How To Avoid The Crash Diet
"That"s it!" you huff
"That"s it!" you huff. You WILL lose those pesky 12 pounds of hip-hugging flab by prom! Bikini season? Make that 15!
Then you wonder how. It"s all math, right? Calories in versus calories out"unless those calories are carbs, because they count double or something. What was that bottle the skinny blond girl was selling on TV? Isn"t Jamba Juice giving a discount tomorrow?
And with this, you join the two-thirds of Americans embarking on a diet. Give it a few months, and you will most likely be in the 95% percent of these dieters who fail to keep it off.
Crash diets are a common choice for people who want to lose weight quickly. The Grapefruit Diet, the Master Cleanse, and any bottle with "Trim" in the title are classic examples. Always, the dieter undergoes a rigid regime, from eating nothing but a certain food or consuming only liquid. Most often, this crash diet ends in a crash-and-burn, usually at the nearby ice cream parlor.
Beyond wasted money or the misery of the diet itself, crash diets can hurt you in many ways.
"Damaged metabolism
"Disrupted digestion
"Mental fog
"Cardiac problems
"Encouraged eating disorders
The good thing is that there are tons of ways to improve your
health and fitness""they just take longer than a week. Here are a few healthy ways to avoid crash diets.
Set Goals
If you set a tangible goal, you are more likely to reach it. Establish a realistic goal, such as losing 10 pounds or achieving sleeker triceps. Write this goal down and keep it in plain sight. Plan specifically how you are going to achieve this goal, such as by cutting down fast food to once a week. That way, when you feel overwhelmed, you can always focus on your original goal. Natural bodybuilder Tom Venuto"s book The Body Fat Solution has an excellent section dedicated to goal setting
Get Support
Health ultimately comes down to personal choice, but there is no reason you must go it alone. Have people you can go to for support, such as friends, family, or people with similar goals. Use each other"s strength to stick to your goals.
Give Yourself Time
Rome wasn"t built in a day. Trying to lose 15 pounds in a month is an unrealistic, dangerous goal. But losing 15 pounds in three months is much more achievable. In addition, people who take longer to lose fat or gain muscle are more likely to make their changes permanent.
Plan Ahead
Don"t sit on the excuse that you could not help diving into a plate of ranch-slathered buffalo wings. You can always control what you put in your mouth. If you know your family wants to have a hearty Italian feast, check the menu online ahead of time for healthier options, or add a few minutes to your cardio session. As it is often said, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Always have healthy choices in the fridge, such as yogurt and fresh fruit, or make foods ahead of time so you have some for throughout the week.
Remove Temptation
It"s a law of physics""a bag of Oreos in your desk will always be consumed. Don"t even put yourself through the pain of turning down that sleeve of Milano cookies; keep it out of your room to begin with. Tell family members ahead of time that you are making healthier choices, and for them not to constantly offer ice cream or second servings.
Get Educated
Learn about fats, protein, and carbohydrates, and why you need all of them for a healthy body. Find out just how fat is stored and how calories translate to weight gain or loss. Don"t listen to suspicious doctors in diet ads or grinning book covers""go for the true knowledge. A good book on the science of fat loss is personal trainer Leigh Peele"s The Fat Loss Troubleshoot.
By taking proactive, knowledgeable steps, you can avoid the disastrous results of a crash diet. Instead, you can work towards healthy goals and your best physical and mental self.
by: Karen Jashinsky
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