Unhealthy Dieting Fads Can Be Dangerous!

"I can't... I'm on a diet!"

Whenever we hear someone say this, it's usually accompanied by glum looks and a gesture of despair. It's normal to think of dieting as some kind of punishment, isn't it? It has to be hard, it has to be a grind... otherwise you can't be taking it seriously! It's ingrained in our culture that 'going on a diet' is something undesirable, even nasty.

This is partly down to all the media guff that goes with the latest (unhealthy) dieting quirks: gluten free, grapefruit, New Totals, high fiber... You name it, there's always some variation on the dieting theme. Nobody really likes the sound of these diets, and we fully expect them to be unpleasant... but that's okay, they'll 'do us good'.

But can we rely on them?

Weight loss may soon be apparent and you'll feel greatly encouraged. But statistics show that most people give up sooner rather that later, and even go back to their old ways with a vengeance! No wonder! How long can your spirits if not your body survive on cabbage and melons?

I Want It Now!

Do you remember the old song by Queen: 'I want it all, I want it now'? We've become so used to this mentality that we apply it to dieting regimes as well. Are we sick of the sight of our bodies? Is our weight affecting our health? Okay, let's put it right - here and now! Often we suspect a certain program can't be good, but the advertisers and copy writers know how to push our buttons. So we part with our cash, telling ourselves we'll just give this rapid (but unhealthy) dieting plan a try.

Some folks even opt for stomach bypass surgery, that's how desperate they are for quick results. Even though this procedure was designed for extremely obese patients, they will ignore their doctor's advice and go for private treatment.

Counteracting Unhealthy Dieting

The tendency to bury our heads in the sand is a very human trait - and it's one that many dieters are prone to! Let's be up front and face the facts. In order to acquire the shapely, healthy body of your dreams you need to do two things over a period of time. One is to nourish your body with the correct amount of foods from the different food groups so that you meet your needs. The other is to engage in moderate physical activity.

Think about it. This is really great news! You won't need to avoid your favorite foods. You won't need to go hungry. You can eat what you like in moderation, and enjoy the satisfaction of knowing that your health and weight are going to be right.

So wave goodbye to all those unhealthy dieting plans and the physical and emotional pain that accompany them. Say hello and welcome to a new shape, better health, higher self-esteem, improved moods and emotional well being. Yes, you can enjoy that cookie or piece of chocolate, so long as you know you're sticking to your plan and taking moderate exercise. Unhealthy dieting plans! Who needs them?

How to Speed Up a Slow Metabolism

Just about everyone wants to know how to speed up their metabolism. And why not? The faster ones metabolic rate runs the more calories they expend even when at rest. For those who say they have a slow metabolism that well may be true, but for many of these people some simple lifestyle changes can turn their metabolism around and turn their own body into a fat burning machine.

The human body is an engine that runs 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Its metabolic rate will vary depending on what it is doing at the time but it never shuts down. Understanding how metabolism works can help us understand how to increase our metabolism. The food we eat is the energy our body's need to function. The thing is that not all food is equal when it comes to the energy provided. Some foods provide better energy, or calories, than others.

For those who have a slow metabolism cutting calories is actually not a good idea if they are trying to lose weight. In fact doing so will make their metabolism even slower as their body starts to conserve its energy stores for the perceived lean times it is going through. By changing the type and amount of calories eaten from healthy and nutritious food sources a metabolism increase can occur.

Eating food high in complex carbohydrates, fiber, and vitamins and minerals will give a definite metabolic boost. The body will actually expend more calories digesting and metabolizing these types of food over a longer period of time then the processed and refined food found on most supermarket shelves today. These processed and refined foods and sugars are one of the main reasons for the obesity epidemic we are seeing today.

One of the best ways to speed up a slow metabolism is to start exercising. This works in two ways. Any form of physical activity naturally raises the body's metabolic rate as it takes more energy to do the activity. This can be as simple as going for a walk 3 or 4 times a week to starting a full fledged exercise program at the local gym. The other thing that exercise can do, and this is particularly true of weight training, is it raises the resting metabolism of the body. That is your metabolism is higher even during times of rest or inactivity.

The secret to speed up a slow metabolism is really not a secret. It's simply making some changes in diet and exercising more. By making these lifestyle changes you can lose weight and live a more healthy life.

Are you ignorant of these Weight loss facts?

You are not alone if your present weight is far from the ideal one you desire, and if you suspect that you have been adding on calories over the year; many people are also facing the same problem. If you want to realistic you will discover that many people in America and around the world are also facing weight problems. Improper diet and a lethargic attitude towards exercise are the chief factors responsible for this state of affairs, folks simply don't feed well.

If you really want to shed off fat then you should use the two methods mentioned above, because current "lose weight quickly" are bogus and will only succeed in pulling off essential water off your body giving you the false sense that you lost weight. If you are truly desirous of losing weight rapidly, then you must be serious about how the process is accomplished. While watching one of those makeover television shows which my wife enjoys very much, we were surprised by the declaration of the somewhat over weight lady they were giving a make over; she said she is satisfied with her body and appearance based on the fact that she was in good health.

Think about this, it is very possible to be pretty and not too huge and yet still be considered overweight, this is determined by your consumption rate of fatty foods and the frequency at which you exercise. In fairness to the woman on the television show, she is not obese because her she is not too huge, but if we put her body fat content into consideration I am certain that she has more than 30 percent body fat. An effective way to lose weight quickly is to take to low fat diet combined with exercises like weight lifting and cardio, you are rest assured that these will not only help you shed off some fat it will also help you replace them with muscles.

If you really want to shed off fat then you should use the two methods mentioned above, because current "lose weight quickly" are bogus and will only succeed in pulling off essential water off your body giving you the false sense that you lost weight.