Avoid Shortcuts to Weight Loss

The fitness craze in USA has made many people craving for perfect figures. However, not everyone is willing to undergo the process of consuming healthy foods and a regular weight training routine. At times, people opt for short cuts for weight loss (which includes crash diet) and experience negative side effects. We point out some of the serious side effects of drastic weight-loss.



Muscle Loss- Muscle loss is the most common effect of rapid weight reduction. When the body is not provided with the essential nutrients, it uses the muscle mass to get energy. Loss of muscle mass results in a slow metabolism and this makes the person to gain weight rapidly once he/she switches to the regular diet.

Hanging Skin-Loose skin is another side effect of fast weight loss. This may also happen to people who have opted for a healthy diet to lose weight, but do not indulge in weight training or aerobic activities. Though the skin is elastic in nature, its shrinking and stretching process is slow. When there is massive weight loss all of a sudden, the skin hardly gets any time to adjust itself with the changing body and ends up being saggy and loose.

Loss of Hair- Hair loss is a common side effect of consuming diet that is poor in nutritional value. Protein is essential for the growth of hair and for maintaining its luster. Liquid or very low-calorie diet usually includes a small percentage of the protein that is actually required. The result is that lack of protein leads to brittle and dry hair, and ultimately to hair loss.

As discussed above, resorting to crash or liquid diets will bring in more problems rather than solving them. Stick to a healthy, nutritious diet, along with proper weight training routine and you will be living healthy for the rest of your life.

Think healthy and live healthy!

Read more...

Weight Loss Dieting Myth

There are so many myths regarding weight loss diets. Though some may hardly affect one’s weight loss programs, others may cause major health issues. Therefore, one must be aware of the various weight loss dieting myths.

Myth # 1

Eliminate carbs from the meal plan!

Carbohydrates are the main source of body energy, and eliminating them from the diet will make you fell lethargic and will lower the energy level. However, you may have to eliminate some carbs if you want to have a well-toned body. These may include sweetened fruit juices and other drinks, sugar, fried stuff, and pastries. Instead, you main source of carbohydrates should come from complex slow releasing foods such as brown breads, oatmeal, brown rice, and sweat potatoes. Remember that your meal pan must include 40% carbs.



Myth # 2

Starve to get that desired body weight!

Wrong, starving will only cripple your body metabolism and may even result in muscle loss. It may even affect your body shape adversely. Eat small portion of food; instead of having three large meals, have six small meals. This will make you feel full and you can avoid the tendency of overeating. In addition, starving will cause sugar highs and lows. One must also avoid skipping meals; after skipping a meal or two, you may develop the tendency to eat more than usual.

Myth # 3

Fat is bad, eliminate it from the meal plan!

Fat is not necessarily bad, though gaining fats from fried and junk foods must be avoided at any cost. Body needs certain essential fatty acids such as the Omega 3 fatty acid to work properly. They help in brain development, lubricating the joints, and in manufacturing hormones. Since the body cannot produce such essential fatty acids, it is important to consume them. Therefore, one need to include nuts, flax seed oil, olive oil, tuna, and salmon in their meal plans.

Myth # 4

High protein diet may damage the kidney!

This may be true for those who already have kidney problems, but for others this is just another weight loss dieting myth. A healthy human can easily consume a medium to high protein diet without worrying about its effect on the kidney. For per pound of bodyweight, one can have around 1.5 grams of protein. However, one must drink enough water (8 glasses of water minimum) so that the kidney can process the protein.

Read more...