Thursday

A Look At The Two Faces Of A Diet Program

Right now there are literally thousands of diets being promoted for individuals who want to lose some weight and it is often hard to know just where you should begin. However, before you even begin to think about any diet program it is vital that you have a clear grasp of exactly what dieting is really all about.

Weight loss is simply a matter of managing the food you eat and what your body does with that food. Pause for a second and just read that sentence again because it is the foundation of any diet plan and as long as you take this on board then you will shed those unwanted pounds.

The food that you eat is in essence your body's fuel supply and it provides you with the energy you need. If you put exactly the correct amount of fuel into your body for the work that it is doing then your weight will stay static but, if you put in more fuel than you need, then your body stores the surplus food as fat and your weight begins to increase. In the same way, if you put too little food into your body it will begin to dip into its fat reserve to find the energy which it needs and your weight will start to drop.

You can see therefore that it is possible to alter your weight by managing the amount of fuel which you put into your body and the amount of work that your body does to use up that fuel. Essentially, eat more food and take less exercise and your weight will rise or eat less food and take more exercise and you are on a diet program!

Many people think that diets are similar to starvation. However, losing weight is not merely about eating less but is far more about eating the correct kinds of food. In reality, it is quite feasible to lose weight by consuming more food and not less, replacing high calorie foods such as fried breakfasts, battered fish, shepherd's pie, peanut butter sandwiches and French fries with foods that are low in calories such as poached or grilled fish, vegetables, rice, pasta and a wide variety of fruits.

Provided you choose your food carefully, and there is a very wide range from which to select, you will not only be able to reduce your fuel intake, but you can also fill yourself up sufficiently so that you do not feel hungry between meals.

One popular diet plan that incorporates this strategy into producing excellent results is Fat Loss 4 Idiots. You can find out more about this diet program, which by the way, is what I have used to lose weight, by going to: Fat Loss 4 Idiots

High Protein Low Carb Diets - Are They Right For You?

One of the most well known high protein low carb diets is the Atkins diet. It is only one of so many of these types of diets on the market today. But, is this type of weight loss diet right for you?

With a high protein low carb diet, you will be getting the bulk of your calories from proteins and not carbs. This is just the opposite of a normal diet. And since our energy comes from carbs, this can create some potential problems.

This type of dieting changes your metabolism and puts it into ketosis. Ketosis is when your body burns its own fat for fuel, instead of carbs. This sounds great, but it has its share of possible health risks.

Your kidneys are strained on this diet plan because of how much more difficult it is to process proteins.

You also run the risk of getting kidney stones and osteoporosis due to an excess of calcium. And since you are eating much more meat, cheese and other dairy products, your cholesterol level will go up. So, if you already fight a cholesterol battle, this may not be a good idea. You definitely want to speak with your doctor first.

A high protein low carb diet is not a long term solution to weight loss. Yes, it can work short term in helping you lose weight, but there are better options available that do not have the health risks associated with them.