So you go on a diet today, and 4 weeks later, it proves to be ineffective. Especially when it’s a weight loss diet. It becomes frustrating and you begin to wonder where exactly you are going wrong.
The reason to a ‘corrupted diet’ might be simpler than you initially thought. According to nutritionists, there are 3 simple reasons that cause diet fails:
You’ve Picked a Diet You Can’t Follow Forever:
“The No. 1 reason why diets don’t work is that they are not sustainable for the long term,” says nutrition and food scientist Danielle Starin, director of nutrition for the Nutritionix nutrition database. That applies not only to drastic juice cleanses as well as fad and deprivation diets, but to otherwise healthy eating strategies that just don’t fit your individual lifestyle or preferences.
Opt for foods that you know you’ll be comfortable with in the long run. And also foods that are easily attainable in whatever part of the world you live in. For example, if you live in Africa and Pistachios are your desired diet food, you won’t be guaranteed to have a supply of it in the long run, just as people living in the west should be careful of selecting, say, the Baobab fruit. Reason being, a diet should be something you should continue for the long run because if you stop whatever diet regimen you were on, you can rest assured that you’ll gain the weight right back on.
You’re Eating Too Few Calories:
To lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you’re taking in each day. But that shouldn’t be by that big of a margin, says registered dietitian Wesley Delbridge, spokesman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. After all, while the U.S. Department of Agriculture guidelines state that the average woman needs between 1,600 and 2,000 and the average man needs between 2,200 and 2,800 calories per day in order to maintain a given weight, as a general rule, eating any fewer than 1,200 or 1,400 calories a day (depending whether you’re a man or woman) is not only dangerous to your health, but it can counteract your weight-loss efforts, Delbridge says.
When you cut your caloric intake too low, your body dramatically slows its metabolic rate and begins to hold onto any power to hang onto whatever you do consume, he says. What’s more, with not enough food to fuel your biological processes, your body also begins to break down muscle, your metabolic powerhouse, for energy. The result: a lot of hunger and a scale that won’t budge.
You’re Not Exercising
Truth is, most people jump on the dieting ship as opposed to working out, simply because they are looking for the easy way out when it comes to weight loss. And yeah we all know about the ‘80% dieting, 20% exercise’ rule, but unfortunately, without working out, dieting and weight loss lose it’s effectiveness because it slows down your metabolism. Your body mass and weight are defined by your daily activity which then has a direct effect on your metabolic rate and the calories you burn.
What’s more, whenever you cut calories, you lose at least a little muscle along with fat (although if you cut calories too far, you’ll lose a lot). And since muscle is the key to stoking your metabolism, any muscle loss is counteracting your weight-loss efforts. That’s why muscle-building exercises (strength training) are vital to any weight-loss plan, and trying to lose weight without it just won’t pan out, Delbridge says.
Conclusion
Dieting takes a lot of zeal and determination, and more than anything, you have to think of it as a lifestyle. Make a conscious decision to eat foods with healthy calories and do not neglect exercise, as it is actually the key to great results. Follow these steps and the results will speak for themselves.
For best results, you might want to hire a personal trainer for in-depth guidance. We would be glad to recommend fully licensed male or female personal trainers, that you can trust. Please get in touch with us at:
WhatsApp number: +971565830067 (Just send us code 12240 and we will get back to you ASAP)
Contact Us: Click here to send us your details or fill in the form below.
You can get in touch with us 24/7 and one of our experts will not only give you a free consultation but also help you pick out an appropriate male or female personal trainer to meet your needs. One-on-one personal training lessons are available in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman and RAK.
______________________________________________________________