Winning Tactics For Giving Up The Diet
By Gary Matthews, Thu Dec 8th

You might disagree, but hear me out on this, if you're thinkingof going on a diet to lose those extra pounds think again. Long-term weight control through is near impossible, for thesimple reason is that diets promote only short-term solutionsnot long term.

After you'll certainly look lighter on the scales, butin most cases this is because you've dumped a few pounds of bodyfluid and muscle, and not because you've lost any significantamounts of body fat.

One of the main reasons diets don't work is because they sendthe body into starvation mode - a survival mechanism for timeswhen humans faced periods of famine. Cutting back on our energyintake causes the body to lower its metabolic rate, whichreduces its ability to burn fat.

At the same time, hunger signals increase and we quickly startto crave high energy foods loaded with fats and sugars - theexact foods we are trying to do without!

Alarmingly, research has shown that repeated actuallymakes it harder to lose weight and easier to put it on.

This is because when you dump the diet and return to normaleating habits, the drop in metabolic rate caused by the dietmeans that your old eating habits actually represent excess incalories.

Not only do you regain the fat stores just lost, but you mayeven gain a bit extra.

Five more reasons to stop dieting

* Diets sap energy - Too little food means not enough energy forphysical activity. * Diets lower your metabolism - Dietingcauses your body to conserve energy, making results harder toachieve. * Diets are unhealthy - A cycle of rapid weight lossfollowed by weight gain can lead to a loss of lean tissue fromyour body and calcium from your bones. It also strips the bodyof essential vitamins and minerals. * Diets make food the enemy- Food provides nourishment and comfort. Diets can make youafraid to eat, depriving you of one of life's pleasures. * Dietscheat your confidence - Going from one failed diet to the nextcan leave you feeling depressed and create a cycle in whichguilt battles against food.

Regular physical activity and a healthy, balanced diet aren'tas glamorous as the quick fixes, but they do get better results.

Start with one extra exercise session and one less fattytakeaway meal per week, and gradually work towards a lifelongplan for achieving your best weight.

If you change the way you eat or exercise to lose weight, askyourself this question. Can I see myself sticking to thisroutine for life?

If the answer is "no" then its time to change what you're doing.Any healthy

weight loss plan should include the following:

* A wide variety of foods. * Regular and enjoyable exercise. *Enough filling foods to avoid constant hunger. * At least 1200calories a day. * Flexibility for treat foods and socialoccasions. * A realistic goal of your best weight (notnecessarily your lowest weight.)

Fact

A realistic weight loss is around one to two pounds per week.Fast weight losses are not fat loss but glycogen and water. Ifyou lose weight quickly then you will probable return back tothe weight at which you started as quickly as it was lost.

Fiction

* Weight loss is quick and simple. * Exercise is not necessary.* Certain exercises can spot reduce. * Carbohydrates (forexample, bread, potatoes, rice, and pasta) are fattening.

Eliminate calorie-dense foods such as cookies, sugary desserts,chips, fries, pizza, candies, crackers etc.

Research on people who have successfully lost a lot of weightand kept it off long term, shows that the vast majoritysucceeded by consuming a low fat diet high in fibre coupled withstrength training and cardiovascular activity.

These are the basics you'll need to aim for.

A sound weight loss-eating plan should:

* Be nutritionally sound, providing all the nutrients you need.* Never promise fast weight losses. * Offer an eating plan basedon real food. * Allow you to eat out. * Avoid expensive mealplans, products and supplements. * Not avoid carbohydrate foods,e.g. bread, rice, pasta, cereals and potatoes. * Make gradualdietary changes. * Provide knowledge. * Allow you to eat allfoods * Recommend physical activity.

Fat calories are more fattening than carbohydrate calories. Yourbody can easily convert the fat you eat in food into body fat,so to lose weight you need to cut down on fats and foods thatcontain it.

Consider the following steps to reduce fat in your diet.

* Use skimmed or skimmed milk in drinks, cooking and on cereals.* Buy a non - stick frying pan. * Buy a cheese slicer * Cut thevisible fat from meat. * Eat very little pastry. * Learn how toread a food label. * Substitute low fat yoghurt for cream. *Remove the skin from chicken and turkey. * Eat fruit as snacksrather than eating chocolate and biscuits. * Eat fewer burgersand sausages.

In conclusion the way to lose body fat and maintain muscle is tohave a food program for life and more energy output. Increasethe amount of fruits, vegetables, non-fat dairy products, wholegrains and beans that you eat.

About the author:Gary Matthews is the author of the popular fitness eBooksMaximum Weight Loss and Maximum Weight Gain. Please visithttp://www.maximumfitness.com right now for your 'free' weightloss e-course.