Scot’s Weight Loss Blog

Many scientific researchers now believe that Atkins and other diets that encourage the use of low carbohydrates are pretty useless when it comes to keeping weight off long-term. In a survey comparing Lo-Carb, reduced fat diets and reduced calorie diets, all participants began to resume their former weight after 26 weeks, and by 12 Moons there was no statistical difference between the groups. Professor Arne Astrup of RVA University in Copenhagen, Denmark, said that there is no real proof that diets modelled on the Atkins-style are significantly any better than any other diets to help anyone fight the flab, despite the success in some cases of the Atkins diet. Ok… so perhaps this is a bit over the top, but it does illustrate a good point.

Recall the number of times that you’ve heard that to get control of your diet you must be strong. Or to put it another way, to achieve weight loss you must be a slave to severely reduce your favorite foods like cakes, eating at expensive bars, and yes, those fast foods must be avoided. If this silly advice worked in practise, the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics would no longer pick over-eating / obesity as one of the worse factors for our health!!

Initially it is appealing, the thought of trying something different, and starting the next new “rave” diet plan, fits the same mould. But unhappily, the outcome for the majority of these schemes is unsatisfactory. Once the sparkle and initial fun fade away, we’re back to square one.

Attempts to bring changes into overall diet, follow a pattern that goes something like this…

We start a new diet program. It is an exciting prospect, that of losing weight, we are fired up, we have already achieved losing some weight, and the World is a wonderful place.

- Our busy schedule gets even busier. There are demanding kids, demanding bosses becoming more demanding, and naturally there are always those new diet guidelines to learn and follow.

- Before long we find ourselves panicking because we don’t have enough hours in the day, and looking for ways to save time. We decide to postpone implementing one or two of the most time-greedy “special” meals defined as good for our health - “just this once.”

- Our “resources” of health conscious foods begins to dwindle, you don’t have the time to go down to the grocery store to restock, and you make the inevitable run to your local convenience store instead… (oops…… I never realized I had bought so much!) … a familiar story I’m sure.

So, with poor long-term results for diets, you might consider losing weight fast, but what about the dangers of rapid weight loss?

Very much a problem associated with losing weight fast is that many individuals decide not to eat at all, being too focused on losing weight fast. Abstaining from eating, even if it is only over a short period of time, can be dangerous to your health.

It is far better to cut back on the food that you do eat or concentrate on trying to eat healthier foods. By limiting your calories, it is quite possible to achieve a reduced waist size at the very minimum in the time that you were looking to.

It is just very important that you never go a complete day without eating.

Apart from a healthy diet, an additional thing to consider is exercise. Alas, many people do not understand that it will usually take approximately a week to see any appreciable benefits from exercising. With all that in mind, the worse the problem is in terms of your weight, the greater and quicker will be the improvement in your weight.

Although exercise is vital for you to lose weight, you should only proceed with exercise cautiously, especially if you haven’t had a regular exercise plan. Suddenly starting up an ambitious keep fit regime, lasting for hours, as opposed to gentle exercise over say thirty minutes, may help reduce your calorie intake, but, unfortunately, it may result in a hospital visit for you.

Consider how often you’ve been told that to reduce that spare tyre you must be determined. Or re-worded in a more exact way, in order to effectively lose weight you should be willing and able to severely reduce naughty extras (like cakes) and eating at expensive bars, (yes, those fast foods are a no-no). If this silly advice was actually likely to work in real-life, the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics would no longer define over-eating as one of their leading health problems!!

The reason very many commercial diets eventually don’t work is because they fall foul of this simple principle. They are designed for the results today weight loss, not for normal everyday eating that change our whole way of life. Most commercial diets require more resolve to start and follow, and worse, try to stop us eating our favorite foods and stop us from eating at our favorite dining areas.

It is exciting, the thought of trying something different, and commencing the next new “fashionable” diet plan, fits the same mould. But unhappily, the end result for most of these ideas is unsatisfactory. Once the novelty and excitement peter out, we’re going to be back to square one.

Attempts to forcibly change our diet generally follow this sort of behaviour…

We begin the chosen diet program. It is an exciting prospect, that of losing weight, we are highly motivated, the weight is beginning to fall off, and the idea of a diet doesn’t seem so frightening now.

• Pressures of life are forever escalating. There are demanding kids, bosses demanding yet more work, and don’t forget there are the inevitable requirements that you’ve got to read up about on this new diet.

• Inevitably we end up smack-dab in the middle of a time management crisis, and looking for ways to save time. We vote in our mind to skip a few of the time consuming “special” meals defined as good for our health - “as this is a special occasion.”

• Our “resources” of low calorie foods begins to dwindle, a full shop at the supermarket is out of the question, and so you decide to just nip down to the local convenience store… (oops…… how did those snacks get into the grocery cart anyhow?). … a familiar story I’m sure.

Maybe you should reconsider the use of a diet and you should try and find an alternative:

Now here’s a belly reduction tip I really like:

When females gain some weight, they often store excess water around their abdomens. If this is the case, it is useful advice to avoid tight fitting clothes. Wear a reasonably low-cut top to move somebody’s gaze away from that belly. Choose dark colours for your clothes because they give the illusion of a more slender image, so try to mainly wear: black on its own (very effective) or deep blue or red.

Reduce the size of your belly using this little tip:

Fat Backside and Thighs?

Are you struggling to do your jeans up? It’s not really that you suddenly got bigger, it’s the clothes designer’s fault for making high pants. Consider wearing lower pants and also a sweater with medium length that will go down as far as your knees.