Here’s the scenario: You have a big event coming up, your pants are getting tight, or bikini season is around the corner. You decide that you must drop 10 pounds and rather quickly. So for the next month you skip meals, eat very little in the hopes of losing weight. Like magic you lose 10 pounds! However, somehow despite your best efforts to maintain this leaner version of yourself the weight starts to creep back. Oddly enough, you end up gaining the exact same weight you lost from the crash diet. So what happened?
This phenomenon goes back to primitive times when people were hunters and gatherers and at times they would go days without food. So as a way to conserve body fat during times of scarcity the body’s metabolism would drop to protect the body. Unfortunately, because of this defensive mechanism crash dieting is ineffective. Because even though at the beginning you lose the weight it will eventually come back to you.
Solutions:
1. Avoid low-calorie diets. The best way to lose weight is to eat according to your own metabolic type. When you begin to eat whole foods, and fuel your body with foods that are in line with your own bodies needs it becomes much easier to lose weight. You no longer get consumed in measuring and counting calories, you live your life fully, and with plenty of energy. Want to learn more about a metabolic diet plan?
2. A proper exercise program incorporating cardio workouts and strength training is essential. Strength training builds muscle and increases your metabolic rate, while cardiovascular exercise not only improves your health but also burns calories as well. Take a look at my post on the importance of incorporating a strength training workout plan.
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