Why Diets Don't Work
At the beginning of each New Year, millions of Americans vow that this is the year they are going to lose those extra pounds and every year millions of Americans fail. Why is it so difficult to lose weight? It's not because you are a failure.
the pleasure of losing weightAccording to many of the weight loss experts, there are three categories which cause weight gain:
- Predisposition to excessive accumulation of fat (genetic)
- Emotional Eaters
- Those who make Poor Food Choices
90% of individuals struggling with weight loss fall into the "Emotional Eaters" category.
Your body needs energy to perform its daily tasks - keep your heart beating and your lungs breathing, operate your internal organs, keep your brain functioning, etc. We receive this energy through food. Food contains calories and the number of calories in a food is a measure of how much potential energy that food possesses. One gram of carbohydrates has 4 calories, one gram of protein has 4 calories, and one gram of fat has 9 calories.
How many calories do you need to keep your body functioning? Women should aim for 1,200-1,500 and males require 1,500-2,000. The average American consumes 3,500-5,000 calories per day. An accumulation of 3,500 extra calories is stored by your body as one pound of fat.
Fast food has become a precious commodity for many individuals living life in the fast lane. Problem is the food we are eating is slowly killing us and rapidly making us fat. We stop for a greasy, fat-laden breakfast in the morning and eat it in the car while we're stressed out over a traffic jam or talking on our cell phone. No wonder so many people suffer from acid reflux.
When lunch time rolls around we head to our local McDonald's for a super sized meal, which includes a Big Mac (590 calories, 34 grams of fat), large order of fries (540 calories, 26 grams of fat) and a large coke (450 calories). Add a McFlurry to that order and you'll consume an additional 620 calories and 23 grams of fat.*
After work we stop for Chinese carry-out or opt for delivered pizza for dinner. Many of us indulge in ice cream, cookies, or chips just before bedtime and before we know it, we've devoured a boat load of calories and the scales keep going up. One major step in losing weight is to determine a cut-off time and don't eat one single morsel after that time. Experts recommend you stop eating any food or high calorie beverage at least 2-3 hours before your normal bedtime.
Another problem we face is that the food we eat is seriously lacking in nutrients. In 1936 the United States Department of Agriculture issued U.S. Senate Document 264, stating "that virtually all soils in the United States were mineral deficient". Scientists at the 1992 Earth Summit in Brazil submitted documentation that soils world-wide were depleted of minerals. The United States soils rated as one of the most serious with 85% of essential minerals depleted. Scientists theorize that mineral deficiency subjects us to more diseases, aging, sickness and destruction of our physical well-being than any other factor in personal health. A great many known aliments, around 60, are directly linked to mineral deficiency. Afflictions like osteoporosis, heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, liver disease, birth defects and impaired mental functions are but a few examples. Our health, energy and vitality are more dependent on minerals than the amounts of protein, carbohydrates or calories we consume. From vitamins to almost every process in the human body, mineral complexes are indispensable. However, if minerals are not in the soil, they can't be in the food. If they're not in the food, they can't be in you. In order to maintain your health, it is imperative that you have proper nutrition or your body simply cannot function. This means you cannot properly digest or metabolize your food.
A major factor in weight gain is the amount of processed foods we consume. Processed foods typically bear little resemblance to foods in their whole, natural form. They are manufactured, "value-added" products that are often stripped of vital nutrients and laden with excessive amounts of salt, sugar, fat, and synthetic chemicals. And if that weren't bad enough, when you heat up the processed foods, the heat destroys the remainder of any nutrients that may have been left. Most of us eat processed foods, but they contain no nutritional value. Include more fresh fruits and raw veggies in your diet and keep the processed foods to a minimum.
If you are really serious about losing weight, the first step is to design a plan that works for you. Just saying "I want to lose 20 pounds" isn't going to work. You've got to know HOW you're going to lose those pounds and WHY you want to lose them. The key to staying on track is to create a plan, set goals and work through the emotions that cause you to over eat.
The reason weight loss is challenging is because there is an abundance of information on how to lose it, but there is also an abundance of tempting, tasteful foods calling out your name at every turn. Watch TV for an hour and count how many food commercials you see. Drive down the street and count how many fast food restaurants there are. Walk into the grocery or convenience store and see how much space is used for junk food, candy and soft drinks. I am always amazed to see twenty women's magazines touting the latest "diet" headline on one side of the checkout lane and an entire rack of candy and junk food on the other side. No wonder we're confused.
You can lose weight and become healthy, but not by going on some fad diet. Arm yourself with knowledge. Learn how your body processes food, what your emotional triggers are and why you want to lose the weight. Begin by making a plan and deciding that it's time to stop the insanity and realize that you deserve to feel good and be healthy. Let this be the year that you climb to the top of the mountain and bask in the glow of victory!
Guest article by Kathy Browning. Kathy Browning is a healing arts practitioner and wellness coach. She is also the Editor-In-Chief of "The Art of Living Well", an ezine focused on the mind, body, spirit connection and the author of "Feng Shui for Abundant Living".
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