Quick Weight Loss

From LoveToKnow Diet

Quick weight loss and subsequently keeping the pounds off have been unsolved scientific mysteries for years. While researchers continue to search for answers regarding how to safely, effectively and permanently achieve quick weight loss, the following information is a review of the best information currently available.

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Quick Weight Loss Methods

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Diet Programs/Books

Programs promoting a specific strategy for quick weight loss have been around for many years. For example, the Scarsdale Diet was first introduced in the 1970’s and appears to be a popular perennial favorite. Other programs marketing themselves as this type of plan include The Atkins Diet, The Cabbage Soup Diet, and The Grapefruit Diet.

While these fad diets will produce immediate weight loss, albeit under unsafe measures, the lost pounds are typically not permanently gone. Because these plans tend to be extremely restrictive, following the guidelines for any length of time is not often tolerable. Hence, when normal eating habits return in terms of food portions and choices, any pounds that were shed will quickly find their way back.

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Food Products

Meal replacement products, such as Slim Fast food items, promote quick weight reduction by means of integrating their products into you daily intake. For example, Slim Fast insists that if you choose 2 of their food products and 1 sensible meal each day, weight will simply melt away. Claims such as these can also be heard from large food companies, such as Kellogg’s, and the Special K cereal promise of replacing 2 meals per day with a serving of their cereal.

Incorporating food products into meal planning, whether they are shakes, bars, or cereals, does offer portion control. However, on that same note, portion control is never taught and understood since dieters choosing prepackaged items need not be concerned with food amounts. Again, when a more traditional type of eating pattern resumes, weight usually returns as well.

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Weight Loss Centers

Establishments that offer quick diet solutions seem to be popping up around the country. The Quick Weight Loss Center, based in Florida, for example, describes itself as “the safest, fastest, most effective weight loss program available”. In addition to these types of claims, many centers publicize their ability to teach the correct ways to keep the weight off for good.

As with over-the-counter food products mentioned above, milkshakes, bars, soups and other food items are incorporated into these programs. These prepackaged foods are highly processed and most contain sugar substitutes such as aspartame. Average total calories are less than 1200 per day, and more typically under 1000 calories per day.

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Diet Pills and Herbs

Probably one of the largest sectors of the diet market is the manufacture of diet pills. After all, isn’t the magic diet pill what the world is waiting to obtain? While safety issues are always at the forefront, many pills have not been determined unsafe due to lack of long-term studies.

Popular ingredients in diet pills include hoodia, green tea extract, ginseng, guarana, and bitter orange. Many manufacturers are still waiting for patents of weight loss blends. An important note to keep in mind is that the Food and Drug Administration does not oversee these products unless a need arises. For this reason, the use of caution when ingesting any type of ingredient blend new to your body is imperative. Herbs can cause an array of side effects as well, such as blood thinning, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and anxiety.

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Summary

Most quick weight loss regimes violate two critical recommendations for proper nutrition: balance and variety. Whether entire food groups are eliminated, such as high protein diets, or emphasis is placed on one single food, such as the Cabbage Soup Diet, sticking to a restrictive plan does not teach lifelong eating habits. The safety of any similar type diet program should always be questioned. The bottom line is if any weight loss plan advises less than 1200 calories per day, it is not healthy. Similarly, a diet regime that does not suggest physical activity is outright undermining the quality of your health.

Diet folklore began as early as the 19th century and likely will continue to find its way in the diet world. However, no matter what may be heard over the radio waves, or advertised on the television or computer screen, the healthiest road to weight loss success is the one with balanced, properly portioned, and wholesome food choices. In addition, physical activity is a vital component for not only weight loss, but also for successful weight maintenance.

A Final Note: Please be cautious of any program that uses descriptive words such as safe or healthy. Many programs use these terms as advertising ploys. In reality, however, the small black print of these plans describes a dangerous and unhealthy scenario to weight loss. In contrast, many plans may advertise quick weight loss when in fact they are set-up for a 2-pound weight loss per week, which is the recommended safe and healthy amount to lose.

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