The Truth about Fat Loss: Why You’re Doing It All Wrong!
Are you tired of struggling to lose weight just to gain it back within weeks or months? You're not alone. Most dieters regain the lost pounds in one to five years. In fact, 95% of diets fail.
About two-thirds of Australians are obese or overweight. We have more "coaches", "challenges" and diet books than ever before. If this all worked, obesity rates wouldn't be on the rise. The same goes for diet pills and other products that guarantee fast results.
Quick fixes only provide temporary results. The key to achieving a healthy body weight is to commit to regular exercise and clean eating. And no, we're not talking about strenuous workouts and detox plans.
Not sure where to start? Below we'll discuss why crash diets fail and how to make smarter food choices. We'll also show you how to maximize your workouts without spending long hours in the gym.
Let's get into it!
How to Spot a Fad Diet
Unless you're living on a deserted island, you must have heard about the cabbage soup diet, the South Beach Diet, or the Master Cleanse. I bet you know a few people who have done a "challenge" and put all their weight back on. These weight loss plans are unbalanced from a nutritional standpoint and can lead to vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Plus, they're unsustainable in the long-term.
Some diets may seem balanced at first sight, but that's rarely the case.
Juice and soup cleanse, for example, claim to detoxify the body and boost your antioxidant intake. Proponents say that juicing is a healthy way to get more vitamins and minerals into your diet while getting rid of metabolic waste. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Your body has its detox mechanisms, points out the Association of UK Dieticians. The lungs, skin, liver, and other organs work together to remove waste from your system.
Some people feel better while on a detox because they cut out junk food, alcohol, and sugary treats. However, this has nothing to do with the actual detox. You can't live on juices and soups forever.
This practise isn't just restrictive but harmful too. Any diet that cuts out one or more food groups can lead to nutrient deficiencies.
As the NIH notes, clinical evidence doesn't support the use of detox diets for cleansing, weight loss, or weight management. Even if you lose a few pounds, that's because you're taking in fewer calories than usual. The pounds will come back as soon as you return to normal eating.
Generally, fad diets and challenges are extremely low in calories, and some eliminate whole food groups.
Watch out for these red flags as well:
Diets that focus on food combinations or particular foods
Claims or recommendations that lack scientific proof
Claims that are refuted by scientific organizations
Claims that sound too good to be true
Recommendations to buy "metabolism boosters," fat burners, and other supplements
No need for physical activity
Diets that heavily restrict or limit energy intake (such as less than 1,300 calories a day)
Diets promoted by salespeople
Have a product tied in with the plan
Require dieters to replace food with protein bars, energy bars, or special drinks
Why Most Diets Fail
Food isn't just fuel. It also evokes memories, promotes social bonding, and may reduce stress. Therefore, a diet that eliminates your favourite foods will most likely fail.
Sure, you won't lose weight by binging on ice cream and cookies. Moderation is the key. You can enjoy your favourite foods every now and then as long as you don't go overboard. Athletes and fitness models incorporate occasional cheat meals into their diets and still manage to stay lean.
According to UCLA, it's possible to lose 5 to 10% of your body weight while on a diet, but the results don't last. The same source states that people who eat in moderation and exercise regularly are the most successful in the long run.
As you probably know, fat loss requires an energy deficit. Simply put, you must take in fewer calories than you burn. The problem is that energy restriction can slow down your metabolism and cause changes in circulating hormones, states a 2014 review published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (JISSN).
Over time, your body adapts to the low energy intake and becomes more efficient at using energy. This process is called metabolic adaptation. The longer you restrict your food intake, the harder it gets to lose weight. That's why most people stop seeing progress after a few weeks or months of dieting.
Energy restriction also affects testosterone, triiodothyronine (T3), insulin, ghrelin, and leptin levels, according to the JISSN review. These hormonal changes have a negative impact on appetite control, satiety, and lean mass, and tend to persist for a long time — even after you return to normal eating.
Testosterone levels, for example, may decrease following a strict diet. Severe caloric restriction causes both muscle and fat loss while affecting physical performance.
Muscle loss leads to a decline in testosterone production and vice-versa. Low testosterone is associated with weight gain, especially in the abdominal area, and may raise your risk of diabetes, insulin resistance, and heart disease
Bodybuilders and other athletes typically go on a reverse diet after months of energy restriction. This approach requires a gradual increase in calorie intake to help offset the side effects of prolonged dieting.
Health Direct warns that fat diets often lead to increased hunger, intense food cravings, digestive problems, insomnia, and low energy. In the long run, they may also affect bone density and put you at risk for osteoporosis. Bulimia, anorexia, and other eating disorders are common among chronic dieters.
Change the Way You Think about Food.
Clean eating is a lifestyle, not a diet. While it's true that you must cut calories to lose weight, this should be done gradually. After all, there's a reason why the Mayo Clinic and other health organizations recommend losing no more than two pounds (one kilogram) a week.
Another aspect to consider is what you eat. Not all calories are created equal. Or rather, not all foods have nutrients in them.
For example, 500 calories worth of salmon and brown rice are not the same as 500 calories from ice cream or fries.
Well, they are the same mathematically speaking but hear me out.
Salmon boasts large doses of protein, heart-healthy fats, and micronutrients, while brown rice is chock-full of fibre. Protein, fats, and fibre increase satiety and keep you full longer between meals.
