The Diet Cycle

Why Dieting Never Works!

Have you ever heard of the diet cycle? 40% of American women and 25% of men are on a diet at any given time. Americans spend 33 billion on weight loss every year. With so many people trying to get healthier why do we keep getting fatter? Diets don't work and the following cycle explains why:

1. You decide to lose weight
2. You start dieting
   -you lose 10lbs (mostly muscle), you feel great but energy drops
   -you can't maintain eating this way and get discouraged
3. Now you stop dieting
   -you feel like a failure and are very frustrated
4. You eat poorly
   -indulge in comfort foods
5. Gain Weight
   -Now you are fatter than before you started because the weight you lost was mostly muscle. Now your metabolism is even lower and you will need to work even more to lose the weight next time!
6. You decide to lose weight

Now, I know you're asking yourself, if diets don't work and I still want to lose weight, how am I going to do that? Instead of dieting, make a lifestyle change. The key to making this successful is to take baby steps. Don't wipe the board clean and start completely fresh just yet. Let's start with 1-2 small changes. Instead of having your morning cappuccino or latte, opt for a plain coffee. Instead of heading to the vending machine after lunch for a chocolate bar, pack some fresh veggies with a good crunch. While these alternatives may not be as exciting, they will be considerably lower in the calorie and fat department. And added up over time, could amount to many pounds.

Visit our Nutrition Page for more great info about how to eat to be fit!

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