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Article Title:
Why Isn't My Diet Working?

Article Description:
Can't seem to get your diet to work? Have you actually GAINED a pound or two
since you've been on it? Here are 10 things that you should look at before you
decide that your diet just doesn't work and go off looking for another one.

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Word Count: 1539 (not including resource box)
Category: diet, health, nutrition
Spam check rating: Low

Written By: Hiram Perez
Contact Email: hiram@...

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http://www.balance-your-health.com/articles/Why-Isnt-Diet-Working.htm

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Why Isn't My Diet Working?
© Copyright 2005 Hiram Perez

Have you been on a new diet for a couple of weeks and
found that you STILL can't lose weight? Have you
actually GAINED a pound or two since you've been on
it? Are you just about ready to throw this diet out the
window and try something else? Well, hold on a
minute. There might be something else going on that's
preventing your diet from working.

Getting your diet to work is like planting a seed in a
garden. In order for the seed to grow, you have to plant
it in good soil. You have to water it, fertilize it, and
protect it from weeds. In other words, a seed needs a
good environment if it's going to have any chance at all
to sprout, take root, and grow.

Similarly, in order for your diet to start showing results
for you, it also needs a good environment. Here are 10
"weeds" that will prevent the success of any diet and
may actually be the reason that yours isn't working.

1. YOU'RE NOT REALLY SERIOUS ABOUT LOSING
WEIGHT

For your diet to work, you obviously have to be serious
about losing weight. You need to have the right mental
attitude about weight loss. In other words, you have to
get your "head right." This includes:

a. Making a firm commitment to lose the weight, no
matter what.
b. Making sure you're doing this for the right reasons.
Trying to lose weight to please someone else never
works.
c. Convincing yourself that you CAN lose the weight--
and that you WILL!

If your diet isn't working, it could be because you're not
really serious about losing the weight in the first place.

2. YOU'RE CHEATING ON YOUR DIET

Cheating on your diet and cheating on love both end in
disappointment. Consistent weight loss requires, well,
consistency. Most of us work so hard to stick to our diet
during the week that we convince ourselves that we can
splurge on the weekend. Or we think that because we
skipped breakfast, we can have dessert with lunch.
Both are a bad choice.

It's easy to convince yourself that having a small snack
won't hurt, or that you'll work it off later. The problem is it
does, and you never do. If your diet isn't working, it
could be because you're not following it consistently.

3. YOU'RE NOT EATING FEWER CALORIES

I heard of someone that started one of those protein
shake diets. He actually gained a couple of pounds.
When he was asked how often he was drinking the
shakes, he said, "I drink one with every meal." It never
occurred to him that the shakes were supposed to
replace his meals, not supplement them.

Many dieters buy low-cal foods, and then eat twice as
much. Don't be one of them! The only way to lose
weight is to reduce your total caloric intake. Make sure
you reduce the size of your portions and cut out all
snacks that are not part of your diet plan. If your diet isn't
working--or if you've actually gained a pound or two--it
could be because you're not eating fewer total calories.

4. YOU'RE NOT EATING THE RIGHT FOODS

Eating fewer calories is only part of the battle. You need
to make sure that the foods you do eat are the right
types. A good rule of thumb is to make sure you get
plenty of fruits, salads, and dark green vegetables. Stay
away from refined foods and starches and eat meat in
very small amounts (sorry, I'm not an Atkins fan).

Leafy, green, water-rich vegetables will aid digestion,
help keep you healthy, and will actually help your body
get rid of excess fat. If your diet isn't working, it could be
because you're not eating the right foods.

5. YOU'RE NOT DRINKING ENOUGH WATER

When you go on a diet, your body goes into overdrive to
get rid of the excess fats and toxins that the diet
liberates. Many diets (especially the protein ones) put a
strain on your body's organs, especially the kidneys.
Because of this, it's vital that you drink plenty of water.

