Diets - Why Drastic Does Not Work

How was it for you? Did you get through the Christmas Season eating sensibly, taking exercise and avoiding the usual seasonal excesses? Or, are you sitting at your desk reading this and wondering why all of your waistbands are tight?

In the Northern Hemisphere, Winter and Christmas time are traditional periods of social excess and comfort eating. The short days curtail the amount of exercise we would naturally take and the pounds have a horrible habit of piling on.

We make New Year Resolutions to diet and these fall by the wayside, usually within hours. We get on to the wonderful diet merry-go-round-do you remember the one? The one with horses which go up and down, just like our weight.

Our bodies and their functions are governed by a wonderfully balanced mechanism called the endocrine system which is made up of glands and hormones various. It is this system which governs our metabolic rate and it is this rate which plays a huge role in determining how efficiently we can process the calories we eat.

The balance of the endocrine system can be disrupted by many things - pollutants, artificial hormones, stress and illness. Yo-Yo dieting plays havoc with this system as the famine/feast experience is not tolerated well. During famine (diet) days our metabolic rate is reduced to conserve fuel stores and energy. Unfortunately, this rate does not then immediately increase on the feast days, causing us to put on more weight than ever.

Sometimes glands of the endocrine system cease to function as they were designed. A classic example is the thyroid gland. An underactive thyroid will cause all sorts of problems including weight gain. The ovaries can malfunction, again causing weight gain amongst other symptoms. It is worth getting any unexplained weight gain investigated by your Doctor. If you know you eat sensibly (keep a food diary to check this) and that you take regular exercise but the weight is still increasing I urge you to seek medical advice.

Experience has shown that the conventional schools of medicine are sometimes not as up to date with current thinking on endocrine problems, particularly of the thyroid, as patients would both like and expect them to be. If you suspect you have a problem but find your Doctor unsympathetic there are several excellent complementary practitioners who specialise in this field. Ask around for recommendations; look for books on the subject; do some self-initiated research on the web; do whatever you can to ensure that your knowledge is up to date and that you are in a position to make an informed choice about your medical care.

If you are carrying more than 14lbs of surplus weight it is advisable to have a routine medical check up before embarking on any weight loss programme. This will include checks for diabetes and blood pressure levels.

We know we need to weigh an appropriate amount for our height and age if we are to be healthy and active. The question is, how to achieve such an ideal?

The first thing to consider is not setting up a panic response in any of the automatic systems of your body. By introducing small changes, slowly and carefully, the body will adapt without shutting down. It is important not to make too many radical changes in one go, for two main reasons:

1. Psychologically you are going to feel deprived and will then struggle to maintain the new way of being.

2. Physiologically, if it perceives a threat, your body will alter its systems to protect itself and this will mean converting more of the calories you swallow into fat.

Once you are ready to make a start, implement just one or two changes to your diet each week. Depending on your current lifestyle you may decide on any of the following:

- Cut out all fried food

- Eat a healthy breakfast

- Eat 5 portions of fruit each day

- Incorporate appropriate exercise into your day

- Cut out the take away and ready prepared meals

- Increase the number of "grown above the surface" vegetables you eat

- Increase fibre levels by choosing wholemeal bread and pasta rather than white

- Determine the amount of chocolate it is OK for you to eat each day and have just that amount

-Drink one litre of water each day

Don't be tempted to radically change your diet overnight. It is like stretching an elastic band - as soon as you relax, even for a minute, you will snap back into old ways of being. Be gentle with yourself and your body, incorporate one new thing each week and wait until that has become comfortable before introducing anything else. Take it one step at a time and improve your chances of achieving and maintaining that perfect weight and enjoying the associated health benefits.

Know that the extra weight you carry did not appear overnight so it stands to reason that it is not going to disappear in a hurry. Be kind to yourself and your body. Take it one step at a time.

