Diets Don't Work!

Diets don't work! They are not realistic and cannot be adhered to on a permanent basis.

In fact, every major study shows that the vast majority of dieters gain the weight back, and sometimes more.

So if diets don't work, how are you supposed to lose weight?

1. Be patient. Diets promise rapid weight loss. But when you lose weight too quickly, you lose not only fat, but also water, muscle and other body tissue. (Yuck!) Losing muscle decreases your metabolism, making it harder to keep the weight off. To ensure safe, permanent fat loss, aim for losing 1-2 pounds per week.

2. Eat the correct number of calories.  Eating too few calories can be just as detrimental as eating too many calories. Too few calories will slow down your metabolism. Too many calories will make you gain weight.

The first step is to determine your personal calorie range for weight loss. You can easily do this with with one of the many calorie-counting apps or websites.  We like MyFitnessPal.com because it is user-friendly, convenient and can be used as either an app or a website.

3. Eat a balanced diet of mostly whole foods. Fill up on vegetables and fruit. Eat lean protein and low-fat or nonfat dairy products. Eat whole grains, nuts and seeds. Limit your consumption of processed foods. To ensure that you are getting ALL the nutrients you need (including vitamins, minerals, fiber, etc.) as well as the correct number of calories, track your food intake on MyFitnessPal.com or a similar site.

4. Listen to your body's internal cues. If you slow down and listen to your body, you can learn to eat the right amount of food. Don't eat just because it's there or just because other people are eating.

5. Exercise 5 days a week. Studies show that people who lose weight and keep it off exercise 5 hours a week. When they start to slack off by even one hour a week, they stop making progress, or even start to gain weight back. Exercise is not a temporary weight loss tool. It is a lifestyle that you must maintain throughout your life for optimum health and well-being.

Our 12-week AAY! Nutrition for WEIGHT LOSS program adheres to the above principals to help our members lose weight safely, effectively and permanently. If you'd like additional support with reaching your weight loss goals, consider applying for the next session which will begin in January.