How to Select the Perfect Diet for You?

Dieting is one of the most popular means of losing weight, Vast numbers of existing diets makes it possible to choose the most appropriate one to slenderize quickly and easily. Though, many people who try dieting may notice that they are not losing weight, but gaining it instead, Weight gain may occur after the dieting period, as well as during it. This mystery has a simple explanation: only a proper diet can help to lose weight, On the contrary, a wrong diet is likely to lead to weight gain.

Therefore, it is very important to avoid the main mistakes that can be done in dieting. Nowadays, obesity and overweight have become not only appearance problems or diseases. Many scientists and doctors report obesity epidemic, and watching people in the streets, especially in the post—industrial Western countries, one may be convinced that their reports are true. Obesity causes many health problems, such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, osteoarthritis, or even some types of cancer, not to mention psychological problems.

It reduces life expectancy, as well as general quality of life. Therefore, much attention is paid to obesity treatment.

In some cases, medical intervention is necessary, but the majority of people, who suffer from overweight and obesity, try to lose weight by dieting. Though, only a healthy and balanced diet is needed to lose weight, Sometimes, it is hard to choose an appropriate diet, and there are many mistakes that people can make while choosing and keeping up to diets. As a result, they do not lose weight, but gain extra weight instead.

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In general, all the mistakes may be divided into two major groups: wrong menu and choice of foods (for example, eating low fat food and drinking dietary soda, eating unhealthy products rich in synthetic ingredients and so on) and incorrect restrictions (for example, ignoring certain sources of calories; fasting, or drastic dieting; skipping meals, and even waiting for immediate results).

Every mistake can spoil the whole diet. What is more, they can lead to various diseases, Health problems are bad in themselves and hamper the process of losing weight as well. To start with, low fat foods are not as healthy as the manufacturers assert. The demand for them is growing due to the extending number of people trying to lose weight. Advertisements promise that low fat foods are good to reduce caloric content, They are partly right, because such food contains less fat than usual food, Though, in order to compensate the taste, the manufacturers include more sugar and, what is more, they use Trans fats, As a result, low fat foods become higher in calories than usual food. They are also less healthy, because sugar and Trans fats give empty calories, which do not provide the organism with vitamins and necessary nutrients. Therefore, those people who eat low fat foods are more likely not only to gain weight but also to develop coronary heart disease, because Trans fats increase the risk of it. Moreover, extra sugar contained in low fat food increases the risk of obesity, as well as tooth decay, diabetes and other diseases.

This applies to diet soft drinks, or diet soda, as well, Diet sodas are soft sugar-free beverages, which are lower in calories than other drinks. Trying to lose weight, people often switch to diet soda in order to reduce caloric intake. Though, scientists from University of Texas have done a research that proves that diet soda consumption is linked to obesity and overweight. Each portion of diet soda increases the risk of obesity, The scientists have not yet found whether it is diet soda that provokes weight gain, or it only accompanies an unhealthy diet. One of their assumptions is that diet sodas stimulate appetite. What is more, diet soft drinks are as unhealthy as low fat foods, because they contain artificial sweeteners and harmful preservatives.

While dieting, it is necessary to avoid not only low fat foods and diet sodas, but also other products rich in preservatives, artificial sweeteners and synthetic ingredients 7 these products are often called “junk food’fl The body needs calories and nutrients to function. If it does not receive enough calories, it starts saving them. Though, the same occurs if it does not receive enough nutrients: it tries to compensate for them saving energy. This results in weight gain. On the contrary, if the body receives enough nutrients, it is less likely to hold on to calories to provide itself with fuel. As for severe restrictions and fasting, they cause metabolic slowdown, which may result in weight gain. Another mistake is drastic dietingt In order to lose weight quickly, people resort to fasting and appetite suppressors; if, in spite of their attempts to suppress appetite, they still cannot abstain from eating, they turn to laxatives and vomiting Due to this, very few calories are digested, and some people believe that this would promote weight loss.

