- How to Avoid These Pitfalls
Reason #1
Not Natural
The first and foremost reason that dieting rarely delivers the desired results is that it is an unnatural, forced regime. Even hearing the word will raise the hackles on a multitude of people struggling to lose weight.
Let’s face it, the truth be known, very few of us have the willpower to overcome our bodies’ natural cravings for the long term. Another mitigating factor is the abrupt change we attempt to impose on our bodies just by beginning a diet.
Our bodies just flat out rebel! This often leads to binge eating and subsequent recrimination. The feelings of guilt and despair motivate us to try harder, but to no long term avail.
So, what are we to do about this?
Here’s the thing, eating is such an integral, enjoyable aspect of living that we must do everything in our power to keep it that way. So, we need to develop or find an enjoyable, sustainable culinary plan to adopt and make a routine part of our lifestyle.
We need to know what to eat to satisfy our cravings and, at the same time facilitates our weight loss goals. More on this follows.
Reason #2
Metabolic Adaptation and How to Avoid it.
Have you ever noticed how; when you finally find that awesome diet that just has to work for you, it does, but only for awhile? Studies have shown that our metabolisms have an amazing ability to adapt.
The new diet allows us to shed some significant pounds but only for a few weeks. The weight loss then grinds to a halt. This happens because our bodies rapidly adapt to the new diet and slow down our metabolisms.
So, how do we overcome metabolic adaptation?
The answer to this is quite simple and was alluded to in the first section. We need to have sufficient variety in our daily consumption to keep our bodies on their toes, so to speak. Our bodies are unable to adapt if we continuously alter the types of foods we eat.
This can also add extreme culinary pleasure to our daily lives if we take the time to play the game well. After all, variety is the spice of life.
Reason #3
The Evil Consequences of Convenience
Sadly, many diet programs as well as dieters are unaware of the huge role convenience plays in the growing, worldwide problem of obesity. Our supermarket shelves are filled with what appears on the surface to be healthy food, but, in fact, is not.
For example, it is very convenient to just put on the kettle and pour boiling water over the oatmeal porridge neatly packaged in a box with a trusted label. I mean, oatmeal is good for you, isn’t it?
Oatmeal is extremely good for you if it comes from fresh ground groats. The quality deteriorates to the degree it is processed. The stuff in the box is the worst and it and many other processed grains and other types of food are at the root of the problem with obesity.
These foods are processed to the point where the body breaks them down to glucose, a simple blood sugar, very rapidly. This causes our bodies to produce massive amounts of insulin to handle this sugar rush. We then crash and our bodies crave for more.
Now, I know that not everyone can mill their own oat groats, but anyone can purchase steel cut oats, or even rolled oats. It takes time to prepare. Steel cut oats take about 35 minutes to make porridge.
The extra time is more than worth it, especially if you are trying to lose weight. Unrefined oats are a complex carbohydrate. The body takes a long time to break them down. This gives 3 significant advantages.
- They completely avoid any blood sugar rush and circumvent a great deal of stress on the pancreas, which is the source of our insulin.
- They step up our metabolism due to the energy required to break them down, which causes our bodies to burn fat. What a novel thought, eat to lose weight!
- They increase our satiety, which is to say, they keep us having the sensation of being full longer.
This is not limited to just oats, which is only an example, it is true of all grains and many other types of food.
Anyone who desires to lose weight should avoid highly processed foods of any kind.
In a world where truths about nutrition have been twisted by commercialism gone awry, Jim, our guest poster, has a passion the truth be known. If you would like to read more of his articles they can be found here.
