Why Yo Yo Dieting Does Not Work

In today's society, the fad of yo yo dieting is a repeating issue. Women are hopping on the "diet" train in the hopes of losing pounds and inches. In the end we tend to give up the "diet" because we feel unsuccessful or maybe it has worked for a while but your body is no longer changing. What happens after the "diet" is over and you go back to your regular eating ways? Most of us gain the weight and inches back plus some which tends to cause a downward spiral in the way we see ourselves. Our self image may be even worse than before we began the "diet".
Obesity has become a major problem in America with the availability of prepackaged foods and fast food restaurants that make quick meals possible. These are not healthy for your body! The consumption of these items with the addition of lack of physical movement causes your body to store all of the added calories you consume but don't use.
The rule: I don't "diet"! First you must relearn what "diet" truly means. A diet by definition is not about deprivation or starvation. It is how and what you eat on a normal day to day basis. For example: if you are diabetic, you will follow a special diet in order to be healthy such as measuring your foods and watching your sugar intake along with counting your carbohydrate intake. A diet is a lifestyle change that you must be prepared to follow for life. It's about re-educating yourself in how and what to properly eat.
Dieting Pills don't work! Many make claims that are untrue. We try them with the hope to lose weight quickly to either satisfy ourselves or our partners. Healthy weight loss begins with a healthy self image and love for yourself. Losing weight should be about you not anyone else. It is a very personal and private voyage in which we learn to respect ourselves and accomplish our goals in life.
Losing weight should be done with small changes over a long period of time, not over night. In the past four years between the births of two children I am healthier than I have ever been. I don't deprive myself of fast food and chocolate. Instead, and learned to limit myself to how often I consume those items. Recently, a friend of mine that I have not seen in five years came to visit and she couldn't believe how great I looked. I was amazed! I see myself every day, so I was unaware of how far I have come in the past years.
Healthy self image is the key. Too often we see these women in magazines that are size 0 or we go shopping and nothing fits our frames correctly. You must learn to tell yourself that your body may not be made to be that size. Mine sure isn't. Get realistic with your goals and don't let anyone else's version of what you look like be what you guide yourself with. This should be about you not anyone else! www.Shape.com is a great place to get good recipes and weight loss tips. They also have a great work out goals worksheet and calendar that you can track your progress.