Go to any grocery store check out counter and you’ll see those popular magazines. On the cover you see something like, lose 10 pounds in 10 days, or 30 pounds in 30 days. Regardless of the amount of weight and time it takes, they all promise quick-weight loss. Without you realizing it, these programs are quite damaging to your health and metabolism.
To be honest, you can lose that much weight in that much time. However, what you’re losing is not fat and it’s not safe weight loss. To gain better perspective, let’s define what the paradigm of weight is:
Weight is nothing more than the force of gravity pulling an object toward earth! Here’s a test for you. Go weigh yourself. As soon as you weigh yourself, drink 16 ounces of water and weigh yourself again. When you weigh yourself again, you will see that you weigh 1 pound more. Does this mean you gained one pound of fat? Of course not!
If I were to put you on the moon, you’ll weigh only 16% percent of what you weigh on earth. Sounds good, right? Problem is, nothing else changes. If you have high blood pressure, you still have high blood pressure. If you have diabetes, you still have diabetes. If you have a high body fat percentage, you still have a high body fat percentage. Yet, your weight and your BMI (body mass index) are less. What you're trying to lose is fat. So, what are you losing if it’s not fat?
The 3,500 Calorie Problem: There are 3,500 calories in a pound of fat. This means that if the 10 pounds in 10 days were fat, you would have had to utilize in excess of 35,000 beyond your resting metabolic rate over a period of 10 days. Considering your resting metabolic rate (aka RMR) is approximately 1,700 (going with average estimate between male and female that is inactive), the laws of physics make it impossible to lose that much fat in that amount of time via diet alone. Even when you include exercise, it’s still too darn impossible for it to be fat. Maybe if you were in a military boot camp it is possible (not one of those boot camps at the park).
So, finally, what are you losing?
First- Digestive matter: You might have heard already that you lose muscle and water. This is true. However, what you lose initially is digestive matter. As I already mentioned, everything weighs something. So, naturally, when I begin to eat less, I have less food in my digestive tract. When I begin to eliminate (that is excrete or go to the bathroom), I will automatically begin to weigh less. Once again, this is not fat that I am losing. It’s weight. Nothing else, nothing more. Just weight. Once again, it’s not fat. It’s weight from less food. You’re metabolism isn’t better, you’re body composition hasn’t changed, and your health has not improved.
Second- Body Water: As you know, most of your body is comprised of water. Water is in all cells and surrounds all the cells. Thus, giving it the name intracellular and extracellular fluid. When you eat, the food you absorb is attached to water in order to be transferred and stored somewhere else. In particular, carbohydrates have 2.4 grams of water attached to it for every 1 gram of carbohydrate. When you begin to eat less carbs, you will automatically begin to lose water weight.
Now, let’s dig a little further. Carbs are stored in the muscle in the form of glycogen. When you go on a low calorie diet (a diet without exercise, ingesting less calories than resting metabolism), your body will begin to use up this carbohydrate (glycogen) energy to the point of depletion. As you use it, you will decrease in weight. Make sense? Once again, it’s weight, not fat!
Third- Muscle loss: You might have already heard that you lose muscle. As a matter of fact, the greatest amount of weight loss is attributed to muscle loss. Yes, this is true, but do you understand why?
When you go on a very low calorie diet (VLCD), you are basically putting your body into caloric deprivation. This means that you are going below your resting metabolism. This means that you’re probably not getting enough of the right types of macronutrients, which is fat, carbohydrates, and proteins. Your body’s primary source of energy is carbohydrates, not fat. When you don’t get enough carbohydrate energy, your body is going to go to the next readily available source of energy, which is also not fat.
If you haven’t guessed it by now, your body will use protein as a source of fuel. The most abundant form of protein you have in your body is muscle. It will breakdown into amino acids in order to be converted into glucose (this process is known as gluconeogenesis). It will catabolize itself in order to give you the energy requirements you demand. Your body is not going to breakdown other vital organs like the digestive tract, brain, or skin to give you your energy requirements. Your muscle is going to breakdown at the source of which most energy expenditure takes place, which is muscle itself. When you lose muscle, you lose weight. Once again, not fat!
With exception to the brain, muscle is the most metabolically active tissue in the body. So, what does this do to your metabolism when you begin to lose muscle? It decreases! Now, let’s take this a step further. Muscle just so happens to be the most active and virtually only tissue that utilizes fat as a source of energy. When you lose muscle, you basically are training yourself to hold on to body fat better. In other words, you’re training yourself to be fatter, even if you’re losing weight.
Final Thought: I believe one of the greatest challenges that fitness professionals have in overcoming this myth is what we're up against. There are a myriad of celebrities, radio show talk show hosts, and even medical professionals that endorse these radical, quick weight loss programs (and surgeries). I'm sure to write articles about this paradigm as well.
