Published in June 14th, 2010
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The common meaning of the word diet is to follow a short-term eating plan designed to encourage weight loss. This is just fine, however the weight loss issue does not end when you reach your target weight. If you want to maintain your new weight, you need to make a major change in your lifestyle. It takes more than a typical weight loss diet to do that.
Long term weight loss cannot be achieved by following a specific diet plan that is limited only to certain foods. Aside from the fact that it will not provide your body with all the nutrients it needs, it is also very unlikely that you would be able to stand eating the same fare for the rest of your life. Thus the question you need to consider when choosing a diet is: Will I be able to eat this way for a long time?
People who want rapid weight loss often go for fad and crash diets. There is no question that these work although there are several serious problems with such diets. For one thing, they are often focused on only one type of food which means the dieter would be deprived of many important nutrients, vitamins and minerals. They also virtually starve the dieter thereby creating an intense feeling of being deprived which increases the likelihood of cheating or quitting altogether.
The point we are trying to make here is that whatever diet plan you choose is really not the key to your success. It is your ability and willingness to stick to the prescribed way of eating of your chosen diet for an indefinite period of time even after you have reached your weight goal.
The reason why trendy diets are bad news is because they are impossible to follow on a long time basis. After losing weight and a dieter goes back to his or her normal eating habits, all the lost weight and more, is regained. The result is what is called the yo-yo dieting syndrome in which a dieter gets into a vicious cycle of dieting, losing weight, gaining more and starting all over again. This hopeless pattern only shows that dieting is not the answer to weight loss. A lifestyle change is what is needed.
The real problem according to studies is not really losing weight but keeping it off. Consider these two options: The first one will help you shed 10 pounds off in one month. It is guaranteed to work although the diet is obviously unhealthy and the food choice is hard to swallow. The second option will take time to yield results but it is certainly healthier, simpler and easier to incorporate into your way of life.
With the first option, you will lose 10 pounds but gain it all back within a few months to a year with an extra 5-10 pounds thrown in. Whereas with the second option, you can lose 5 pounds in a month or two, lose another 5-10 in about 4-6 months and the weight lost is gone for good.
So which is the better choice? Hopefully you have not gotten so desperate that your desire to lose weight has already clouded your thinking. Remember, good things take time.
Charles Volcolatte is a health and weight loss researcher for http://www.skinnyasap.com/. He writes and researches actively on Healthy Weight Loss and shares his knowledge at http://www.skinnyasap.com/ where he works as a staff writer.
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