Diets

Losing weight is based on simple science. You take in calories by eating food and you expend calories throughout the day by being alive. If you take in more calories than you expend, you will gain weight. If you expend more calories than you take in, you will lose weight. A person needs to burn 3500 calories in order to lose one pound of fat. Exercise is great way to burn extra calories; however, studies show that exercise alone rarely produces significant weight loss. If you are overweight, a proper diet ensures that you will lose those extra pounds.

Why do fad diets fail?

Those diets that promise instantaneous results? They just might. But you have an extremely high chance of gaining back all of the weight you lose and perhaps more. Why? Because fad diets a) do not teach you how to eat right, b) often starve your body so that when you finish the diet, you overeat to compensate for the nutrition you have been deprived of and c) do not offer diet support and do not embrace your entire lifestyle. Never trust a diet that says you will never have to exercise.

What to I look for in a diet?

A successful diet is one that you can come back to again and again and achieve the same results. A successful diet is one that doesn’t just dictate what you eat and what you don’t eat, but encompasses your entire lifestyle. An excellent diet teaches you how to eat and how to live a healthy life. Here are some essential components of a successful diet:

  1. A good diet is one that accounts for calorie intake in relation to the dieter’s weight and energy output.
  2. A good diet is high in fiber and provides sufficient protein.
  3. A good diet does not make gross restrictions, i.e. absolutely no fat or sugar.
  4. A good diet does not promise instantaneous weight-loss; it should guarantee NO MORE than 1-2 pounds of weight-loss a week.
  5. A good diet offers a variety of food choices, but promotes the essential consumption of fruits and vegetables (preferably five servings a day.)

What are some healthy diets?

How do you find such a diet? Read this article from CNN and review their top ten healthiest diets. See if the diets follow the tenets above, and if the diet requirements will work for you and your lifestyle. Proven diets not mentioned in the article include the Glycemic Index Diet, the Organic Diet, the Macrobiotic Diet, the Raw Food Diet, and various online calorie counting diets such as CalorieCount.about.com and TheDailyPlate.com. Online diet options are often free, offer diet support tools like calorie calculators and online forums, recipes, and meal plans.

Weight Watchers is probably the most highly rated diet plan out there. Weight Watchers is based on a point system. Each food is given points based on its caloric value, its fiber content, and its fat content. Dieters are allotted so many points a day. If dieters exercise, they receive more points. Weight Watchers teaches how to make healthy food choices, shows you the advantages of exercise, and provides community support so that you are more likely to stick with the program.

When choosing the diet that’s right for you, make sure it is one that you can see yourself adhering to for the long-haul. A good diet is one that you don’t look forward to being over; it is one that you are grateful to for keeping you healthy and accountable.