Junk food, on the other hand, contains empty calories. Take chicken nuggets, for instance. One serving (68 grams) provides the following nutrients:
222 calories
11.2 grams of protein
9.7 grams of carbs
15.3 grams of fat
Grilled chicken breast, by comparison, has only 130 calories per serving (85 grams). You'll also get 16 grams of protein, 1 gram of carbs, and just 6 grams of fat.
Chicken nuggets pack more calories, carbs, and fats than chicken breasts. These extras come from white flour, refined oils, and other ultra-processed ingredients.
This doesn't mean you should never have junk food again, though. An occasional cheat meal is unlikely to cause any harm. What matters most is your overall diet.
Theoretically, you can lose weight by eating candy or fries as long as you're in a calorie deficit, but this could be a recipe for disaster.
Junk food does a lot more than just add inches to your waistline if over consumed. In the long run, it may lead to abdominal fat gain, obesity, inflammation, and cardiometabolic disorders. See this report: a 2016 review in Health Promotion Perspectives.
Several studies cited in the above review suggest that eating junk food at least once a week may result in weight gain, abdominal obesity, and poor diet quality. Frequent junk food consumption has also been linked to high cholesterol and triglyceride levels, diabetes, heart disease, metabolic syndrome, and impaired glucose tolerance.
In one study, the risk of diabetes was 21% higher in subjects who consumed French fries regularly, according to the Health Promotion Perspectives review.
Other studies have found that frequent junk food consumption (more than twice a week) may increase diabetes risk by 27 to 68%, heart disease risk by 56 to 162%, and the risk of metabolic syndrome by up to 150%.
The only way to achieve a healthy weight is to change the way you think about food and make exercise a habit. What's the point of going on a diet if you resume your eating habits as soon as you lose those pesky kilos?
Adjust your daily intake gradually, remove the junk, and choose quality over quantity when it comes to your daily meals. Fill up on protein, good fats, and complex carbs post workout to fuel your workouts and keep hunger at bay.
Diet Alone Isn't Enough.
Regular exercise and proper rest are just as important as good nutrition. Combining diet and physical activity is more likely to result in long-term weight loss than diet or exercise alone.
Muscle tissue is more metabolically active than fat, explains the University of New Mexico. Adipose tissue makes up about 5% of your daily energy expenditure. Lean mass, by comparison, contributes at least 20% to your calorie burn: the more muscle you have, the higher your metabolic rate. https://www.creightonpt.com/tenreasons
Physical activity, especially strength training, promotes lean muscle growth, leading to a faster metabolism. High-intensity repeat training, or HIRT, and other intense activities, can further boost your metabolism and help you burn more calories throughout the day.
With steady-state cardio, you'll burn calories during exercise. HIRT and strength training, on the other hand, cause your body to use more energy for hours after you've left the gym due to the increase in EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption). Since these activities are taxing on the muscles, your body needs to work harder to repair damaged tissues and recover from training.
A 2015 meta-analysis investigated the effects of diet, exercise, or diet and exercise on body weight. As the researchers note, combining diet and exercise is more likely to result in fat loss than either of these approaches alone.
Regular exercise also appears to be more effective for weight loss than diet alone. Physical activity helps build and preserve lean mass, keeping your metabolism up.
This approach may benefit your overall health, too. According to a 2018 study in the journal BMC Public Health, combining diet and exercise causes greater improvements in body weight, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and glycemic control than either diet or exercise alone.
Furthermore, this approach may have beneficial effects on mental health, reducing stress and anxiety. Subjects who improved their diet and committed to regular exercise also reported less back pain and greater mobility than those who only made one change.
Don't Underestimate the Importance of Rest and Recovery.
Proper rest is essential for muscle recovery and repair. It becomes even more important when you engage in high-intensity workouts.
Your body undergoes a lot of stress during exercise. A good night's sleep allows it to recover from training, build new tissues, and heal itself. But that's just one aspect of post-workout recovery.
Adequate hydration, good nutrition, and stretching are all critical for recovering from exercise-induced stress. Depending on your needs, you may also benefit from massage therapy, foam rolling, meditation, yoga, and other techniques. The recovery process is multifaceted and involves more than just sleep.
If you do it right, you'll feel more energized, lift heavier, and perform better at your sport of choice. You may also find it easier to stick to your diet and maintain a healthy weight. Post-workout recovery has a direct impact on your hormone levels, appetite, and other factors. Sleep deprivation alone can increase cortisol release and promote weight gain.
Now that you know more about proper nutrition, exercise, and recovery, take the steps needed to get leaner and healthier.
Forget about crash diets and strenuous long workouts. Instead, eat for your goals and train smart. Replace those endless cardio sessions with strength training - https://www.creightonpt.com/fire and H.I.R.T - www.creightontpt.com/ice to get the most out of your gym time!
An excellent tool for tracking your nutrition is - The Carbon Diet app.
I use this personally and have had great success tracking my food accurately
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P.S Eating disorders and bad science DO NOT MIX. Speak to a professional to get help around the mental aspects if you are genuinely struggling with body image.
Fitness centres, gyms, coaches or whoever that allow people that have clear mental struggles access to crash programs should be banned.