One of the contributing reasons for the growing obesity epidemic in the western world is that technology has led to a culture of convenience and an inactive lifestyle. This has a strong impact on what we eat and live and the means by which we lose the tummy. So it makes sense why we eat fast food and lose weight with fad diets because it’s quick and easy.
For everyone who has been on a diet to lose their belly, it is clear that they do not work because you will have to go on another diet in the near future. It’s no wonder the nutrition industry in the US is a booming, multi-billion dollar industry. The reality is that managing a healthy lifestyle and weight is an ongoing activity that requires patience, unwavering dedication, exercise, and confidence. The sad reality is that most of us don’t take the long and steady road to well-being and choose the short road to nowhere.
Unlike a healthy diet, which consists of a balanced diet with a variety of foods, the typical diet is highly nutritionally skewed because it either restricts or overemphasizes a particular food or food mix. The following diets will only undermine your ability to lose your belly as you usually end up with fleeting results at the expense of your health.
low carb diets
Low-carb diets like Atkins don’t work long-term because they’re either too rigid or difficult to stick to. As you deprive your body of its fuel, your energy levels drop, leading to headaches, irritability, and insomnia.
It’s the type of carbs you eat that matters, not the carbs themselves, when you’re trying to lose your belly. Your diet should include fewer refined carbohydrates such as white rice, bread and pasta, potatoes and sweets, and higher carbohydrates from whole grains such as whole wheat bread and whole wheat pasta should be consumed more in your diet. Carbohydrates that make up fruits and vegetables in your diet should fall somewhere between the refined and whole grain carbs.
Fat Free Diets
Eating a fat-free diet to lose your belly means you need to supplement your diet with another nutrient, and in this case, it’s carbohydrates. Be wary of foods in the supermarket that claim to be “low in fat” as they are loaded with calories in the form of sugar and will instead cause you to gain more weight.
Fat is an essential nutrient and must be a regular part of your daily diet to help you lose weight. One of the benefits of having unsaturated fats as a major part of your dietary fat is that it improves your good (HDL) cholesterol and helps prevent heart disease. When it comes to saturated and trans fats, less is more for better health and weight management.
Even if fad diets work in the short term, isn’t it worth your time, money, sacrifice and effort just to regain weight and eat again? Most moms trying to lose their belly need to eat a balanced but calorie-restricted diet combined with increased physical activity. No more and no less. Remember to always strive to maintain health and well-being, enjoy life and forget about diets.
Thanks to Suzanne M Brown
