If you've been following me for a long time, you have probably seen the many posts I've done about weight-loss. I have talked about the worst weight-loss snacks and foods as well as great alternatives. I have also talked about health issues that could prevent weight-loss. There are so many variables when it comes to weight-loss. No two persons are alike in their weight-loss journey and oftentimes they require very different programs.
If you will recall from my last post, Common Misconceptions About Weight-Loss, I mentioned that I would be digging a little deeper into the nutritional aspect of weight-loss programs. Diets are popular for quickly shedding excess weight, however, diets are not a viable solution for long-term success.
Depending on how in-depth this post ends up being, I might have to break it up into two separate posts. Also, I want to point out that this post is based on my own personal opinion and the research that I have done. Without further ado, let's get right into the post.
Media has made it so important that we see fast results when in fact, that may not always be the case. Fad diets are surrounded by the misconception that weight can be reduced within a very short amount of time and will be extremely easy to do. I'm sorry to break it to you, but that is a lie perpetrated by large corporations.
These "guarantees" are meant to draw you in. Sure, there will be a handful of people who will respond to the programs positively, however, the majority of the public will not see any results at all. Beware of programs that promise rapid and dramatic results, a diet that doesn't require exercise alongside it, celebrity or athlete endorsed, claims to replace metabolic function, has limited food choices, or lacks a change in overall behavior. These types of diets ARE NOT what you should be buying into.
Weight Watchers
Granted, there isn't a whole lot that is terribly wrong with this program. They allow you to make your own food while following their recipes making it easier for you to choose your own ingredients. However, I don't know how many times I have to say this...fat free foods are NOT the answer to your weight-loss problems!
Fat free food items are highly processed to remove the natural fats and they are usually filled with sugar because they taste so bad. And if you're like, "but it's also sugar-free" then I've got another piece of bad news for you. That item probably has an artificial form of sweetener that will cause much more damage than good to your body.
The whole calorie counting, low fat, food-obsession-centered lifestyle that Weight Watchers encourages is toxic. If you mess up, does that mean that you will immediately have fear that the weight you have lost will come back? I just don't buy into it.
Keto
I've always hated on Ketogenic diets because they are so completely illogical when you know how the body functions and processes food. No, I'm not a doctor, nor do I claim to know everything regarding health and fitness, however, I have done extensive amounts of research.
Okay, so Keto diets focus on limiting your carbs to about 5% with an increase in protein to about 20% and fats to an appalling 75%. Yes, you might see rapid weight-loss in the first few weeks, but what are you doing to your body in the meantime? Drastically reducing your carbohydrate intake puts undue stress on the body. Your body constantly uses carbohydrates as fuel to function so when they are decreased, your body begins utilizing the fats that you are consuming. This can oftentimes cause many unwanted side-effects.
In addition to these side-effects, you might feel that you don't have energy to function. Why? Because your body is not meant to be using fat for its sole source of fuel. This decreases workout time, which is important in conjunction with nutrition in order to lose weight. This also puts you more at risk of injury. Digestion tends to be off because there is little fiber going into your body and you will be very thirsty because you are not producing enough insulin for your body to function properly.
Your kidneys are constantly under stress because they are having to flush out the excess amounts of fat. Finally, the weight that you lost during the Keto diet will most likely return (plus a few more pounds) once you return to your regular meal plan. Why not stay on Keto then to keep the pounds off? Because of the stress your body is constantly under. And, you cannot viably sustain a Keto diet because it is so restrictive and unhealthy. Besides, it is quite possible that you might not lose any weight at all despite your best efforts. Can you now see why I don't tolerate this type of diet?
Just in case you forgot...
Cutting your calories for a time will help you lose weight, but ultimately, once you get back to normal you will gain that weight back plus more. Why? Because cutting your calories too low (keto for example) disrupts metabolism causing your body to not be able to absorb or use those calories that you add back in properly. And, you can't follow a low caloric diet permanently as it will cause loss of muscle, low metabolism, and hormone disruption. All of this causes weight gain and NOT long-term weight loss.
The lower your metabolism is, the more weight you will gain.
I kind of figured that this post would become a two-parter. Next week, I'll focus on three other weight-loss programs that I feel are more detrimental than they are helpful. If you have any questions or would like to share your personal testimony, please feel free to get in contact with me in the comments below.
Have you ever tried either of these weight-loss programs?
Did it work for you?
Until next time,
Amanda
For more weight-loss information, check out these previous posts.
コメント