WHY DIETS DON'T WORK

Drop your calories like crazy, and watch the fat disappear.

 

Great.

 

Go out - look better, get lots of compliments.

 

Awesome.

 

But crave food like crazy, fight the inner demons, before eventually giving in and eating everything in sight.

 

Whoops.

 

Before you know it - you're RIGHT back to where you started, and in A LOT of cases, even worse off.

 

You never planned for this.

 

Such is the downfalls of crash diets, where you drop calories like crazy to lose weight, or even revert to STUPID things like the GREEN TEA DIET - drinking NOTHING but green tea for a given amount of time. 

Science, my own experience, and that of HUNDREDS of others – will tell you that you simply WON’T keep it off.

 

And I’m talking about dieting (reducing calories but still consuming whole foods) as opposed to “no food” – which could have more hazardous results.

 

The minute you return to “normal” eating patterns, there’s going to be big problems in terms of weight gain.

 

Let’s dive into the science.

 

A very reputable and recent meta-analysis (1) out of the University of Colorado, paints the picture as to why dieting like this will ultimately fail you.

 

When you drop calories to a very low level, what’s called an “energy gap” (described more in the paper) occurs.

 

This is your body sensing the difference between the calories your body burns each day, and the calories you’re missing out on that you once consumed every day.

 

So what’s the significance of the energy gap?

 

Well, at the end of your diet, your body will do EVERYTHING IT CAN to return to homeostasis – it’s most comfortable level of body fat.

 

In other words, you’ll go right back to where you started.

 

So this means you must consume the same amount of calories FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE, to maintain your new level of body fat.

 

And if you don’t, you’ll simply regain it all back.

 

To quote from the paper: “If the strategies are not maintained, the biological adaptations becoming a driving force for weight regain” (1).

 

A diet like this will ultimately reduce the size of your adipocytes (fat cells), but it WON’T reduce the number of them (2,3,4).

 

So you’re left with the SAME amount of fat cells, that will ultimately fill out again.

 

And I’m afraid it gets worse.

 

Because of the “energy gap” created from the low calories – your body is primed to not only regain the fat as I mentioned, but most likely STORE EVEN MORE.

 

And the longer you continue an energy restricted diet – the larger this vicious energy gap will become (5).

 

Many studies on rats tell us that appetite increases result from energy restricted diets, causing them to eat a lot MORE than they were before they dropped the fat (6,7,8).

 

Also – a subsequent lower body mass resulting from an energy restricted diet, results in LESS calories burnt everyday.

 

This occurs via a reduction in your basal metabolic rate (the amount of calories you burn everyday AT REST).

 

To say there have been many studies proving this in human beings, is an understatement. (9,10, 11,12).

 

So at the end of it – you’ll end up with a SLOWER metabolism, and prone to over eating, with more fat then you started with.

 

Doesn’t sound that good does it?

 

Lots of people think that if you lose the weight – you’re right for life, and it’ll stay off. But to quote from the Colorado study: “The brain does not reset appetite to match the lower energy requirements of the remaining tissue.”

 

So essentially – enjoy the weight loss while it lasts, because it WON’T stay that way once you resume normal life.

 

Ever wondered why celebrities are so lean so quickly one minute, and fat the next?

 

Well, now you know.

 

 

The other thing you risk with prolonged fasting for many weeks, if you're on something as stupid as the green tea diet, is the loss of muscle mass.

 

In order for blood glucose (your energy) to be maintained, your body will begin to breakdown your muscle for more glucose, in a process called gluconeogenesis.

 

If it can’t get it from food – it needs to get it from somewhere!

 

This is BAD news, considering muscle mass is what keeps you lean, and fat gains at bay.

 

It’s simple – the more muscle you have – the more fat you burn.

 

So you’re probably wondering, what is the best diet to lose weight? 

 

Are you ready? Here it is:

 

 

A diet which consists of clean food, with MODERATE amounts of your favourite, sugary/saturated fat foods, whilst still maintaining a calorie deficit - is ideal.

 

 

Have a variety of the foods you like to stay happy and lean.

 

This will ensure no SUDDEN dramatic loss in body weight (especially muscle mass) that will ultimately lead to the nasty “energy gap”, possibly leading to MORE weight gain and fresh health complications.

 

 

 

Not necessarily. 

 

If someone has a very poor diet - they can change their body composition by changing the way they eat.

 

However - if they're in relatively good shape, and have a fairly decent diet, but want to get ripped to shreds - they can via a "diet".

 

But  - they won't keep the weight off forever.

 

However - there currently are studies in the pipeline to examine just HOW to prevent the HUGE weight regain after dieting.

 

The concept under the microscope is called "reverse dieting" a phrase coined by industry professional Dr Layne Norton, who also happens to be a powerlifter, natural bodybuilder and reknown competition coach. (More from Layne Norton at www.biolayne.com) 

 

The idea of "reverse dieting" is to prevent this HUGE weight re-gain by S-L-O-W-L-Y introducing the calories back into one's diet when their competition is over.

 

So far, the results seem to be quite promising, with many of Layne's clients not packing all the weight back on so suddenly like a lot of male and female bodybuilding/fitness competitors do. 

So "diet" - sure - but diet properly - by not starving yourself and dropping calories so low so suddenly.

 

Anything that brings FAST results, brings an ever FASTER decline.

 

Make sure when your "diet" is all over - you don't just go on a binge, but rather introduce the calories back into your diet slowly. 

 

Also, avoid pathetic fads like the green tea diet, and other alternatives where you don't eat at all.

 

Dieting doesn't have to a painful thing - do it right and enjoy your AWESOME results, without a whole lot of weight regain.