Weight Loss Fail!
 As more and more Americans cross the line between overweight and obese there are more and more crazy things that are advertised as ways to reduce our weight. Most people with a weight problem have tried at least a few.
Here are some of them that don’t work.
Chewing Gum – A lot of people think that if they can just keep their mouths busy then they won’t feel hungry or snack during the day. Common sense says it should work, but what they are not taking into consideration is the adaptability of the human body. Research shows that if you chew gum all day you may have less meals, but that you make it up at the meals you do eat. The kicker is that the foods you choose tend to be less nutritious, and you don’t get as much enjoyment out of them as non-chewers.
Then there is the effect of chewing something sweet tasting all day. Our bodies are designed to sense food is on the way to the stomach through the activation of chewing. It then releases enzymes ant acids into the stomach for you to digest that food. This can deplete your body of the resources needed to provide those enzymes and acids when they truly are needed. Sweet tasting foods signal the body to release insulin into the blood stream. If you are releasing insulin all day your body is in storage mode all day, the opposite of what you want to lose weight. The worst part is that you can actually wear out your pancreas and teach your cells to ignore the insulin. This can lead to type II diabetes.
Gastric bypass surgeries – Someone is going to yell that it worked for them, but it wasn’t the way the surgeon explained. Research shows that it is actually the change in gut bacteria, not the change in size that does the trick. You can change your gut bacteria without the need for surgery. Since this has been discovered they have actually found a way to detect the bad bacteria that makes you fat. It is through a breathe test. By introducing the good bacteria and changing lifestyle habits to keep those good bacteria alive you can get all the benefits of bypass surgery without any of the negative side effects.
Treating obesity as a disease – We don’t need pharmaceuticals or vaccines to prevent obesity. What we need to do is to look at the nutritional content of our food. The most nutritional foods will help us lose weight, where the least nutritional foods will help us gain weight, of the wrong type. We need to look at our activity levels. An active lifestyle will help you lose weight; a sedentary lifestyle will help you gain weight. Almost everyone (including a lot of people labeled handicapped) can increase their activity level in some way. The extra calories burned are just one small benefit of doing it.
Diet Foods - A lot of the foods that we think of as diet foods are neither low in calories nor high in nutrition. In seeking satisfaction for our stomachs we have forgotten that we consume food in order to provide nutrients for our bodies. Calories alone will not sustain our body functions. Over time our bodies will wear out. We call this sickness. All processed foods lack nutrients. That includes that processed salad dressing, with dressing, croutons, bacon and cheese a simple salad can provide over 1000 calories. If there are no deep green leafy vegetables, carrots, tomatoes, or other nutritious vegetable those become empty calories. Even worse are the ‘fake’ foods that are labeled as diet foods. These are low in calories, but they are high in chemicals that play havoc with your gut bacteria and actually cause cravings or other side effects.
Eating breakfast – For years diet experts have said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. If you eat the wrong foods you are doing more harm than good. If you cannot eat a meal that has protein, fiber, and fat in it then you are better off skipping the meal. Meals based on grain products or sugar will leave you feeling hungry throughout the day. It can also set you up for metabolic disorders and tell your body to conserve all fat. Rather than filling up on bagels, pancakes, cereal, etc. you can delay your first meal until you are emotionally ready to have a hearty meal centering on protein and healthy breakfast. This is enough to shift your body into fat burning mode for the rest of the day.
Watching Television – Many of us try to ‘distract’ ourselves from eating by watching television. Studies are showing this is not successful. Besides the characters eating and drinking there are all those commercials advertising processed foods. It is also way too easy to eat while you watch television. If you are going to sit down to an evening of entertainment then pick up something to keep your hands busy. This way you can’t munch out, and you may have something production to show for all the time you spent. Some people go so far as to put their treadmill in front of the TV. They only allow themselves to watch if they keep moving. The real diehards rig their TV to only work while their feet are moving; now that is motivation!
Juicing – This sounds good and healthy. It provides fruits and vegetables, what could be wrong with that? The problem is that when you juice fruits and vegetables you leave all the calories and sugars and remove all the fiber. Fiber is needed for satiety, as well as for the proper functioning of the digestive tract. There are uses for juicing, but weight loss shouldn’t be one of them. If you want the benefits of juicing look into smoothies. This is making a thick beverage that leaves all the fiber in the food. Ad some good fats and protein and you will have a healthy quick meal in a glass.
Artificial sweeteners – These may cut the calories of the food, but there are many drawbacks to them. One is that they actually increase your cravings for sugary foods. They also make the natural sugars in foods taste less sweet, leaving you to reach for less natural foods and more artificial foods. There are also studies available that show that artificial sugars can have side effects similar to pharmaceutical drugs. There is a condition call aspartame poisoning that can be deadly. If you have to add sweetener it is better to use the smallest amount possible of a natural sweetener. One to consider is stevia.
The quest for a smaller body is not a bad thing. You just have to realize that there are things you have been doing that have gotten you into this shape. Changing habits is never easy, but the new habits, and the new body they provide can last a lifetime.
Sources:
http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ani/artificial-sweeteners-actually-lead-to-piling-on-the-pounds-113092300136_1.html
http://www.latimes.com/health/la-he-extreme-diet-20130921,0,327527.story
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/09/18/watching-television.aspx?e_cid=20130918Z1_DNL_art_2&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art2&utm_campaign=20130918Z1
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/04/01/breakfast-mistakes.aspx?e_cid=20130401_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130401
http://www.naturalnews.com/041471_diet_foods_weight_management_myths.html
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/07/06/branding-obesity.aspx?e_cid=20130706_DNL_JLY4CNOMIN_JLY4BAN_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130706JLY4CNOMIN
http://www.naturalnews.com/040923_gastric_bypass_gut_flora_weight_loss.html
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/04/06/chewing-gum-effects.aspx?e_cid=20130406_DNL_art_2&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art2&utm_campaign=20130406
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Disclaimer: The entire contents of this website are based upon the opinions of the author(s). Individual articles are based upon the opinions of the respective author. The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of the authors. You are encouraged to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional.
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