That sounds crazy to any dieter.
That's exactly what we want--diets that work fast! Who hasn't heard a hundred times that belly fat increases your chances of serious disease? It sounds like the reasonable thing to do is to run screaming to the pharmacy and the gym, but is it really? Slow and Steady Wins the Weight Loss Race Bummer! Nobody gets excited about slow and steady.
Especially now, with summer just around the corner and shorts and swimsuits showing up in shop windows it seems as if right this instant is the time to drop those extra pounds.
Magazines are plastered with exhortations to lose five pounds fast or drop the winter weight now.
If you need a reality check, consider your weight over the past few years.
You've probably dieted several times during that period and lost weight and been quite pleased with the results.
But the fact remains that here you are, looking for a diet again.
There are many diets that work fast, but they don't give you what you really need, which is permanent results.
You would never say I want to lose ten pounds by the end of the month and slowly gain it back over the next 90 days so I can do it again, but that is what usually happens.
It may take more than 90 days for the weight to come back, but more likely, it will be less.
Why the Weight Comes Back Quick weight loss comes from making rapid changes in your diet, or from altering your metabolism through exercise or some kind of chemical intervention (anything from diuretics to anti-obesity pills could do the trick).
The problem is that in most cases, the change is temporary and you are looking forward to being "done with it.
" Anyone can tolerate being hungry for a while, and can resist cravings up to a certain point, but then the dam breaks, and it usually results in making up for lost time in the consumption department.
Why You Can't Stick with Diets Aside from being hungry, many diet tricks are actually self-sabotaging.
Lowering calorie consumption by switching to diet sodas is a prime example.
If you have a habit of drinking soda daily and substitute a diet drink, the numbers will tell you that you have saved yourself quite a few calories a day, which sounds pretty good.
The problem is that you have traded your sugar in for a chemical that not only fools your taste buds, but triggers your brain chemistry in a way that makes you crave sweets.
So now you have put an assortment of non-nutritious substances including artificial flavors and colors into your system and you still crave sugar.
If you have a sweet tooth, you'll need to wean yourself off of sugar, and substitute healthy treats like fruits for the unhealthy things you've been eating.
Make changes gradually, but do make a concerted effort to actively improve your eating each day, don't let the "gradual" change become an excuse for lack of action.
By taking the slow and steady approach over silly diets that work fast, you will strengthen your good habits and get rid of the bad in a way that doesn't draw you back to them.