People immediately set foot into the dieting danger zone the second they tell themselves they are going to go on a diet. The term diet implies that they will be giving up the foods they love, that they will probably be going hungry, and worse, it implies that this will only be temporary, that as soon as they've reached their weight loss goal they will be able to go back to the way they were living.
Dieting is not about giving up the foods you love, and especially not about starving yourself. However, dieting is temporary, which is why most people eventually gain back all of the weight they initially lost. This begins a vicious cycle of one diet regimen pitfall after another.
Pitfall of a Healthy Lifestyle #1 Yoyo dieting
Any medical doctor will tell you that yoyo dieting will lead to the following health pitfalls.
Circulatory disease
Cancer
Respiratory disease
Diabetes
High blood pressure
Infertility
Pregnancy complications
Liver problems
Gallbladder disease
There is developing consensus among many experts that this type of dieting cycle is unhealthier to people than just being overweight.
For this reason, it is important that people who are overweight and decide to do something about it, attempt to get it right the first time. This is nearly impossible, but you can better your chances by avoiding the hundreds of fad diets being peddled in infomercials late at night.
Pitfall of a Healthy Lifestyle #2 Using the word diet
People have to stop thinking of weight loss as dieting and start thinking of it as healthy living. A diet will only offer short term results, which makes it detrimental to your long term health. But proper nutrition and exercise are better suited to this type of lifestyle.
Pitfall of a Healthy Lifestyle #3 Not exercising
Exercise is important, yet it is not as incremental as proper nutrition. By learning to eat properly, such as to eat healthy foods, smaller portions, etc, you can train your mind to not always crave the unhealthy foods that have made you overweight. This is not to say that you have to completely give them up. That's what dieting implies. So, living a healthier lifestyle means that you just cut back on those foods that are not good for you.
Pitfall of a Healthy Lifestyle #4 Not taking a break
Life is meant to be enjoyed, so if you enjoy pizza, then by all means continue to do so, but if you were eating it once a week when you were overweight, you will want to cut back to once a month, and then eat smaller portions.
People fall into a more vicious and dangerous dieting cycle when they look for a quick fix, or when they lack the determination to lose the weight. You can lose the weight and keep it off for good through proper nutrition and exercise. Will you slip up occasionally? Of course, no one said it was going to be easy. When you do slip up, don't beat yourself up over it. Just get back on track the following day. As you can see from the undesirable health problems listed above, it's better to regain a pound or two occasionally, rather that 25 or 30 and end up back where you started when you began dieting.
Got a Question? Ask.
Ask the community a question about this article:
Frequently Asked Questions
I have very prominent vertical ridges on a few of ...
By: mmoore | 23-11-2007
I have very prominent vertical ridges on a few of my finger nails. Could this be serious or is it just something simple?
What is a good way to avoid weight gain during the holidays?
By: lindseyd | 22-11-2007
What is a good way to avoid overeating or weight gain during the holidays without denying myself everything delicious?
Why do we eat Turkey on Thanksgiving?
By: Jassygr | 22-11-2007
Why do we eat turkey on Thanksgiving? What is it about turkey that makes you so tired? Is it unhealthy to eat in large amounts?
Dennis Quaid's Twins
By: tobi890 | 21-11-2007
I've heard about the medical error done while treating Dennis Quaid's twins, and I was wondering how does such an error could be reversed? (It was told that they were getting blood thinner, at a 1000 times concentration more than the normal).
Is obesity good or bad for the economy
By: lizzleliz1 | 20-11-2007
is obesity good or bad for the economy
Have you tried Botox injections?
By: DrJames | 20-11-2007
Have you tried Botox injections? If so, how do you like the results? Would you recommend it to others for the price you paid?
Q&A Powered by:
Latest Non-Fiction Articles
Don't Let Good Grammar Spoil Good Writing
By: Philip Yaffe | 19/08/2008
Good grammar is fundamental to good writing, right? Wrong. However, years of experience working with people who use English as a second or third language have demonstrated that focusing too much on grammar can actually be detrimental to good writing. It's a question of priorities.
