We spend a lot of time talking about what TO DO when it comes to losing weight, but what about what NOT TO DO? Here are some of the worst things to do when trying to lose weight. Don’t be surprised or offended if you have done some of these….live and learn, just don’t repeat the same mistakes.
CLEANSES: Even juice cleanses can be a poor choice when trying to lose weight. A diet void of solid food is dangerous to the digestive system. The body is pretty amazing and has its own built in “detox” system. Trying to cleanse or detox the body with some of the methods out there messes with the body’s natural balance. One of the worst culprits is juice cleansing along with fasting.
ELIMINATING CARBOHYDRATES: Totally eliminating a macronutrient group is a formula for failure. This is unsustainable in the long run and removes a major source of energy for the body. In addition, many vital nutrients are cut from the diet when all carbohydrates are eliminated. Generally the “bad” carbs are processed, refined starches and sugars which are often combined with fat.
FASTING: This is one of the best ways to ruin the metabolism. Long periods of severe caloric restriction only slows the metabolism. When the fasting or very restrictive eating is stopped, the weight piles on very rapidly because the body has gotten used to the very low calorie intake.
OVER EXERCISING: People can’t exercise their way out of a bad diet. People often make a chart of food choices and how much exercise it takes to burn each off. This just perpetuates the myth that “if I exercise hard enough I can eat whatever junk I want”. There are too many variables to this equation to be a definite “in versus out”. Most likely, over exercising will lead to injuries or symptoms of overtraining and not any lasting positive results.
PILLS AND QUESTIONABLE SUPPLEMENTS: There is a problem with diet supplements that promise weight loss with no change in habits. There is a good chance that these deregulate the normal body function and when they are stopped, the body goes haywire. Since these are not FDA regulated, they may contain ingredients that are not listed on the label. Beware of sales pitches that sound too good to be true.
PURGING: Whether abuse of laxatives or purposely vomiting after eating, neither are good or effective ways to lose weight. Both are very bad for the body. They mess up the metabolism, digestion, fluid, and electrolyte balance in the body.
SKIPPING MEALS: The longer the body goes without food, the slower the metabolism becomes. Generally, when meals are skipped the next meal eaten turns into a binge because the body is famished! A better bet is to eat regular meals of smaller portions.
SMOKING: Some people believe smoking reduces cravings and curbs appetite. The long term negative health effects of smoking are much worse than weighing a few extra pounds. There are ways to lessen food cravings without taking up a bad habit like smoking.
If you want GOOD ways to lose weight and keep it off, you need to stop into the Canton Fitness Center. The 8 Week Body Transformation Plan is on special until October 12. Get started NOW!