Crash diets actually work!

I thought that would get your attention! Most of us have tried at least one "crash diet" and failed miserably, only to end up packing on a couple more pounds than we started with. The thing about any diet, is that it was designed to work. The thing that doesn't work with crash diets is YOU.

All diets are designed to help you lose weight temporarily. Anyone can lose 10 pounds by changing their eating habits for a few days, or even a month. The trick is maintaining your diet change once you have completed the length of the "diet". The thing that most people don't do when they are dieting is follow through. That is where we all fail.

In order for any weight loss system to work, you have to change your food intake, physical activity, and even your mind set permanently. Crash diets are great tools to give you a kick start to losing weight. Being able to see the scale drop by a few pounds is always motivational! The sad part is when your steam runs out, and you crave that diet coke or snickers candy bar you can't say no.

As humans, we are raised to eat three meals a day. We are trained to eat when we are hungry, and eat enough to hold us over until the next meal in 3-5 hours. The truth is by waiting until you are hungry, your body has already gone into starvation mode, your metabolism slows down so you can store fat. Then when you eat, you eat more than you need to and when you are done, you feel "full" which is usually a sick feeling.

Most health conscious people eat 5+ small meals a day. First thing in the morning is the most important, it sets the pace for the rest of the day. For breakfast I usually have a 24oz smoothie made up of raw pineapple, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and spinach. For snack, about half an hour after my morning smoothie I go with a hard boiled egg, cheese stick, peanut butter with celery, or yogurt, etc. Half way between breakfast and lunch, I have another smoothie, and another snack. Then for lunch, I have another smoothie and another snack. By eating small snack sized meals throughout the day, I am able to keep my stomach satisfied, so I won't binge eat. By the time dinner comes around, I have eaten enough calories throughout the day to keep me going without feeling hungry. For dinner, I can generally eat whatever my heart desires, obviously within reason. Most of the time, we eat chicken breast with veggies. This sort of thing can be prepared in a variety of ways which is nice. No butter necessary, just a little seasoning is all I need.

I know that I am in no way perfect, but I was for so long addicted to Mountain Dew, and McDonalds. I speak from experience, it can be done. My father-in-law has lost 65 pounds over the last year or so, and people ask him all the time what he did to lose weight. His answer, eat right and exercise.

If you take a look at the food guide pyramid, remove the top section, then remove the bottom section. You are left with the "weight loss trapezoid". A friend recently shared this on Facebook, and it really stuck.

I have many people around me who want to lose weight, they all wonder why they are unable to lose weight. The thing is, it's not their fault. We are trained to eat when we are hungry from birth, we are trained to eat 3 meals a day. We are told that we need bread, milk, and starchy foods to survive. The truth is our meals should consist of 80% raw fruits and veggies. Most of us don't get nearly enough fiber in our diets, we don't eat enough fruit or veggies.

I am not preaching because I think I am perfect. I am writing this because I have finally figured out what I have been doing wrong for so long. My wife and I made a conscious choice about a year ago that we needed to eat healthier so we could be around for our kids. We have not added any exercise until just recently. Now, we are going to the gym 6 days a week, with a personal trainer helping us along the way. It is time to lose for life.

If you are serious about losing weight, start somewhere! Take it one day at a time, you CAN do it!