Modern Helicopters-the Eh-101 Merlin
By: K. Crockett | 16/08/2008
AgustaWestland is a joint venture formed by Agusta of Italy, makers of the A-109, and Westland of Great Britain, makers of the Lynx. The EH-101 is a direct competitor to the Sikorsky S-92 and was developed for both military and civil roles.
Animals
By: shivani suraiya | 15/08/2008
All about animals. About their origin, their lifestyles and their habitats including some interesting facts on different subjets. mostly based on mammals overing all extinct mammals around the world and which are not very well known.
The Three Speech Writing SECRETS You MUST Know - The Definitive Speech Writing How to Guide
By: Stuart Brown | 15/08/2008
In this article I am going to explore several techniques as to how you can improve your speech writing abilities, and also how to approach writing a speech for certain different circumstances. Whether it be for a wedding, where perhaps you are the best man, or for an important business meeting where you really need to impress. And tell you the three secret ingredients every speech needs.
Writing Your Thoughts – the Carrot and Stick Strategy
By: Nick Sanders | 14/08/2008
When you are writing, having a strategy in mind is rather useful – especially when you are wanting your reader to commit to something or someone. You will want to lead the reader in the direction you intend to finish upon and don’t want to cause confusion and misdirection in your writing. Here are a few tips on the carrot and stick strategy of writing that is good to use in a time of need.
Science: Guaranteed to Curb Creative Thinking!
By: Natasha | 13/08/2008
In today's sci- fi world dominated by facts and figures, the essence of life and belief in God's miracles have been thrust aside as illogical and futile, nonetheless God NEVER fails to surprise us....
How to Develop Your Book’s Structure
By: Melinda Copp | 12/08/2008
A man came to me last week because he needed help writing his book. He told me that he’s had this project on his to-do list for years, but he just couldn’t seem to get started. He’s literally been staring at the task—start writing my book—almost every day, and when he came to me, he still hadn’t done it.
How to Write a Bibliography
By: Stuart Brown | 11/08/2008
If you're like me, you probably put your heart and soul into creating a wonderful paper, essay or article. You know that you conducted the necessary research and that you wrote a sound paper. However, you are now at the end and you may be wondering, how can you write a bibliography? Well, I am here to tell you how.
More from Yuki Shoji
3 Pitfalls of Low Carb Dieting
By: Yuki Shoji | 27/05/2007 | Health
In every instance the problem with fads is that they go out of style almost as quickly as they became popular. Which is why every time we turn on the television we always see an advertisement for some kind of new diet or miracle weight loss pill, which some of us inevitably try only to find that they don't work.
3 Pitfalls of Non-fat Dieting
By: Yuki Shoji | 25/05/2007 | Health
Many studies have already proven that while eating a low fat diet is highly recommended by health experts, some people often take this type of diet to an extreme, where they avoid eating fat altogether. However, not eating any fat at all works against leading a healthy lifestyle.
4 Tips for Eating Healthy Mexican Food
By: Yuki Shoji | 18/05/2007 | Health
Have you ever tasted a great plate of Mexican food? If so, then you're probably no stranger to the urge to want to eat it again.
6 Tips for Eating Healthy While Dining Out
By: Yuki Shoji | 18/05/2007 | Health
Unless you're a total recluse you will never be able to completely avoid dining out all of your life.
4 Health Benefits of Watermelons
By: Yuki Shoji | 02/05/2007 | Health
When you were young, eating watermelon was about taste, but now that you're older it's more than just taste that should inspire you to eat lots of watermelon each year when the season arises.
4 Health Benefits of Sword Fish
By: Yuki Shoji | 02/05/2007 | Health
As Omega 3 essential oils have been shown in scientific studies to be an excellent addition to a healthy diet, the popularity of sword fish has grown, as it is an excellent source of this nutrient.
5 Tips for Easy and Healthy Snacking
By: Yuki Shoji | 27/04/2007 | Health
Do you understand how important healthy snacks are
to your healthy lifestyle? If you live a healthy lifestyle, then snacking is something that is not new to you. However, are you snacking properly?
3 Tips for Cooking Chicken Healthy
By: Yuki Shoji | 27/04/2007 | Health
Since part of living a healthy lifestyle and maintaining an attractive figure requires your primary source of protein to come from chicken, it is only fitting that you should know the healthiest and quickest ways for eating it.
Writing 
