Stop this diet insanity! We are bombarded by all type of diet propaganda trying to convince us that they are the solution to solve our overweight problems, from Atkins, to South Beach Diet, to Zone Diet, and all the way to extreme low carb diets. Certainly, these diets have worked for some, while failed for others. Hence, the challenging question: Are they having long-term results, which means keeping the weight off, or were just temporary weight loss, which means eventually gaining more weight?
I am purposely not explaining these popular diets, as I want you to do a research on your own and choose which one will work better for you according to your readings and not just mine.
In my case, the combination of high protein, medium carbs, and low fat (mostly monounsaturated fat) worked better for me. Previously, I tried a high protein and low carb menu before, but felt weak, as I exercise daily and my body needed carbs. Besides, I have to say that carbs are not our enemies. Consuming extra carbs is the danger-- because if not used -- they become stored fat.
Reportedly, the body uses carbohydrates as fuel while saves fats for emergencies. The more we exercise; the more fat we burn. Therefore, it is a matter of keeping a balance and not to follow extreme diets, which will cause you to give up after few weeks for their strict menus.
Self-discipline, motivation, and the personal commitment to lose weight will be your main tools to fight obesity as well as the diet propaganda insanity. True, people following a low-carb diet lose weight quickly. Arguably, they are losing more water as they are also depleting carbohydrate stores from muscle tissue and the liver.
The point is that no matter how promising diets present themselves, as long as one does not take the personal decision to change wrong eating habits and exercise more, diets will continue to come and go. This is the plain truth and you know it. Right? Losing weight starts within our minds, not our belly. The point of trying to follow a strict diet, makes it hard from the beginning; diet should be a joyful experience; not a burden. Getting rid of obesity is a need to improve our productivity and health in general.
As mentioned in the article, “Obesity Costly for California” published by the L.A. Daily News on April 6, just in California “the rate of overweight and obesity is more than 60 percent among Latinos, African-Americans and men past age 25.”
However, let us understand that this is not only a California health crisis, but growingly is becoming a global crisis. We need to stop this obesity and diet propaganda insanity by looking for help and doing personal readings too about nutrition. The fact is that our bodies respond different to different diets, because we all have different metabolisms. Some people will prefer high protein over low carb diets, or vice versa. Whatever works for you in the long-term and not the short-term is good.
Therefore, our individual challenge is to choose a healthy diet after having done a thorough reading. Above all, it is necessary to understand how our bodies function and to select the right foods to win the battle against obesity. Junk foods are just that … junk food, without nutritional value and mostly high in calories. However, I prefer not to call it “diet,” but a healthy decision to eat healthy.
Hence, it is up to us to decide which diet will work better for us. On the one hand, we feel vulnerable by the insane bombardment of diet propaganda and not knowing which one to trust, while on the other hand, we think we found the right diet based on their propaganda, but end up disappointed. Consequently, my advice is to research different programs and see how they will benefit your weight loss goal, not the other way around.
The most important thing is to eat healthy and in moderation, as well as drink a lot of water to keep our bodies hydrated, exercise at least 3 times a week, and have your nutritional supplements. Avoid excess of saturated fats, use oils containing healthy fat, such as olive oil and canola oil. Over processed food, mostly sugary products, is not a good companion to keep the weight off.
Bottom line, whatever diet is working for you, stick to it. Just remember your goal is to keep the weight off in the long-term -- not for just a short-term. Remember you are not alone; there are many people trying to lose weight and helping each other is the most valuable tool. Others have lost weight and kept the weight off. I did it, so can you! Believe in yourself, you are special.
In the meantime, just as my nephew Nadeem told me, “What did the fast tomato tell the slow tomato? KETCHUP!“ Hence, I will KETCH you UP in the next article. Right now, I am going to exercise in the elliptical for 35 minutes. Your commitment is also my commitment, “Official! Overweight? NO MORE!” We can do it!
Contact: anna@officialoverweightnomore.com
Your commitment is also my commitment, “Official! Overweight? NO MORE!” We can do it!
Before starting any nutritional program, exercise or diet program, we advise you to consult with your physician.
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