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Are you stuck in the yo-yo of weight loss? Lose 10 lbs, gain 15 pounds right back? Well, you are not alone. In fact, current statistics reveal that most methods of weight loss are extremely ineffective. Most people, whether they cut calories, increase exercise, or take prescription weight loss medications can expect to lose only about 10% of their body weight, only to regain 2/3 of the weight back within 1 year, and almost all of it back within five years. So, despite the fact that approximately $33 billion is spent each year on weight loss, still 55 percent of adults weigh too much, and about 30 percent of the population is obese. So, what’s wrong with this picture, you ask? Well, let’s look at why these attempts often end in failure.
Although dietary restriction is the most commonly used strategy for weight loss, the reality is that low calorie diets produce short term weight loss, with about half the patients gaining more than half of their lost weight after one year. When you go on a very low calorie diet you usually cut your calorie intake so much that your body 'thinks' that a time of famine has come. So it tries to save energy by slowing down your metabolism. Reduced calorie diets can also result in the loss of lean body tissue, or muscle mass. Muscle is a very active tissue, and burns lots of calories. This loss of muscle contributes to the decline in resting metabolic rate that accompanies these diets. In addition, very low calorie diets and food restrictions can cause deficiencies of nutrients that are essential for normal body functions and, thus, health maintenance. Furthermore, low calorie diets leave you tired, lethargic and hungry – not to mention frustrated. Exercise is necessary for weight loss, but many people attempt to lose weight through exercise without proper diet and without a commitment to continue with the program and thus their weight loss attempt typically fails. Even prescription medications fail to produce long term weight loss – and, in most cases, may have side effects.
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