Donnie Harrison is a UK Based Coach and Business Mentor. Donnie works with clients who are facing a life transition and who do not want to face it on their own. She describes herself as a companion on the journey of change.

In addition, Donnie specialises in working with individuals who are setting up or building a Professional Private Practice, particularly in the healthcare sector - be it traditional, alternative or complementary. More information is available at http://donnieharrison.com

---

10 Surefire Ways To Survive Eating Out

I personally lost 60 pounds in 2003. Here are some... Read More

Add High Water Content Fruits and Vegetables to Your Diet For Fast Weight Loss

Include in your diet things that contain more water like... Read More

Spot Reducing is For The Laundry

· Can you give me an exercise that will get... Read More

How Water Can Help You Lose Weight Fast

Here are the 4 things you need to know about... Read More

Weight Loss vs. Fat Loss

In order to lose weight, your body must burn more... Read More

The Myth of Spot Reducing

There is no such thing as spot reducing. Any fat... Read More

New Weight Loss Program -- How to Make Your Diet Work

This is a continuation of the article entitled, "Making Diets... Read More

Weight Loss Tips for a Swimsuit Body

Spring is here and swimsuit weather is just around the... Read More

Choose to Lose - The Simplicity of Weight Loss and Understanding Emotional Eating

Permanent Weight loss is not about Diet. If you are... Read More

Four Steps to Hunger Control

Axiom Number Two: Hunger ControlTrying to lose weight without understanding... Read More

Weight Loss Woes

Weight loss is an issue that affects men and women... Read More

Water and Weight Loss

Water is useful when we are trying for losing weight.... Read More

Weight Loss Secrets from Hollywood Movie Stars ? LA Personal Trainer Speaks Out!

In the early nineties I had the opportunity to work... Read More

Staying Toned After Weight Loss

Staying Toned After Weight Loss Following significant weight loss,... Read More

The Atkins Diet - Separating Fact From Fiction

Have you ever wished for a diet where you ate... Read More

Can You Still Buy Ephedra?

With millions of people aiming for successful weight loss, many... Read More

Fat Loss Exercise Strategies

How many calories you consume has a big impact on... Read More

After Gastric Bypass: Pass the Water, Hold the Ice

I just read this conventional diet tip ? and we've... Read More

The Secrets of Online Weight Loss Pills

I know a lot of people out there would like... Read More

South Beach Diet - South Beach Diet Plan Information

Perhaps you've had them too, nightmares about rice cakes, granola,... Read More

Weight Loss Programs:The 7 Critical Points You Must Check Before You Choose

Yes, you must be aware of the following 7 points... Read More

Five Healthy Weight Loss Tips Revealed

Are you tired of getting the same old advice when... Read More

Weight Loss: How to Get Rid of Excess You

Q: "I'm wondering if you can help me. I'm not... Read More

Breakfast and Weight Loss

Some people think that skipping breakfast will help them lose... Read More

Get Fit By Getting Fat

Getting enough of the good fats will help you lose... Read More

Cross Training

One of the biggest misconceptions about exercise is that there... Read More

For Effective Weight Loss - Curb Hunger And Avoid The Binge

Curb Hunger and Avoid The Costly BingeEveryone's been there -... Read More

Weight Loss Secrets -- It?s About Perspectives!

Any dietary plan on the market has some portion of... Read More

No One Ever Got Fat Eating Broccoli!

Diet tips for losing weight abound. Some are good, some... Read More

Ultimate Weight Loss: Fight Fat and Win

As if you needed another reason to hit the snooze... Read More

Doubts About Gastric Bypass? One Womans Final Effort to Lose Weight Without Surgery

One may think that on a website called "LivingAfterWLS" you... Read More

Overweight? - 5 Tips to Enhance Your Sex Drive

You could try one of the many sexual enhancement drugs... Read More

How to Lose Belly Fat: Latest Secrets from the Research Labs, Part 1

In this series of articles, you will learn exactly how... Read More