If you’re like me, whenever you start a new diet you just can’t wait to see results. You want to get the weight off quick and start wearing all those “too small” clothes that have been sitting in your closet for many seasons.
So what do we do? We go searching for the latest “super” diet that promises to give us fantastic results and to do so quickly. And maybe you will lose a lot of weight at first, but it will consist of water, muscle tissue, and some fat.
Here are some of the reasons “lose weight quick diets” don’t work:
1. They cut back your calories to too few and put your body in “starvation mode.” Your body thinks it’s never going to get to eat again so holds on to every little piece of fat it can. As a result, your metabolism takes a nose dive. But you say, “How can I speed up my metabolism?” You have to eat adequate amounts of food in the right proportions.
2. Eating too many carbohydrates is another problem. Carbohydrates, especially simple carbohydrates like sugar and white flour, can increase your blood sugar quickly and cause your body to release insulin. The roll of insulin is to store fat. And it does a good job.
3. If you skip breakfast, or any meal for that matter, you will set yourself up to be super hungry later and can be tempted to overeat foods that won’t help you lose weight or increase your metabolism so you burn more fat. Skipping a meal to “save calories” is not one of the best ways to lose weight.
4. You don’t exercise because when you do you don’t see any drop in your weight on the scales. Well, muscle weighs about three times more than fat so if you’re exercising you’re gaining muscle and losing fat. And, the more muscle you have, the more fat you burn when you exercise. This is a win-win situation! Don’t go by the scale, go by how your clothes fit, and how you feel.
Use your common sense when you want to lose weight and increase your metabolism. I’m constantly reviewing new diets – but only the ones I have confidence in – and you can read about them here and find the best ways to lose weight.