Though, a study conducted by Eric Stice, PhD, and his colleagues reveals that such a method of losing weight provokes weight gain in the future, The participants were teenage girls who reported extreme dieting, but nevertheless could not lose weight. The scientists explain such a result, suggesting that the participants overestimated their efforts and did not realize that they were actually overeating. Although, such an explanation is inexact, because in their study, the scientists relied on the participants’ self-reports without observing their real caloric intake. Another assumption, made by Kristie Leong, MD, and other researchers, is that if the body is deprived of calories, which serve as fuel, it starts to conserve energy As soon as fasting is over, the body starts trying to conserve as much energy as possible in case of future fasting, Metabolism slows down in order to make much energy out of small portions.

Therefore, the amount of fat decreases slowly, Moreover, drastic dieting leads to future weight gain in most cases. The habit of skipping meals is related to fasting People try to cut down on calories by skipping a breakfast, a lunch, or a dinner. Such a habit does not help to lose weight due to several reasons First, people who skip meals usually eat more during other meals. For example, a person who skipped lunch is more likely to grow very hungry by dinner and, as a result, to eat more than he or she would eat having not skipped luncht This happens, because body needs calories to function, and if it does not receive them on time, it tries to compensate for them. There is another reason why it is not advisable to skip certain mealst Each meal has its own function. For example, breakfast provides the body with a portion of caloric fuel necessary to begin the day and, what is more, starts the metabolic processes If breakfast is skipped, metabolism is slow, so that calories cannot be digested and turn into depot fat, It is also widely spread to skip dinner and to abstain from food in the evening, usually after six o’clock pm. Such a regimen leads to weight gain, too, because depriving the body of fuel in the evening, as well as fasting, makes it save energy.

On the other hand, there are scientists who do not agree with the generally accepted opinion that extra calories are stored as fat, and that it is necessary to decrease the caloric intake in order to lose weight Luke Tunyich, a researcher who deals with biomechanics and the problems of obesity, claims Lhat the so-cailed energy balance approach, based on the View that the body should receive only the necessary amount of energy, while extra calories are deposited as fat mass, is a misconception. According to his point of view, a significant amount of extra calories leaves the organism with metabolic waste such as faeces and urine and may even be excreted through skin and hair, therefore diets are unnecessary. But Tunyich’s assertions are erratic.

Though he tries to disclaim the other scientists’ studies results, his own findings are not corroborated by any researches. What is more, they are not confirmed by everyday life facts, because if any amounts of extra energy were excreted from the body with faeces and urine, there would not be so many obese people. Many people suffer from obesity and overweight, because their caloric intake exceeds the expenditure, Unlike Tunyich’s findings, this regularity has been corroborated by many studies. Thus, the main reasons why dieting leads to weight gain instead of weight loss are improper selection of foods and severe food restrictions. People tend to believe the advertisements and buy low-fat foods, fitness snacks, diet sodas and other products which are in fact even more harmful than usual food. Trying to lose weight as quickly as possible, people skip meals and turn to extreme dieting and fasting.

These restrictions lead to slowdown of metabolism and to uncontrollable attempts to compensate for energy, such as binging and overeating Dieting may cause weight gain, this is true, but such an effect occurs only if the diet is unhealthy or if the person is dieting in a wrong way. Nowadays, there is an immense variety of diets and other ways to lose weight. Though, research studies and experience show that only one of them is really helpful. Wrong dieting often accompanies the general unhealthy life-style, as people, who are used to eating unhealthy junk food, skipping meals and overeating, are more likely to do the same while dieting. Due to this, they gain extra weight. In order to lose weight, it is necessary to eat healthy food, rich in vitamins and nutrients, to reduce the caloric intake, and to exercise. In general, it is necessary to live a healthy way of life. All in all, only a healthy, balanced diet and exercise are the right way to slenderize and to prevent obesity and overweight.