Research suggests that in almost all cases diets don’t work over the long term. Sure, if you want to lose weight quickly in a short period of time, diets will usually do that for you, but when researches follow up with dieters 2 to 5 years later, the majority of them have regained all the weight they lost and some are even heavier than when they started.

Why is this the case? One of the main reasons is that diets often require some type of deprivation or willpower to be successful. Calorie and food restriction are often key components of most diets. In addition, there are usually rules that need to be followed religiously. Who can sustain that over the long term? Most people can’t so the diet eventually fails.

Dieting can also cause an unhealthy relationship with food because people who diet are often too food focused and end up thinking about food all the time and judging themselves. It can sometimes become an obsession. The food experience should be enjoyable and not stressful. When stress surrounds the food experience, it can promote weight gain. In addition, the frustration that people often feel as they struggle unsuccessfully can cause them to give up trying to lose weight entirely.

Another issue with many diets is that the focus is rarely on health even if the diet program stresses that it is a healthy weight loss program. Just the other day I looked at the ingredients in a few frozen desserts and entrees marketed by leading weight loss companies that do stress in their marketing that they are a healthy weight loss alternative. The ingredients contained in these “foods” were terrible. They contained way too much salt, not enough vegetables, white rice, trans fats, corn syrup, and artificial ingredients. This is not the right way to lose weight because you are hurting your health.

A final issue with dieting is that many people restrict their calories to levels that can actually shut down their metabolism. The metabolism shuts down because the body believes it is starving. I hear people say things like “I keep exercising more and eating less, but I still can’t seem to lose weight!”. These people probably slowed their metabolism to a near halt due to their very low calorie, high exercise approach.

So What are 5 Key Steps You Can Take to Start Losing Weight Today?

Eat More to Lose Weight: Eating more to lose weight is especially important if you are someone who is currently on a very low calorie diet and you aren’t losing weight, but I would also caution people who are on a very low calorie diet who are losing weight to be careful. Initially, the body will lose weight on a low calorie diet, but eventually, the metabolism will slow if the calorie count is too low for too long. So what is too low? For most people, you don’t want your daily calories to fall below 1,500 and this daily amount may even be too low for some people.

Don’t Go Low Fat: Fat makes food taste better, and it makes you feel more satisfied after eating a meal so that you will be less likely to binge on something later. In addition, your body needs fat to function properly. Americans have already gone the low-fat route for several years yet we are still gaining weight so it is likely not the answer.

The Type of Calories You Eat Matters: The concept of calories in and calories out is outdated. Focus on eating less processed, refined foods and more whole foods if you want to lose weight irregardless of the calories. Processed, refined foods are usually nutrient poor and will raise blood sugar levels too high and too quickly. If your body isn’t getting the nutrients it needs, your body starts to crave food and feel hungry because it needs you to eat more to get the proper nutrition. As for your blood sugar levels, when they soar, your body goes into fat storage instead of fat burning mode. Both of these situations can lead to weight gain.

Eat Mindfully: Eating in a relaxed way in a pleasant environment as a means to help with weight loss should not be underestimated. If you spend the time to pay attention to what you are eating by slowing down, chewing, and paying attention to what your food looks like, smells like and tastes like, you will feel much more satisfied once you are finished eating than if you didn’t pay attention at all. You also give the mind and body a chance to register that you have eaten so your mind and body don’t feel like there is a need to seek out more food.

Have Patience: The people who are most successful at losing weight and keeping it off lose it gradually (1/2lbs to 2lbs/week) over a period of time. Your focus should be on your health and eating and living in a way that is sustainable over a long-term period. It should not be focused on your weight and short-term results. There are thin unhealthy people and healthy overweight people out there. In my opinion, our society focuses a little bit too much on weight at the expense of health. Learn to love your body as it is in this moment. Your success with weight loss will have everything to do with the many small, healthy choices you make on a daily basis over a period of time.

Author Bio: Sandra is a Heart-Healthy Food Coach. She received her nutrition and coaching training from The Institute for Integrative Nutrition in NYC. To receive a FREE special report “Top 3 Secrets to Reduce Your Cholesterol Fast” and other heart-healthy information visit www.cutcholesterolnow.com.

Category: Wellness, Fitness and Diet
Keywords: lose weight,weight loss,losing weight,ways to lose weight,dieting,healthy weight loss,metabolism