In the meantime, ask yourself this this question: Should my concern be weight loss or health gain? You may be able to lose 10 pounds in 10 days, but in no way does this improve your strength, bone mass, stamina, cardiorespiratory health/fitness, muscle tone, decrease cancer risks, improve metabolism, improve mental cognition, improve hormone levels, et cetera, et cetera. As a matter of fact, quick weight loss programs seem to do the complete and exact opposite.
Comments
hi...................
You cannot eat a juck food and take a small quantity of foods and drink lots of water in a day.
thanks
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I absolutely agree!
This article is SUCH a downer!!! Don't get me wrong-I mean, ypou're absolutely right-well-wriiten, very informative, very right on, no room for arguments. BUT do you know how long it takes to get your body out of a rut of eating what you KNOW to be crappy-and finally get into a groove of eating less and eating healthy, and how GOOD it feels to see your body shrinking overnight just because ?(or so you think) you've denied yourself certain foods (nmot even "bad ones" according to your avoacod and carb articles)???? I am an avid lover of holistic health, alternative medacine, ayurvedic health, ectera and have been for about 6 years now (i recently certified as a pilatesspent about 2 years on the brink of obesity and diabetes (thanks to some very bad prescription pills) previous to that i lived my entire childhood in ultra-sedentery style and always thought i was just meant to be "thick" and voluptious. Turns out my body has a natural tendecey to be quite sleek -with the help of opilates and dance i've discovered that i was always meant to be lean BUT no matter how healthy i get on the inside, my past has left it's mark on my body-I've come to terms with the stretch marks, but I cannot help but HATE the fat that sits ABOVE my muscle, happily safe from all the many excersices and "diet" changes I throw at it. On top of that I've moved to a new country in the last few years with a completely different food set. For instance I decided to go on a low carb diet here to get rid of my tummy-peanuts (of a particulary unie and addicitvel variety-are extremely pletniful and cheap here), as are avacodoes, so all this added very well to my only protein diet. I lost the tummy-partly (that above the muscle fat just laughed and lauon-existence and i finally decided it wasn't worth it) but last week i was trying on my bathing suit and caught a glimpse of my behind-and LORDY has it morphed it!! I am african but friends and family have alwayus made fun of how i have the tiniest flattest "whitwe" bottom-well NO LONGER!!! My bottom has multiplied and riplified beyond comprehensiopn.
I guess my point is I have this body-that basically looks like a typically UNHEALTHY
This article is SUCH a downer!!! Don't get me wrong-I mean, ypou're absolutely right-well-wriiten, very informative, very right on, no room for arguments. BUT do you know how long it takes to get your body out of a rut of eating what you KNOW to be crappy-and finally get into a groove of eating less and eating healthy, and how GOOD it feels to see your body shrinking overnight just because ?(or so you think) you've denied yourself certain foods (nmot even "bad ones" according to your avoacod and carb articles)???? I am an avid lover of holistic health, alternative medacine, ayurvedic health, ectera and have been for about 6 years now (i recently certified as a pilatesspent about 2 years on the brink of obesity and diabetes (thanks to some very bad prescription pills) previous to that i lived my entire childhood in ultra-sedentery style and always thought i was just meant to be "thick" and voluptious. Turns out my body has a natural tendecey to be quite sleek -with the help of opilates and dance i've discovered that i was always meant to be lean BUT no matter how healthy i get on the inside, my past has left it's mark on my body-I've come to terms with the stretch marks, but I cannot help but HATE the fat that sits ABOVE my muscle, happily safe from all the many excersices and "diet" changes I throw at it. On top of that I've moved to a new country in the last few years with a completely different food set. For instance I decided to go on a low carb diet here to get rid of my tummy-peanuts (of a particulary unie and addicitvel variety-are extremely pletniful and cheap here), as are avacodoes, so all this added very well to my only protein diet. I lost the tummy-partly (that above the muscle fat just laughed and lauon-existence and i finally decided it wasn't worth it) but last week i was trying on my bathing suit and caught a glimpse of my behind-and LORDY has it morphed it!! I am african but friends and family have alwayus made fun of how i have the tiniest flattest "whitwe" bottom-well NO LONGER!!! My bottom has multiplied and riplified beyond comprehensiopn.
