Why Diets Always Fail

Nutritionists agree that most diets aren't worth the paper they're printed on. They realize that the key to losing weight is adopting a sound, sustainable eating plan and then sticking with it, rather than opting for some wacko quick fix.

Problem #1: Diets don't last.
The problem with virtually all diets is the short-term mindset into which they feed. Most guys approach diets as an all-or-nothing proposition. Rather than making small, even incremental changes in lifestyle that can last a lifetime, diets encourage you to turn your life inside out for two weeks or so. Yet once those two weeks are over and you return to your old habits, guess what? Your body returns to its former state as well. If there's a rule of thumb to be had in this regard, it's that small changes last and big ones don't. Saying that you'll change everything you're doing wrong starting on Monday morning and straight-line it from there might sound impressive—and earn you some pats on the back—but it doesn't change your underlying behavior patterns. It's the slow, steady route that ultimately leads to success.

Problem #2: Diets make you hungry.
Diets typically treat fat loss as a function of nutrition only, when training is equally important. The diet world is about tearing down, and sports nutrition is about building up. You'll lose weight by creating a calorie deficit—burning more calories than you eat. You'll create that deficit, however, mostly through training and not through drastic dieting. The calories you burn in the weight room added to the metabolism boost you get from muscle growth will kick your body into fat-burning mode—without making you hungry.

Problem #3: Diets make you tired.
A chronic problem with diets is that so many of them are simply too low in calories. Because they don't provide enough energy for you to do your workouts and accomplish everything else you need to do in a day, they're a short-term solution at best. Even when weight-loss programs incorporate exercise—and, astonishingly, many don't—they typically ask you to eat like a gerbil and then train like a hamster by running or cycling endlessly in place. You may shed a few pounds in the short run, but you'll also forsake muscle, and the resulting metabolic downshift will soon take you back to square one. Whether it's being done on a treadmill, a stationary bike, or a squeaky metal cylinder, endless cardio performed on restricted calories is a road to nowhere, literally and figuratively.

This is especially true if you're following one of the ultra-low-carb diets that are so popular now. Carbohydrates are the primary energy source for physical activity, and decades of research has shown that low-carb diets don't adequately support strenuous physical activity or athletic performance for extended periods of time. In contrast, a diet moderate in carbs will supply enough energy for the average Joe to stay active and still burn fat. Endurance exercise requires more carbohydrates than strength training does, but in neither case will training be optimized without sufficient carbs.

Problem #4: Diets cannibalize your muscle.
Diets also tend to pay too little attention to supporting muscle mass during periods of caloric restriction. This is important for more than just aesthetic reasons. And when you lose muscle, your basal metabolic rate drops, and you don't burn as many calories.

Most guys try to burn off the fat first and then build the muscle. To do that, you have to lower your calories so far that you don't have the energy to train hard in the gym. You burn more muscle than fat, lowering your metabolic rate and setting the stage for weight gain.

Secrets For a Flat Stomach

Developing a lean, flat stomach takes time and patience, especially when it comes to those last few kilograms in those hard to lose places. There is only one way to lose fat in the so-called ’stubborn areas,’ and that is with the correct combination strength training (with a extra focus on mid-section), cardiovascular exercise (short, hard workouts), and stable blood sugar (keeps you from adding additional fat and makes it easier for the body to use body fat for fuel).


Spot Reduction is a Myth - The first thing you need to realize is that it is impossible to ’spot reduce’ fat from one specific part of the body. Fat loss occurs systemically, meaning that you can’t control where the fat comes from. When you burn fat for energy, you will draw it from all areas of the body, and the first place you tend to put it on will be the last place it comes off.

Cardio, cardio, cardio - Doing all the abs exercises in the world will do nothing if you have a layer of fat covering it. Doing strength training, or lifting weights, would help, but not as much as aerobic exercise. If you want to add some ab exercises in after the cardio, that’s great, but be sure to work your whole torso, not just the upper abs — that includes the lower abs, lower back and the muscles that wrap around your sides.

