If Youre Diet Does Not Make Sense You Will Not Loose Weight

Obesity is one of the major health problems of our time. As people affected with obesity age they will be more susceptible to heart disease, arthritis and diabetes which is already on the rise. Yet everywhere we look someone is pitching the ultimate diet that will help us loose weight. We see them advertised on television, in the print media and on the internet. They all want us to spend our money will them because they have the "most effective" plan. We have the Miracle Diet, the Pritikin Diet and the low-calorie diet just to name a handful. With everyone making these claims it is no wonder people are confused.

Despite the fact that millions of Americans will spend billions of dollars this year in an attempt to get thinner the fact is we are getting fatter. In the eighties the number of us that where considered fat was about 25%, today that number has increased to 33%. At any given time 15 to 35 percent of us are trying to loose weight. We will try the latest non-fat foods that are offered, go to fat farms and spend our money on the latest fad diet.

Everyone resolves to make changes for the New Year, for many that will be to loose those unwanted pounds. Many however will fail over the next couple of weeks or months. Others will achieve their goals only to regain back what they lost. Some attempts at weight loss will even come at increased medical risk. The fact is that many people that experience repeated failure at loosing weight will eventually loose self esteem and develop a feeling of guilt.

So what exactly is going wrong? Should we believe that all weight loss programs are just doomed to failure? When it comes to diets and weight loss we have to separate fact from fiction. We have listed a few things below that may assist you in doing just that.

UNDERSTANDING WHY PEOPLE FAIL AT DIETING

There are many reasons why diets fail. To completely understand the lack of success we first need to look at some of those reasons.

1.Most diets that we see advertised are not individualized diets. These are diets that may work for some people and not for others.

2.People tend to deprive themselves when they are dieting. When you do this you are more likely to binge on something else in an attempt to compensate.

3.Many of the diet programs that we see are not balanced diets. They eliminate one nutritional group and concentrate on another. This imbalance can lead to mood swings, emotional changes, and a general lack of concentration and energy.

4.If your diet is too strict it can actually lower your metabolism.

5.When we read a diet book or see the latest fad that is popular we need to realize that many of these are not based on scientific fact. They are usually filled with much speculation and downright inaccuracies.

6.When a person becomes fat or obese there is normally an underlying reason. Diets do not address this.

Hopefully this can give you some understanding of why a diet does not work. Our health educators and fitness professional really need to redefine their definition of "diet".

HOW DO WE REDEFINE OUR DIET MENTALITY?

When sitting down to figure out the best meal plan for your diet people often get confused. This is because the more we research we find out that the so called scientific evidence is not always consistent. Before you jump onto the next "fad" diet you need to ask yourself a few basic questions.

1.When you look at the goals of the plan, are they realistic? Are your goals realistic? If you want to loose 30 pounds by next month to go on that Caribbean vacation this is probably not realistic. If you begin your program with unrealistic expectations you are doomed to fail.

2.Does this diet really fit into the lifestyle that you live?

3.Is this a deprivation diet that you will dump in a week? Make sure that any diet you pursue is nutritionally balanced.

4.When picking your diet ask yourself if this is something that you can live with for the rest of your life. It is probably healthier in the long run to carry an extra 10 or 20 pounds than to loose it and gain it back 15 times.

5.Is your diet individualized for you? If not you will more than likely fail?

YOU NEED TO THINK BASICS

Our knowledge of diet and nutrition has increased substantially in the last two decades. The problem that this causes for people is how to interpret all of this information.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and other government agencies have assembled a group of scientists and nutritionists to help us better understand this. Along with the American Cancer Society and the American Heart Association they have come out with a set of guidelines. If you are serious about loosing those pounds and getting into better shape you should visit their websites for more information.

The one theme that is consistent throughout is that we need a variety of foods. We see emphasis on diets low in fat, saturated fats and cholesterol and higher in fruits, vegetables and fish. If you are truly serious about loosing weight the first place you need to start is with the types and amounts of food that you are eating.

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