Why Isn't My Diet Working?
by Hiram
Perez
zone3
Can't seem to get your diet to work? Have you actually GAINED a
pound or two since you've been on it? Here are 10 things that you
should look at before you decide that your diet just doesn't work and go
off looking for another one.
Have you been on a new diet for a couple of weeks and found that you
STILL can't lose weight? Have you actually GAINED a pound or two since
you've been on it? Are you just about ready to throw this diet out the
window and try something else? Well, hold on a minute. There might be
something else going on that's preventing your diet from working.
Getting your diet to work is like planting a seed in a garden. In order
for the seed to grow, you have to plant it in good soil. You have to water
it, fertilize it, and protect it from weeds. In other words, a seed needs
a good environment if it's going to have any chance at all to sprout, take
root, and grow.
Similarly, in order for your diet to start showing results for you, it
also needs a good environment. Here are 5 "weeds" that will prevent
the success of any diet and may actually be the reason that yours isn't
working.
1. YOU'RE NOT REALLY SERIOUS ABOUT LOSING WEIGHT
For your diet to work, you obviously have to be serious about losing
weight. You need to have the right mental attitude about weight loss. In
other words, you have to get your "head right." This includes:
a. Making a firm commitment to lose the weight, no matter what.
b. Making sure you're doing this for the right reasons. Trying to lose
weight to please someone else never works.
c. Convincing yourself that you CAN lose the weight--and that you
WILL!
If your diet isn't working, it could be because you're not really
serious about losing the weight in the first place.
2. YOU'RE CHEATING ON YOUR DIET
Cheating on your diet and cheating on love both end in disappointment.
Consistent weight loss requires, well, consistency. Most of us work so
hard to stick to our diet during the week that we convince ourselves that
we can splurge on the weekend. Or we think that because we skipped
breakfast, we can have dessert with lunch. Both are a bad choice.
It's easy to convince yourself that having a small snack won't hurt, or
that you'll work it off later. The problem is it does, and you never do.
If your diet isn't working, it could be because you're not following it
consistently.
3. YOU'RE NOT EATING FEWER CALORIES
I heard of someone that started one of those protein shake diets. He
actually gained a couple of pounds. When he was asked how often he was
drinking the shakes, he said, "I drink one with every meal." It never
occurred to him that the shakes were supposed to replace his meals, not
supplement them.
Many dieters buy low-cal foods, and then eat twice as much. Don't be
one of them! The only way to lose weight is to reduce your total caloric
intake. Make sure you reduce the size of your portions and cut out all
snacks that are not part of your diet plan. If your diet isn't working--or
if you've actually gained a pound or two--it could be because you're not
eating fewer total calories.
4. YOU'RE NOT EATING THE RIGHT FOODS
Eating fewer calories is only part of the battle. You need to make sure
that the foods you do eat are the right types. A good rule of thumb is to
make sure you get plenty of fruits, salads, and dark green vegetables.
Stay away from refined foods and starches and eat meat in very small
amounts (sorry, I'm not an Atkins fan).
Leafy, green, water-rich vegetables will aid digestion, help keep you
healthy, and will actually help your body get rid of excess fat. If your
diet isn't working, it could be because you're not eating the right
foods.
5. YOU'RE EXERCISING TOO HARD
This may be counterintuitive but it's true. If you exercise too hard,
your body goes into an ANAEROBIC state (without oxygen). This is when you
get so out of breath that you can't seem to take in enough air. When the
body is in this state, it burns mostly carbohydrates and very little fat.
This is why runners "carb up" before a big race--and also why runners have
just as much body fat as the rest of us.
Slow your exercise down to no more than 85% of your maximum heart rate
(subtract your age from 220 to get your max heart rate). At this pace,
your body is in an AEROBIC state (with oxygen) and most of the calories
that are burned are from fat, not carbs. An added benefit is that aerobic
exercise tends to be low impact making it easy on your joints.
If you already get plenty of exercise and your diet still isn't
working, it could be because you're exercising too hard.
Once you get all of these issues resolved, you've cleared the way to
get your diet back on track. As your diet takes root and begins to work,
you should start to see the weight come off easily and naturally.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hiram Perez has made good health and fitness a lifelong study.
Discover other simple and common sense techniques to improve your
wellbeing by signing up for a free 5-part mini-course at http://www.balance-your-health.com/
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