What Diets Really Work?

By on August 11, 2011
What Diets Really Work

Many people are struggling to lose weight and to keep it off, however, doing so is not always easy. We are often bombarded with fad and crash diets that are promised to work. However, we have to be careful. Many of these crash diets are not safe and will only keep the weight off temporarily.

Why Crash Diets Do Not Work

Since they seem so easy and convenient, most people at some point ask if crash diets work.  Sadly, they do not. In fact, crash diets can worsen your weight loss efforts. This is because they can do some serious damage to your metabolism. Our bodies are programmed to store extra calories as fat in times of food shortages. This is what kept us alive when there were limited resources. Even though there is plenty of food all around us, our bodies have not adjusted. When your caloric intake drops suddenly, your body goes into starvation mode. It will cling to every single calorie.

By following a crash diet you will initially lose weight, however, the damage occurs when you come off the diet. Crash diets are not designed to be used long-term. As soon as you start eating regularly, your body will start storing the food as fat. You will gain all the lost weight back, and will most likely gain additional pounds as well.


That being said, there are some fad diets that can work. By definition a fad diet is a plan that experiences a temporary popularity. Just because something is a fad, it does not necessarily mean that it is ineffective. Look for diets that have been around for a long time, and that have some actual success stories behind them.

 

How To Stick To A Healthy Diet

 

What fad diets really work?

One example is the Step Diet. This is based on physical activity in the form of walking, or steps. Along with healthy eating, this plan helps you monitor the number of steps you have taken each day and the calories you have subsequently burned. Although there is no longer much hype about walking to burn calories, this diet plan can work.

What Diet Plans Really Work?

The most important aspect of an effective diet plan is how well it can be maintained. Losing weight requires an entire change in lifestyle, including the food we eat and our physical activity level. These changes need to become a part of our everyday lives.

Dieting or exercising alone will not work. You need to balance both in order to lose weight. Therefore, a decent diet plan will consist of healthy food and exercise. This will help you determine what diets really work. Stay away from plans that promise no exercise or no food restrictions. Chances are these crash diets will not work long-term, and they will ultimately leave you with even more weight to lose.

Exercising does not have to mean putting in hours at the gym. Dance, swimming, cycling, martial arts, yoga, and other sports are all fun ways to exercise. Find an activity that you love and can look forward to participating in. Try to find something that has some resistance training as well as cardio. Resistance training does not always involve weights, push-ups, sit-ups, and even hitting a punching bag are all examples of resistance training.

In terms of diet plans, again, you must find something that works for you. Do not deprive yourself of the foods you love, since this can lead to binge eating. Instead use common sense and moderation. Sometimes this means making small changes. For example, instead of taking the whole bag of cookies into the dining room, take only one or two.

Another trick is to eat more frequently throughout the day, but to make the meals smaller. Eating six small but balanced meals a day will help increase your metabolism. This will also prevent you from feeling hungry and craving extra snacks.

When it comes to weight loss, it is important to stick with a plan that works for you. A decent diet plan will encourage you to eat healthy foods and to exercise. You have some leeway in terms of the activity and specific food choices. Avoid crash and fad diets that are unhealthy or not meant to be maintained long-term.


About Sara

Sara is head writer and editor for TimeForTheNewYou.com. She's a health enthusiast and has been writing about health and weight loss related issues for more than 4 years. She's also the mother of a beautiful boy named Sam.

2 Comments

  1. Luci denhard

    September 1, 2011 at 2:06 am

    I’d like the 45 fantastic ways to burn calories guide. No “like” button shown. Thanks.

    • Sara

      September 15, 2011 at 2:14 pm

      Hey Luci,

      The link should be working now.

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