Have
you ever followed a very low calorie diet and noticed how difficult it
is to lose weight? If so, you are one of the millions of fitness
enthusiast out there trying to build a better body but not experiencing
the results they want. Today's article will explain why you can't lose
weight on a low calorie diet unless you get a few fundamental rules in
place first.
If you not only want to shrink your waistline but you also want to keep your results long term, you would do well to avoid the outdated, ill-advised advice of spending hours on the treadmill while eating only a minimal amount of food each day.
This trend is so popular because it is often pushed by gossip magazines and experts who proclaim that there is an instant solution to your problems, while making you believe that all of your favourite foods are you enemy.
The reality is very different from those theories, of course. If you have ever followed one of those diets you will know that you cannot operate on a 500 calorie diet and exercise for two hours per day. You will run your body into the ground. These individuals usually go through a very specific cycle:
An initial drop in weight is seen due to the sheer shock placed on the body as it struggles to comprehend with this new routine. The person fools themselves into believing this drop must mean it's working, before hitting a sticking point a couple of weeks later. About one month into it, they reach a stage where they feel like they cannot lose anything no matter how hard they work or how little they eat. As a result of this sticking point, they begin eating even less and exercising even more. The depression takes hold and forces them to come off the rails, binge eating on junk foods and takeaway meals. Their body cannot handle this sudden influx of calories after a starvation diet and suddenly piles a lot of weight on in reaction to it.
Of course, once the individual ends up in that situation they often blame themselves and begin a new diet, adding an even greater calorific restriction and increasing cardiovascular exercise as a punishment for their previous failed effort.
How can it be possible to eat under 1000 calories per day and hit the treadmill for over two hours a night but still not lose any fat? The answer is very simple. The body isn't getting the nutrients it needs to survive, therefore it has slowed down your metabolism and prevented you from burning what little stores it has left. That's right, your body is actually stopping you from burning off any more fat.
If you are pushing yourself hard in the gym you will begin to shed lean muscle tissue, too. That's certainly not a situation you want to find yourself in, but sadly many people do. These are now signs associated widely with crash, quick fix and yo-yo diets. Instead of adopting this unsuccessful approach, incorporate HIIT into your routine and use it alongside a regular weights-based program.
That's right - building lean muscle tissue via weight training will actually increase your fat loss substantially!
In terms of calories, you must first correct the issue you have created from could have been years of abuse. Slowly begin increasing your calories by around 5 percent each week until you reach a point where you can teach your body to survive on a decent portion of food each day while maintaining your present weight.
If you had two people that weighed the same but one individual ate 400 calories while the other ate 2500, which one would find it easier to drop unwanted pounds? Clearly, the second individual would easily be able to achieve more results because the first case is already starving themselves.
If you have reached a point where you think you can't lose weight on a low calorie diet and want some answers, the first thing to do is look at your present diet and your training regime. If you recognize any of the signs in today's post then correcting this issue has to become a priority before you cause serious damage.
By Russ Howe