I guess my point is I have this body-that basically looks like a typically UNHEALTHY
This article is SUCH a downer!!! Don't get me wrong-I mean, ypou're absolutely right-well-wriiten, very informative, very right on, no room for arguments. BUT do you know how long it takes to get your body out of a rut of eating what you KNOW to be crappy-and finally get into a groove of eating less and eating healthy, and how GOOD it feels to see your body shrinking overnight just because ?(or so you think) you've denied yourself certain foods (nmot even "bad ones" according to your avoacod and carb articles)???? I am an avid lover of holistic health, alternative medacine, ayurvedic health, ectera and have been for about 6 years now (i recently certified as a pilatesspent about 2 years on the brink of obesity and diabetes (thanks to some very bad prescription pills) previous to that i lived my entire childhood in ultra-sedentery style and always thought i was just meant to be "thick" and voluptious. Turns out my body has a natural tendecey to be quite sleek -with the help of opilates and dance i've discovered that i was always meant to be lean BUT no matter how healthy i get on the inside, my past has left it's mark on my body-I've come to terms with the stretch marks, but I cannot help but HATE the fat that sits ABOVE my muscle, happily safe from all the many excersices and "diet" changes I throw at it. On top of that I've moved to a new country in the last few years with a completely different food set. For instance I decided to go on a low carb diet here to get rid of my tummy-peanuts (of a particulary unie and addicitvel variety-are extremely pletniful and cheap here), as are avacodoes, so all this added very well to my only protein diet. I lost the tummy-partly (that above the muscle fat just laughed and lauon-existence and i finally decided it wasn't worth it) but last week i was trying on my bathing suit and caught a glimpse of my behind-and LORDY has it morphed it!! I am african but friends and family have alwayus made fun of how i have the tiniest flattest "whitwe" bottom-well NO LONGER!!! My bottom has multiplied and riplified beyond comprehensiopn.
I guess my point is I have this body-that basically looks like a typically UNHEALTHY
SO SORRY, the above comment got posted before i had a chance to edit and i am using a very bad keyboard at the moment. Anyhow to finish my tirade/desperate call-I was sayying that my body is the kind of body that from day to day has people thinking I've gained or lost 10-20 lbs. My point is for ppl like US, these gimmicks seem to be all we've got! Short of having a trainer as knowledgable as yourself, and going through a hardcore training, celeberity style- I don't see how I can satisfy my Girlie Ego and look as good outisde as I feel inside WITHOUT resorting to these STUPID techniques. I JUST want to be PRETTTY!!!! You know??!!!
Jill - Although I've never seen you - You are pretty. Pretty is what's on the inside of us - your heart.
Kelly shares a lot of great information. Fortunately there is a wellness company that understands this dilemma. It's not about a diet - it's about a lifestyle.
It is important to give people energy. With energy we are able to get off of the couch and exercise and with energy we make healthier food choices. (because we feel better)
It is important to cleanse our digestive track. Just like our car needs an oil change - so does our body. With the cleanse we will absorb more nutrients. A cleanse will remove 'build up' in our system. (if it doesn't come out - it doesn't come off)
Americans are over fed & under nourished - It is important to provide 'core nutrition'.
And just like Kelly talks about it is important to build lean muscle and burn fat.
All of this is available - overseen by a scientific and medical board and a sports advisory board with docs such as Dr. Robert Hackman from the department of nutrition, University of Ca. Davis, or someone that I'm sure Kelly knows of Dr. William Kraemer and many more.
All of our endorsers are non paid and we only use the highest quality ingredients.
Our vernacular for this program is called the '24 day challenge' information about it can be found on my website.
It is safe and effective and has profoundly changed lives. It is about a healthy lifestyle.
Feel free to email me through the website if I can answer any questions.
Be Blessed and today... be your best!
Jill - Although I've never seen you - You are pretty. Pretty is what's on the inside of us - your heart.
Kelly shares a lot of great information. Fortunately there is a wellness company that understands this dilemma. It's not about a diet - it's about a lifestyle.
It is important to give people energy. With energy we are able to get off of the couch and exercise and with energy we make healthier food choices. (because we feel better)
It is important to cleanse our digestive track. Just like our car needs an oil change - so does our body. With the cleanse we will absorb more nutrients. A cleanse will remove 'build up' in our system. (if it doesn't come out - it doesn't come off)
Americans are over fed & under nourished - It is important to provide 'core nutrition'.
And just like Kelly talks about it is important to build lean muscle and burn fat.
All of this is available - overseen by a scientific and medical board and a sports advisory board with docs such as Dr. Robert Hackman from the department of nutrition, University of Ca. Davis, or someone that I'm sure Kelly knows of Dr. William Kraemer and many more.
All of our endorsers are non paid and we only use the highest quality ingredients.
Our vernacular for this program is called the '24 day challenge' information about it can be found on my website.
It is safe and effective and has profoundly changed lives. It is about a healthy lifestyle.
Feel free to email me if I can answer any questions.
Be Blessed and today... be your best!
hfleming1@cfl.rr.com
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