For example, Walking, jogging, bicycling, elliptical exercise and stair climbing are all great fat burners. Most give up early in the workout. During the first 10 minutes of aerobic activity, glycogen (stored carbohydrates) is the primary fuel source. Because you don’t burn significant amounts of fat until glycogen stores are depleted, the key to maximum fat loss is to work out aerobically for 30-60 minutes continuously per session.

Diet - Its best to stay away from fried food and too many sugary desserts. Abdominal fat loss is a 50% exercise, 50% nutrition combination. Regardless of how much you workout, if the number of calories you take in is greater than the amount you burn, you’ll still put on abdominal fat.

Eat Small Meals Regularly - You should try and spread your calories out into five small meals a day instead of 2 or 3 big ones so that you don’t overeat in one feeding.

Give it Time - If you want to have a flat stomach in 3 weeks, forget it. Losing fat takes time, and it’s unhealthy to lose too much weight too fast. Gradual weight loss is healthier, and more likely to be sustained over time. Go for a lifestyle change, something you can live with for the rest of your life, or you will just yo-yo. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.

SUGGESTIONS FOR A HIGH SODIUM DIET

An adult requires between 2000 and 3000 milligrams (mg) of sodium to maintain health. Although health advice in the last two decades has suggested that a low salt intake helps prevent heart disease and stroke, many individuals with orthostatic intolerance cannot tolerate this low salt diet. We believe that individuals with neurally mediated hypotension or postural tachycardia syndrome need to take in much higher amounts of salt.

The exact amount needed is different for each individual, and is often affected by your taste for salty foods, but it is difficult to take too much, provided that you have access to lots of fluids if you become thirsty. A few individuals have been unable to tolerate an increase in sodium intake without developing increased weight gain, headache, or agitation.

Table salt is also an excellent source of sodium, as it has 2300 mg of sodium per teaspoon. Salt tablets are a way of getting enough sodium without dramatically changing the taste of your foods. If you decide to increase your sodium intake with salt tablets, we suggest that you start slowly, and work gradually up to 900-1000 mg three times a day. Some patients tolerate even higher doses. The amount tolerated varies from person to person. By stepping up your dose slowly, you can determine how much is optimal for you within this range. Remember that if you change your diet to increase sodium intake from your food, you may not need as many salt tablets. Some of our patients report better tolerance of a buffered salt tablet (the commercially available brand contains 450 mg sodium chloride and 30 mg potassium chloride). Salt tablets are available without a prescription.

As for fluid intake, be sure to drink at least 2 liters of fluid a day. Water is fine, but some prefer sports drinks (which have the advantage of a higher sodium content), and other commercially available rehydration fluids contain substantially more sodium than sports drinks. The following are high salt foods to help with your needs:

Breads and cereals: Mg sodium
Noodles, potatoes, rice from instant mixes 500
Wheaties (1 cup) 400
Waffles (one) 355
All Bran (½ cup) 285
Cheerios (1 cup) 260
Rice Krispies (1 cup) 260
Saltine crackers (6) 200


Dairy Products:
Parmesan cheese (1 oz.) 450
Processed cheese and cheese spreads (1 oz.) 320
Cottage cheese (½ cup) 230


Meat, poultry, fish:
Enchilada 1300

TV dinner (1) 1200

Sweet-n-sour pork (1 serving) 1100

Lasagna (1 serving) 1000

Soup, canned (1 cup) 895

Fish-n-chips (1 serving) 750

Hamburger (1) 690

Hot dog (1) 550

Tuna, canned (½ cup) 535

Corn beef (1 oz) 530

Fried chicken (1 serving) 530

Pizza, cheese (1 slice) 500

Pork-n-beans, chili (1 cup) 460

Luncheon meat (1 slice) 300

Bacon (4 slices) 280



Snacks, condiments:
Pretzel Stix, 1 tray (28 g) 1460

Soysauce (1 tbsp) 870
Olives, green (4) 600

Salted nuts (½ cup) 420

Olives, ripe (4) 400

Fruit pie (1/8 pie serving) 355