Weight Loss Truth Exposed

Why is it so hard to lose weight? I used to ask myself that same question before I became a certified personal trainer. Many experiment with diet pills and many even try fad diets. Yes, those work to a degree.

Let's look at diet pills for a second. Most diet pills consist of caffeine as their main ingredient. Too much caffeine, as we all know, is certainly not good for the body. It can cause the heart to beat faster than normal and cause heart problems later in life if abused.

Now, let us look at the diet fads. Let's face it, if they worked, they would not be a fad, right? Diet fads can work to a certain degree. You might lose weight, even lose weight quickly, but, they can be dangerous. Most people end up gaining the weight back or gaining more weight than they did before starting the diet.

Let's look at one diet that we are all familiar with. The low carbohydrate, high protein diet. In the past, I even tried this diet. Does it work? Yes, to a degree. Because the body uses carbohydrates for energy, if you cut back on them, your body will start to use stored fat as energy. Great, right? No! Eventually, your body will think it can't get the carbs for energy so it will automatically start storing any carbohydrates as fat. So, in the long run your body will store more fat than it needs causing more weight gain. Plus, you will find yourself with less energy to exercise. The body needs carbohydrates to keep the body going during any exercise period.

So, how do you really take off the excess pounds? A couple of ways. First, you must eat five to seven small meals a day. Making sure to eat at least as many grams of protein as body weight, if not one and a half to two times the grams. This will boost your metabolism and help you maintain or build muscle.

The next thing, and this is the one everyone hates to hear, is to exercise! This doesn't mean you have to run a 10k everyday or spend hours at the gym. A simple ten minute walk per day to start will suffice. Eventually, as the weight begins to drop, you will feel better about your self and go for longer walks. Even, possibly, going to the gym and using the treadmill, elliptical, or bike. As far as weight lifting goes, I recommend this for weight loss. Why? Because muscle burns fat. So, the more muscle you build, the more fat you will lose.

In summary, to really lose weight, eat at least five small meals a day and do some sort of exercise. 30 minutes is recommended, but, do what you can.

Remember, always consult your doctor before starting any exercise routine.

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