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 By Heidi Dening of Jump Start Outdoor Training
Summer's approaching and you want to look great; New Year is here and you've resolved to get that body beautiful once and for all, or you're getting married and want to look the best you ever have ... whatever the reason, if you're forever making resolutions to go on a diet, think again.
Long term weight control through dieting is near impossible, for the simple reason that diets promote only short term solutions. On a diet you will certainly look lighter on the scales, but in most cases this is because you have dumped a few kilos of body fluid, and not because you have lost any significant amount of body fat.
One of the main reasons diets do not work is because they send the body into starvation mode - a survival mechanism for times when humans faced periods of famine. Cutting back on our energy intake causes the body to lower its metabolic rate, which reduces its ability to burn fat.
At the same time, hunger signals increase and we quickly start to crave high energy foods loaded with fats and sugars - the exact foods we are trying to do without! Alarmingly, research has shown that repeated dieting actually makes it harder to lose weight and easier to put it on! This is because when you dump the diet and return to normal eating habits, the drop in metabolic rate caused by the diet means that your old eating habits actually represent an excess in calories. Not only do you regain the fat stores just lost, but you may even gain a bit extra.
5 More Reasons to DITCH DIETING
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Diets sap energy: Too little food means not enough energy for physical activity.
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Diets drop your metabolism: Dieting causes your body to conserve energy, making results harder to achieve.
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Diets are unhealthy: A cycle of rapid weight loss followed by weight gain can lead to loss of lean tissue from your muscles and calcium from your bones. It also strips the body of essential vitamins and minerals.
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Diets make food the enemy: Food provides nourishment and comfort. Diets can make you afraid to eat, depriving you of one of life’s essential pleasures.
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Diets cheat your confidence: Going from one failed diet to the next can leave you feeling depressed and create a cycle in which guilt battles against food.
Your best weight for life
So you have given dieting the flick - what next? Regular physical activity and a healthy, balanced diet are not as glamorous as the quick fixes, but they do get better results. Start with one extra exercise session and one less fatty takeaway meal per week, and gradually work towards a lifelong plan for achieving your best weight. If you change the way you eat or exercise to lose weight, ask yourself this question: Can I see myself sticking to this routine for life? If the answer is ‘no’, then it is time to change what you are doing. Any healthy weight loss plan should include the following:
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A wide variety of foods
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Regular and enjoyable exercise
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Enough filling foods to avoid constant hunger
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At least 5000 kj (1200 calories) a day
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Flexibility for treat foods and social occasions
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A realistic goal of your best weight (not necessarily your lowest weight!)
For further information on health, nutrition and exercise,
contact JUMP START on 9904 1201.
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