How Dieting Makes People Obese

There was an interesting article in the Huffington Post yesterday: How Dieting Makes People Obese. It discusses the powerful effect that dieting can have on your relationship with food. Check it out.

The article discusses women (and even young girls) who begin to diet to lose weight (even when it isn't medically necessary). The food restriction causes food to become a focal point; no longer able to eat freely the food restrictions cause them to crave forbidden treats. When the diet ends the new unhealthy relationship with food remains. Compulsive overeating leads to regaining the lost weight and more.

It's an interesting idea (although perhaps a bit overstated in this article), and something I'm actively trying to avoid. I hope that by focusing on adding new healthy habits, instead of focusing on restrictions, I can avoid this diet trap. I'm working on adding more colorful fruits and veggies to my diet (at least 5 a day in 3 colors), and making daily exercise a priority. I'm also cooking more at home, and trying new healthy recipes, in hopes that I will enjoy my home-cooked healthy meals more than the high-calorie processed foods I'm avoiding. Time will tell how this works for me.

This article didn't mention another important way that dieting can make people obese. During weight loss you inevitably lose some muscle and lean tissue along with the fat. When the weight is regained- the fat is regained (plus more), but the muscle is usually not. This causes the basal metabolic rate to drop (due to decreased muscle tissue), and the person now needs to eat fewer calories to maintain their weight. Do this a few times (as happens with yo-yo dieters), and you can see how easy it is to put on more weight that was lost. I think the key here is to avoid the muscle loss as much as possible. And, as I've mentioned before, I just started a weight training program to try to maintain my muscle mass while losing fat.

What are you doing to avoid these dieting traps? Have you though about how you will maintain your weight when you reach your weight goal?

Weight Training for Weight Loss

I've never done much weight training. But, the more I read about it, the more convinced I become that is it crucial for healthy fat loss. So, I just signed up for a month long, twice weekly, introductory women's weight training program at the gym. It doesn't start for a month, but I'm super excited about it. So, today I bring you reasons why weight training is important for weight loss.

   by  greg westfall. 

Maintain Muscle Mass

Obviously, as I lose weight I want to be burning fat (not muscle). When the body is in a caloric deficit (while trying to lose weight) it is looking for fuel. And, it gets this by oxidizing fat (ideally), using glycogen, or catabolizing muscle (bad news). The best way to keep from catabolizing muscles is to use them (and to lose weight slowly). This is where weight training comes in. A good weight training plan will use all the major muscle groups help to prevent their catabolism.

Increase Resting Metabolic Rate
Even better, weight lifting has been shown to increase the resting metabolic rate (RMR). This is the amount of energy expended at rest and accounts for about 70% of calories burned daily. In other words weight training will increase the number of calories you burn all day long, even when you are not doing anything. RMR usually decreases with weight loss, and this is part of why it is so hard to keep the weight off. Weight training will keep your RMR higher making it easier to lose weight and keep it off. Great!

Burn Calories
If that's not reason enough, weight lifting burns calories on it's own (in addition to the extra calories burned by increasing RMR). Sure, it doesn't burn as many calories as cardio. But, everything helps, and a couple hundred calories an hour is pretty good.

Fight Osteoporosis
OK, so this isn't really related to losing weight. But, it certainly seems like a good reason to me. Strength training can increase bone density, reducing the risk of osteoporosis.

I think that settles it. Strength training is great for weight loss. I'm looking forward to my weight training program to start next month. And, here's to hoping I'll soon be incredibly buff and toned.