Are diets the best way to lose weight?

No. Long term permanent weight loss will only occur with a healthy eating plan that is enjoyable and fits into a person’s lifestyle, coupled with exercise.

The body is designed for times of famine. On the evolutionary scale our bodies have not caught up with abundant food that we have in present times. As the body is always planning for a famine any excess calories are stored as fat.
Also everyone is leading a much more sedentary lifestyle, so the calories are not being burnt through exercise.

The body’s ability to burn up calories is determined by what is known as your body’s metabolic rate, which is, governed by the thyroid. This is a butterfly shaped gland that is situated in the base of the neck.

A natural part of ageing is the metabolic rate slows down.
Eating habits and attitudes are established in childhood and can be influenced by emotional issues.

Health problems associated with being overweight:

• Insulin resistance / type 2 diabetes
• Heart disease/ stroke
• Osteoarthritis
• Cancer
• Depression
• Infertility, the body recognises that it is not in the optimum state
• Hormonal imbalances

There is no quick fix to a weight problem. Only steady slow weight loss will lead to permanent weight reduction. If it is too quick then water and muscle is lost.
Very low calorie diets or “crash” diets tend to fail the most and cause the most damage. The body recognises low calorie diets as a sign of famine, so slows the metabolic rate down. This will mean when normal eating patterns are resumed more calories will be stored. Long term yo-yo dieting has a very negative effect on the metabolic rate.
The body needs fat to survive. When we are not eating enough fat this can cause the body to crave fat this can lead to bingeing on the very foods that you are trying to avoid.

Make sure you are drinking enough water. When chronically dehydrated due to drinking to many diuretics, the body confuses the signals for thirst for hunger. So if you do have hunger pangs try drinking a glass of water and they may go away.

Remember there is no substitute to healthy eating, exercise and PORTION CONTROL!

Grazing is good, try to eat 3 small meals with 2 snacks every day. This will keep the metabolic rate ticking over.
The old saying “Breakfast like a king, lunch like a noble man and dinner like a pauper” is very true. You want to aim to have the majority of your calories earlier on during the day, and if at all possible always have your evening meal before 6 pm.

This should not be seen as a diet. It has to be a healthy eating plan that is sustainable and enjoyable. A little of what you fancy is not going to do you any harm! Happily there is scientific evidence to support that dark chocolate is good for the heart and it has a low G.I so if eaten in small quantities it will have no affect on weight.