We live in a world where most of the time the appearance of a person matters more than their personality and intelligence. It is a sad state of affairs but we can’t deny it. For countless reasons such as looking physically appealing, to lose weight, etc.
Nowadays, most people gain weight fast and lose weight twice as slowly. They follow diet plans and procedures which advise you to eat less or eat food with fewer calories. It’s always about the quantity with such fad diets. For example, just look at the HCG diet. It has 3 phases and the first phase involves indulging in the greasiest of foods and your favourite delicacies, no matter the calories. The second phase involves not eating food more than 1000 calories. Even the food plan is specifically advised and it’s mostly the type of vegetables which you would munch on as a snack. This goes on for about 1 or 2 weeks after which you lose weight. You then have to go back to your normal cycle which means you end up gaining all of that lost weight back.
Take another example of a fad diet called the Military Diet. This diet is followed for a total of 3 days with an intake of 800-1000 calories only. Just by looking at the time period this diet goes on for, you can tell this is not a good diet plan. It involves eating foods like saltine crackers, wheat toast, canned tuna, etc.
It is wrong to deprive yourself of naturally healthy foods. Start with a healthy mindset before you start calorie counting. It shouldn’t be the quantity of calories that should matter, it should be the quality of food you eat. Rather than focusing on the number of calories a particular ingredient has, you should focus on buying and eating high-quality organic food. High quality foods include clean vegetables and fruits, healthy fats and proteins, dairy, etc. Completely avoid refined and processed foods, especially food with too much grease and oil such as fast food and fried stuff. Avoid drinking alcohol and carbonated drinks. Carbonated drinks contain a lot of sugar. The amount of sugar in it can erode the enamel away from your teeth and weaken the bones of your body.
Let me tell you, I have tried many quick weight loss regimes and sadly gained more than I lost including my self-esteem. There are many diets that will allow you various strategies to get to your goal for weight loss but you must be willing to put in the work to find one that suits your particular needs. We all are different and require various ways to lose the weight.
A study was carried out by the Department of Nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health. The study’s result showed that quality is, in fact, a very important consideration. It helps with weight loss and it helps you hold on to that weight loss. Researchers found that processed foods such as sugary sodas, potato chips, processed and unprocessed red meat lead to an increase in weight. Foods such as vegetables, yogurt, whole grains, fruits and nuts help lose weight and keep the weight off.
When in doubt look for a nutritionist, and a health and life coach to broaden your insight around healthier eating habits and other resources to assist you in managing your new lifestyle. You will be glad you did.
Love and Light, Coach Cai
Coach Cai 