmerscoffee.com.au/green-coffee-800]green coffee 800.

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Craving-Busters:-How-to-Control-Hunger&id=5870604] Craving Busters: How to Control Hunger