Phentermine Informational Website

DIETING FACTS

There is more to dieting than just eating less food - It seems logical to assume that you’ll automatically lose weight if you undereat, but it’s simply not true. Think of your body as a machine; when you cut down on the fuel it needs to operate, it runs more slowly; likewise, when you cut down on food, the body slows its metabolism and you burn fewer calories. Furthermore, studies show that when dieters consume fewer than 1,200 calories daily, they’ll lose muscle tissue as well as fat. (Muscle weighs more than fat, but it’s more compact.) Therefore, even though your scale may register weight loss, it may be at the expense of losing muscle.2

Snacking can be good - Dietitians strongly recommend eating low-cal munchies such as cucumbers, carrot sticks, defatted soups and rice cakes to tide you over until your next meal. So, if you’re a snacker, bring a bag of cut-up veggies to the office to fend off the temptation of the candy machine. For years, nutritionists have been pushing smaller, more frequent meals as a way to keep blood sugar levels stable and prevent overeating -- and published studies have proven the benefits of grazing. According to the most recent study published in the American Journal of Medicine and Sports, women who ate steadily throughout the day had significantly lower body-fat levels than those who skipped meals.

All calories are not created equal - Your diet won’t work if you substitute ice cream for an equally caloric low-fat meal. Studies show that calories derived from fat are more fattening than calories derived from carbohydrates and protein. It seems that the body burns calories to convert carbs and protein into fat for storage, where as extra fat calories are stored as is.

Bran and Dieting - A new study of 2,909 young adults published in the Journal of the American Medical Association supports the theory that a high-fiber diet can keep excess pounds at bay. The USDA recommends consuming at least 20-30 grams of fiber from fruits, vegetables, beans and unrefined whole grains daily.

Protein and Dieting - Broiled fish and chicken are key weight reducers; however, excess protein is stored as fat. Because the RDA of protein for the average woman is just 44 grams, you’ll get enough by eating a single, three or four ounce serving of animal protein or legumes daily.

Sugar and Dieting - Refined sugars and starches trigger surges of insulin, and can be a potent appetite stimulant. One study in the journal Pediatrics found that overweight children who ate sugary foods for breakfast tended to overeat all day, consuming as much as 81 percent more calories than peers who started with the same number of calories in a low-sugar form.

Exercise - Exercise leads to weight loss by burning calories. It can even boost your metabolism so you burn more calories than usual. We all know that exercise is crucial to fat loss. To burn enough calories to shed body fat, you must up your activity level -- and there are a variety of ways to do it. Obviously, the more cardio you do, the more calories you'll expend. You can also increase your intensity, burning more calories in less time. Or, simply move more throughout the day; a recent study found that staying "moderately active" is the best way to boost daily caloric expenditure. But the most compelling research shows that resistance training is essential, whether you need to lose major pounds or simply want to get more buff.

Don't Skip Breakfast - Breakfast is a must, even if you’re not dieting, for energy to begin the day. Try eating a large breakfast, a smaller lunch and an even smaller dinner, or eat small portions six times a day.

Lifestyle Change - According to statistics, 95 percent of those who lose weight on a diet gain it back within one year. All diets work if you follow them correctly, but people fail in the maintenance phase. Don’t go back to your old eating habits, but make sure your new diet is not so strict that you can’t stick to it.