Diet Red Flags

Diet Red Flags------------------------------------------The cabbage diet! The rice diet! The blood type diet!Atkins! South Beach! No carb! Low carb! Which is the rightdiet?People who want to lose weight are a very vulnerable groupbecause they're very frustrated.

Weight loss is hard, andeverybody is looking for a silver bullet. They need tounderstand that the "silver bullet" does not exist.But how can you discern which weight loss claims are true orfalse? Here's some advice from the Federal Trade Commission:Does the diet promote rapid weight loss?----------------------------------------------That's a clear signal it's unrealistic. When you start adiet, water weight is the first to go.

If you lose much morethan two pounds a week, you are drawing from both fat andmuscle mass. That is not good, because muscle is a bigfactor that controls your metabolism. If you lose musclemass, your metabolism will slow down. That is how the"roller coaster diet cycle" begins, and that is one reasonwhy some diets just don't work.

The FDA recommends losing weight slowly and gradually, soyou are losing one to two pounds per week. You need to tapinto stored fat more efficiently, instead of burning waterand muscle.Does the weight loss program involve eating just one food,or eliminating whole food groups?------------------------------------------------------If so then you are setting yourself up to fail. No one canstick to a diet that is constrictive.

Most people who areoverweight got that way from overeating. Constrictingsomeone who has overeaten for years will rarely work.Now, most people can do something short term, but there willbe a time when the mind can't do it anymore and your body'scravings will overtake your will-power. That is when bingeeating occurs and often all the progress that was made iserased.

Does the program help you change long-term eating habits?---------------------------------------------------------If not, you will just get caught up in a never-endinglose-gain cycle, also known as "roller coaster" or "yo-yo"dieting.Most diets are short-term fixes for a long-term problem.People who get slim and stay that way have changed theireating habits and attitudes toward food.Does it involve exercise?---------------------------------------------------------If it doesn't, you will gain the weight back.

Research showsthat individuals who exercise on a regular basis have muchgreater success at losing weight and keeping it off.Exercise is critical to weight loss success.You need an hour of aerobic exercise, at least five timesper week, if you seriously want to lose weight. Also, youneed strength training two times a week to build muscle.

Lifting weights or working with rubber tubes helps maintainand can also increase the level of lean body mass, whichhelps your metabolism burn calories.Two-thirds of the calories a person burns over the course ofa day are from resting metabolism. If you are on arestricted diet by decreasing calories and nutrients, andyou are not doing resistance training to build muscle, it isnot uncommon to see resting metabolism decrease, whichresults in NO WEIGHT LOSS.Is there sound research behind the weight-loss program?-------------------------------------------------------Not all studies are created equal, and there are plentysponsored by companies to get the answers they want.

So afair amount of skepticism is in order," says Zelman.If the study involves small numbers of people the theresults are less meaningful. Use caution when making anydecisions based on the finding. Also, if claims only involveanecdotes and testimonials, beware.

Is the weight-loss program compatible with your lifestyle?------------------------------------------------------"If it's asking you to eat every three hours, to buy specialfoods and prepare them specially, it might be more troublethan it's worth and you won't do it," says Zelman.Does it sound easy?-------------------Diets or supplements that tout "no dieting or exerciseneeded" or "permanent weight loss, even if you stop usingthe product," are bogus, says the FTC. If you rely onsupplements or too-strict diets you're wasting your time,Zelman explains.Likewise, don't put much weight in the negative-calorie fooddiet.

The theory there is that when you eat lettuce, celery,and other near-zero calorie foods, your body burns morecalories simply digesting them. Give me a break, saysZelman. "You may burn a few calories, but so what?"Sure, some diets work and they're healthy, Zelman says. "TheAtkins and South Beach diets both have merit," she says.

Also, "protein and calcium are showing great promise asweight loss enhancers, but they're not miracle foods; youstill have to eat a low-calorie diet, and you still have toexercise."Source: WebMDAbout The Author----------------Michael Lewis has been collecting articles and informationon Weight Loss and HGH (Human Growth Hormone) and relatedhealth benefits. He has created and edits numerous websites about this subject. Michael is a staff writer forwww.

ageforce.com and several other websites. If you wouldlike to contact Michael you can e-mail him atMichael@AgeForce.com or if you would like to know moreabout Weight Loss, HGH (Human Growth Hormone) and relatedhealth topics please visit us at .

ageforce.com.Michael Lewis has been collecting articles and informationon Weight Loss and HGH (Human Growth Hormone) and relatedhealth benefits.He has created and edits numerous websites about this subject.

Michael is a staff writer for www.ageforce.com and several other websites.If you would like to contact Michael you can e-mail him atMichael@AgeForce.

com or if you would like to know moreabout Weight Loss, HGH (Human Growth Hormone) and relatedhealth topics please visit him at.ageforce.com



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