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Do you Diet to Lose Weight?
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Do You Diet? 

Many people diet when they want to lose weight.  Diets often times restric certain foods or food groups, and leave you feeling hungry because they are inadequate in calories.  Not only is this unhealthy, but this does not teach healthy eating habits.  What happens when people can no longer follow the diet because the diet is too rigid?  Well, any weight that was lost is ususally gained back as old eating habits return.  High protien diets are a popular diet choice of today.  Here are some interesting facts about high protein diets.

Myths and Facts about High Protein Diets:
 
Myth:  Eating more protein and less carbohydrate is the best way to lose weight.
Fact:  The only was to lose weight is to expend more calories than you are consuming.
 
Myth:  Carbohydrates make you more hungry than do protein foods.
Fact:  Complex carbohydrates like breads and grains actually speed up your metabolism, which helps your body burn calories.  As you body burns calories, you are going to feel hungry.  To avoid this problem, you can consume small, frequent meals throughout the day. 
 
Myth:  A high carbohydrate diet causes the body to store the excess carbohydrates as fat and causes weight gain. 
Fact:  Consuming excess calories from an source, carbohydrates, proteins, or fats will lead to weight gain.
 
Myth:  High protein diets are more healthful than high carbohydrate diets.
Fact:  High protein diets lack the essential nutrients found in grains, fruits, and vegetables.  High protein diets are also high in saturated fat, which we know is not good for our health.

Tips to Identifying a Fad Diet

Fad Diets Often Claim:

  1. Rapid weight loss of 10 LBS in one week
  2. No exercise is required in order to lose weight
  3. That you can eat as much as you want and still lose weight
  4. That certain foods or whole food groups should not be eaten

Behavior Modification

The most successful way to lose weight and keep it off is with Behavior Modification.  Behavior Modification encompasses both eating habits and physical activity.  Learning how to make healthier food choices, along with incorporating exercise into your lifestyle is essential!

For Additional Resources:
 
American Heart Association.  www.amhrt.org
 
American Dietetics Association.  www.eatright.org