by: Jerold Johnson

Where Diets Go Wrong...

When we discover that we are heavier than we want to be, we have a
natural inclination to eat less food. We may skip lunch or eat only
a tiny amount of our dinner in the hope that if we eat less our body
will burn off some of its fat. But that is not necessarily true.
Eating less actually makes it more difficult to lose weight.

Keep in mind that the human body has endured for thousands of years,
and that at the earliest times there were no diets. The only
low-calorie event in people's lives was starvation. Those who could
cope with a temporary lack of food were the ones who survived. Our
bodies, therefore, have developed this built-in mechanism to help us
survive in the face of low food intake.

When researchers compare overweight and thin people, they find that
they ate roughly the same number of calories. What makes overweight
people different is the amount of fat that they eat. Thin people
tend to eat less fat and more complex carbohydrates.

Losing weight is not something one can do overnight. A carefully
planned weight loss program requires common sense and certain
guidelines. Unfortunately, there's a lot of misinformation floating
around and lots of desperate people are easily duped and ripped off.


Every day one can open a magazine or newspaper and see
advertisements touting some new product, pill or patch that will
take excess weight off quickly.
Everyone seems to be looking for that "magic" weight loss pill.
Millions of Americans are trying to lose weight, spending billions
of dollars every year on diet programs and products. Often they do
lose some weight. But, if you check with the same people five years
later, you will find that nearly all have regained whatever weight
they lost.

A survey was done recently to try and determine if any commercial
diet program could prove long-term success. Not a single program
could do so.
So rampant has the so-called diet industry become with new products
and false claims that the FDA has now stepped in and started
clamping down.

Being seriously overweight, and particularly obesity, can develop
into a number of diseases and serious health problems, and it is now
a known fact that when caloric intake is excessive, some of the
excess frequently is saturated fat.

The myth is that people get heavy by eating too many calories.
Calories are a consideration it's true, but overall they are not the
cause of obesity in America today. Americans actually take in fewer
calories each day than they did at the beginning of the century. If
calories alone were the reason we become overweight, we should all
be thin. But, we are not. Collectively, we are heavier than ever.

Partly, it is because we are more sedentary now. But equally, as
important is the fact that the fat content of the American diet has
changed dramatically.

People who diet without exercising often get fatter with time.
Although your weight may initially drop while dieting, such weight
loss consists mostly of water and muscle. When the weight returns,
it comes back as fat. To avoid getting fatter over time, increase
your metabolism by exercising regularly.

Select an exercise routine that you are comfortable with and
remember that walking is one of the best and easiest exercises for
strengthening your bones, controlling your weight and toning your
muscles.

As always, review the best dieting and exercise program that would
suit your body's needs with your physician first! ;-)


About the author:
Jerold Johnson is the author of the brand NEW book that spoofs
Atkins and the dieting industry! "Dr. Bobby FATkins" provides a
heaping helping of laughter and encourage for you! He also writes
the free weekly Dr-FATkins Healthy News eZine that provides tips,
tricks and resources to living a healthier life and successful
living. Sneak a peek at http://www.Dr-FATkins.com