Weight Loss Program: Facts vs Expectations
Introduction
Dieting can be tough. It involves a lot of planning and self-control, but there are some misconceptions about what it takes to lose weight. Here’s the truth behind the top five expectations that many people have about dieting:
Expectation #1: Reduce your food intake.
The first expectation of a diet plan is that you can simply eat less and expect to lose weight. This is not true. While eating less helps with weight loss, it isn’t enough on its own. Exercise and changing your diet are also important factors in losing weight, but the most important thing is that you need to change your lifestyle.
If you want to lose weight and keep it off long-term, then you need to make sure that your diet plan includes these things:
- Eating healthy foods
- Exercising regularly (at least 30 minutes a day)
- Changing your habits
Reality #1: It’s only a matter of eating a little less.
You may be eating too many calories. This is the most common reason why people are not losing weight. You can’t just eat less, you need to eat slightly less than you are eating now and then do some exercise.
The fact is that our bodies expend more energy on a normal day than we are aware of doing. For example, when out walking we might feel like we have been exercising but it is actually our heart beating that expends energy and makes us sweat as well as our muscles contracting when they move to walk forward or sideways. Other examples include breathing, digesting food etc., all of which make us use up energy just by being alive! We also use up more energy when there is an increase in body temperature such as during digestion or heating up after working out at the gym; therefore it’s important to be aware of how many calories are used up during these processes so that it doesn’t become an excuse not to get fit…
Expectation #2: It’ll be impossible to eat the foods you love again.
You can still have your favorite foods, but you just need to do so in moderation. If a craving for a cheeseburger comes up, have one! Just don’t eat the whole thing.
Expectation #2: You can’t enjoy your favorite foods againIn fact, this is one of the most common expectations that people who are on diets expect. They think that they will never be able to eat their favorite foods again because they won’t be able to control themselves and overeat them. However, it’s possible for you to enjoy your favorite foods even if you’re following a diet plan because all you need to do is not eat them excessively or excessively overdo it with other things as well. You just need moderation in everything that you do while following any diet plan such as this one so that there aren’t any problems later on down the road (such as gaining an excessive amount of weight).
Reality #2: Everything is still okay in moderation.
You can still enjoy your favorite foods, just not as often or in the same quantities.
This is a common misconception about healthy eating: that you have to eliminate all of your favorite things from your diet and replace them with boring, bland foods. The truth is that it’s possible to continue enjoying all your favorite foods—just as long as they’re in moderation. This means eating smaller portions and making smarter choices when ordering out at restaurants or buying snacks at the grocery store.
Expectation #3: Losing weight requires supplements.
Don’t expect to lose weight by using supplements.
Supplements are not a magic pill and they are not a substitute for healthy eating and exercise, but they can be beneficial. Supplements contain vitamins, minerals, amino acids and other nutrients that your body needs in order to function properly. However, there is no evidence that taking supplements alone will make you lose weight (or gain it).
Reality #3: You can’t fix a bad nutrition habits with supplements.
- Supplements are not a substitute for a healthy diet.
- Supplements are not a substitute for exercise.
- Supplements can’t fix a bad diet.
- Supplements can’t fix a bad exercise routine.
- Supplements can’t fix a bad sleep routine.
Expectation #4:You can lose 10 pounds or more in a week.
You can’t expect to lose 10+ pounds in a week. It’s not healthy, it’s not sustainable, and it will be bad for your body, mind, relationships and finances.
Let’s start with what we know about the human body: it has an amazing ability to adapt to its surroundings. If you are exercising more or eating less than usual consistently over time, your body will adjust by burning fewer calories at rest and storing fat more easily. Your metabolism slows down so that those extra calories aren’t needed for energy (because you’re doing something active). You may even see some weight gain as a result of increased muscle mass from working out hard!
Reality #4: If you lose weight too quickly, it will often come back.
You may be tempted to try a crash diet or fad weight loss program, but the truth is that these diets can actually lead to long-term weight gain. The reason is that you’re depriving your body of essential nutrients and healthy fats and proteins, which will cause your metabolism to slow down. This means that once you start eating normally again, you will be more likely to gain back any weight lost on the diet because your body won’t be able to regulate itself properly.
It’s also important for people who want to lose weight not to set unrealistic expectations around what they should look like or weigh compared with other people. If someone tells themselves they need to lose 20 pounds in two weeks, they are setting themselves up for failure since it is nearly impossible (and unhealthy) for them to do so quickly without harming their bodies in some way in the process
Expectation #5: Low-carb diets will help you lose weight.
Cutting out carbs is a common dieting trick, but it’s not necessary. Carbs are an important part of your diet because they provide you with energy, fiber, vitamins and minerals. They also help keep you feeling full longer so you don’t feel hungry as often in the day.
Carbs do not cause weight gain or obesity. The truth is that the majority of the population consumes more calories than they need each day and this leads to excess body fat storage—not what you eat! Even if someone eats nothing but carbs their whole life (which would be very difficult to achieve), they would still gain weight if they were consuming more calories than required for their activity level. Eliminating all carbohydrates from your diet isn’t going to result in weight loss either—in fact it could make things worse since people generally crave high-fat foods after eliminating carbs from their diets!
Carbohydrates aren’t the enemy when it comes down to losing weight and keeping it off long term – eating only protein might sound like a great idea at first glance but how would we get our B12 vitamins? How about zinc? Iron? Potassium? Folate? Fiber?!
Reality #5: Carbs are excellent sources of nutrients.
While it’s true that carbs aren’t the healthiest option for weight loss, they’re still a great source of vitamins, minerals and fiber. Carbs are also a good source of energy. In fact, if you’re eating enough carbs (and protein), your body will burn fat for energy rather than storing it as body fat.
That said, don’t rely on pasta and bread alone for your daily allotment of nutrients: eat plenty of fruits and vegetables too!
Here’s the truth: you don’t have to diet.
The biggest reality of all is that you don’t need to diet. Yes, you read that correctly…
In fact, by doing so, you’re only hurting yourself and your body. To best illustrate this point, let’s go back to the very start of my story: when I was a kid growing up in New York City and had no problems with my weight because it was the 1980s and everything was fine. Back then there weren’t many options for me if I wanted to lose a few pounds—I could either try cutting back on eating or exercise more (though both were pretty difficult tasks for me). What helped get my mind off food? Playing video games! It’s amazing how much time can be spent simply trying not eat anything at all. And hey—it worked! Eventually I lost enough weight that people started complimenting me about how healthy I looked (they still do today).
The point here is that dieting isn’t necessary—there are plenty of other ways you can lose weight without restricting yourself from enjoying life too much—and those are what we’ll explore throughout this book!
Conclusion
The biggest reality of all is that you don’t need to diet. Yes, you read that correctly. Diets are not a long-term solution to weight loss, and they’re certainly not healthy. The best way to lose weight and keep it off is by eating right and exercising regularly—just like the experts say!