Drinking 8 or so full glasses of water every day helps to
flush out the excess fats and toxins your body is trying to
eliminate. Drinking plenty of water has other benefits
including reducing headaches and improving your hair
and skin. If your diet isn't working, it could be because
you're not drinking enough water.

6. YOU'RE NOT EXERCISING ENOUGH

The best way to increase the number of calories you
burn is through exercise. Pick walking, running, playing
sports, swimming, or whatever--just make sure that
when you exercise, you actually exercise. Some people
go to the gym to socialize, not to exercise. Make sure
you're not one of them! Get to work and make sure you
stay with it long enough to burn off some excess
calories.

To lose weight, shoot for 20 to 30 minutes of aerobic
exercise, every other day. Note that these 20-30
minutes do not include stretching, warm ups, cool
downs, or checking yourself out in front of the mirror.
Sure, these are an important part of your exercise
routine but you're not going to lose any weight by
stretching. At least 20 to 30 minutes of aerobic exercise,
every other day.

If you've reduced the amount of calories you're eating
and your diet isn't working, it could be because you're
not exercising enough.

7. YOU'RE EXERCISING TOO HARD

This may be counterintuitive but it's true. If you exercise
too hard, your body goes into an ANAEROBIC state
(without oxygen). This is when you get so out of breath
that you can't seem to take in enough air. When the
body is in this state, it burns mostly carbohydrates and
very little fat. This is why runners "carb up" before a big
race--and also why runners have just as much body fat
as the rest of us.

Slow your exercise down to no more than 85% of your
maximum heart rate (subtract your age from 220 to get
your max heart rate). At this pace, your body is in an
AEROBIC state (with oxygen) and most of the calories
that are burned are from fat, not carbs. An added
benefit is that aerobic exercise tends to be low impact
making it easy on your joints.

If you already get plenty of exercise and your diet still
isn't working, it could be because you're exercising too
hard.

8. YOU'RE NOT GETTING ENOUGH REST

We all live stressful lives. Dieting typically changes your
eating and exercise habits-- two more stressor's your
body has to deal with. The only chance your body has
to relieve tension, rejuvenate and rebuild itself is during
sleep so it's important to get enough when dieting.

Not getting enough sleep can actually slow your
metabolism making weight loss difficult. It can also
make you feel "groggy," which means you probably
won't make the best food choices throughout the day. If
your diet isn't working, it could be because you're not
getting enough rest.

9. YOU'RE FIGHTING TOO MANY BATTLES AT ONCE

Weight loss requires both consistent effort and focus.
You won't have either if you're trying to diet and deal
with other "major events" in your life at the same time.
Major events include things like changing jobs, moving
to new house or city, trying to stop smoking, a death,
accident, or sickness in the family, and so on. All of
these things create a disruption in our lives and cause
us to put everything--including our diets--on hold. To
make matters worse, how do most of us deal with the
stress caused by these major events? By snacking!
Your diet doesn't have a chance.

So don't even try. Give yourself permission to put your
diet on hold until you can give it the consistent energy
and focus it needs. Choose your battles carefully and
fight only one at a time. If your diet isn't working, it may
be because you're trying to fight too many at once.

10. YOUR WEIGHT LOSS GOAL IS NOT REALISTIC

Like all good things, healthy weight loss takes time.
Make sure you're not setting yourself up for
disappointment by setting a weight loss goal that is
totally unrealistic. This includes not only the amount of
weight you want to lose, but also the amount of time you
think it will take. If you're doing all the right things and
your diet isn't working, it may be because your weight
loss goal-or the time required to reach it-isn't realistic.

Once you get all of these issues resolved, you've
cleared the way to get your diet back on track. As your
diet takes root and begins to work, you should start to
see the weight come off easily and naturally.

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Hiram Perez has made good health and fitness a lifelong study. Discover other
simple and common sense techniques to improve your wellbeing by signing up for a
free 5-part mini-course at www.Balance-Your-Health.com


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