The Facts about Quick Weight Loss Diets

Ever since the first person looked at their body and thought, “I have got to lose weight!” quick weight loss diets have been around. All the evidence shows that diets for quick weight loss are only good for the very short term, but that does not stop dieters from searching high and low for the dieting Holy Grail – the magic diet that will allow a person to lose weight immediately and keep it off for good.

Miraculous weight loss is as mythical as the Loch Ness monster, however there are a few things you can do to shed pounds more quickly. Forget quick weight loss diets and try the following:

Correct Foods will Speed Metabolism

How many calories are you consuming? Would you believe that you may be consuming too few? When you diet for years, yo-yo especially can slow your metabolism. If your metabolism has fallen, and it can by up to 30%, you will need to up your caloric intake and fuel your basal metabolic rate.

Calculating your personal BMR is easily done with online calculators. These calculations will show you the exact number of calories you should consume for the day. Physically demanding occupations or regular exercise will affect these numbers. Your caloric intake should consist mostly of whole grains, fruit, vegetables, nuts and lean protein.

Initially you may see a bit of weight gain, do not let this alarm you because your body will need to repair. A few weeks or months on this type of diet will boost your metabolism, which in turn means the pounds will begin to fall off.

A balanced diet will help you to lose about a pound per week, which can be increased to two pounds per week with appropriate exercise.

Exercise is Important

Unfortunately, physical exercise is not a part of most quick weight loss diets. Instead, they instruct you on how to lose weight by simply reducing caloric intake. This of course will lead to weight loss quickly but only initially. You will gain all the weight back as soon as you resume your normal diet. Diets for quick weight loss are also unhealthy; they are never balanced and rarely include exercise.

Cardio and strength training are the best exercise routines according to experts. Yoga, stretching and relaxation are also great if you have a great deal of stress in your life. One or two hours of strength training and three to five hours of cardio should be enough to make a big change in your fitness level and body shape.

Weight loss exercise is great for many other things as well, especially health wise. Exercise improves balance, makes you lean and strong, improves mood and will help you sleep better. Heart health is also improved and it is possible to avoid problems such as type 2 diabetes. Quick weight loss diets simply cannot offer this benefit.

No More Starving

Diets for quick weight loss are all the rage, who hasn’t heard of the latest celebrity to lose weight by drinking lemonade, cayenne pepper and maple syrup mixtures? The aftermath is the thing you never hear about most of the time. Too many celebrities simply gain all the weight back as soon as they stop participating in quick weight loss diets.

Quick weight loss diets are very stressful on the body; do not put yourself through it. The best you can expect from this type of diet is to be grouchy, tired, dehydrated, heavier and hungry all the time. On the other hand, you could damage your metabolism seriously, which will make it nearly impossible to lose weight even with severely restricted calories.

Your body needs to be healthy if you are to maintain a healthy weight. Hydrate it, move it often and feed it right in order for your body to perform at its best.