If you were to stop a random person on the street and ask them how to lose weight, they'll give you one of two answers: diet and exercise. But while this is the commonly accepted advice, it's not only wrong, but also dangerous.
Because as I'm about to prove to you, when it comes to losing weight, "dieting" is one of the worst things you can do–and can actually make you even fatter!
I know this sounds shocking to you, so let me explain: When you finally put your foot down, when you're unhappy with your body and make that crucial decision to change it, what's the first thing you do? You start cutting back on food, eating less calories, maybe controlling your portions more, or maybe eating fewer meals. Whatever the case, you start taking in less calories. And in the beginning, it works–you lose a few pounds and get so excited.
But here's the problem: Your body is incredibly quick to adapt and it's much more concerned with keeping you alive than helping you look good in a bikini. So once it realizes that you're giving it less food, once it realizes you're giving it less energy (which comes from calories– that's what calories are), it starts to conserve the energy it does have, it slows down your metabolism. So even though you're eating less calories, now you're also burning less calories!
And you run face-first into one of those frustrating plateaus. The scale stops moving, your jeans stop getting looser–your progress pretty much stops. And you don't know how to get it going again.
What are you supposed to do? What can you do? You're already practically starving yourself, so eating less isn't an option. And since you're eating so little, you don't have the energy it takes to do any more exercise. So it's only a matter of time before you burn out, develop unbearable cravings, and go back to your old way of eating–a way you're comfortable with.
Studies show that when people stop dieting, they end up putting all the weight back on, which is pretty depressing, right?
But it gets even worse … By depriving themselves of proper nutrition, they end up destroying their metabolism. So when they start adding calories back in, they become even fatter than before!
That's why a successful weight loss program never revolves around "dieting." It should never focus on simply cutting calories. That's just setting your metabolism up for disaster. And it should never leave you feeling deprived–that's completely unnecessary. Instead, you should develop the habit of making smarter food choices. Eating nutritious whole foods that provide your body with the energy it needs to start burning more fat.
What are these foods? Lean meats, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. By eating balanced meals consisting of these foods, you provide your body with all the nutrients it needs to run at its full potential. But here's the best part: By focusing on these foods, you're able to eat until you're fully satisfied. You'll naturally fall into the healthy calorie range for your diet, and start melting fat without ever having to deprive yourself.
So don't even think about dieting! Don't waste your time trying to cut calories out of your diet. Instead, focus on eating delicious whole foods, and let the calories sort itself out. You'll look and feel much better for it.
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