Do You Have To Diet To Lose Weight?

This post is from HealthDay and it explains the misconception people have when they use the word "diet". Your diet is simply the foods you eat. Your diet changes every day because you don't eat the same thing every day. 

"Diet" doesn't mean cut down on food or starving yourself. Your diet is simply the food you eat. We gain weight because we eat food we like to eat and not the food our body needs. You will lose body fat if you eat the foods that will help your body burn body fat.

The Rumor: You have to go on a strict diet to lose weight

It's fitting that "diet" has four letters, because, for many of us, it's a curse word. We associate dieting with punishment, starvation, beating ourselves up, avoiding any fun social activities and basically, waiting until it’s over and we can start living our lives again -- in leaner bodies, of course. In 2012, there were 108 million people on diets in the United States. To help them reach their goals, Americans spent about $20 billion on various weight-loss products, including diet books, diet drugs, and weight-loss surgeries.

Is it necessary, though? Can you lose weight without being on a diet? We talked to nutrition experts Amy Jamieson Petonic for her tips on how to shed pounds the healthy way and keep them off for good. 

The Verdict: The most effective weight loss involves lifestyle changes, not crash diets

"When you tell yourself you can have this and you can’t have that, oftentimes it winds up backfiring. People end up giving in and eventually binging on the foods they avoided because it’s very hard to be extremely restrictive for a long a period of time.”

“But healthy eating is a lifestyle,” says Lakatos Shames. “Focus on healthy options of what you know you should eat. If you concentrate on eating fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and whole grains, there is less room for the dessert and junk in your meals. Focusing on what you can’t eat is the dieting mentality.” "Focus on what you should eat."

I don't like the idea that if I just eat less junk, I can lose weight. Eating healthy food is the key. Healthy foods will burn fat. Snacks and other frankenfood will only add more fat to your body. 

“Dieting [has] such a negative association with food,” says Petonic. “When you begin to associate good, whole foods with pleasure, weight loss will happen with very little effort.” Petonic suggests eating these foods to help you lose weight without dieting:

Whole grains: Eat 100 percent whole-wheat bread, whole-wheat pasta or brown rice. All provide essential B vitamins and minerals that will fill you up and keep energy levels high.

Quinoa: It’s a complete plant protein that give's you all nine essential amino acids and is packed with fiber and iron.

Salmon: This protein source is high in omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA, which are anti-inflammatory, and they provide essential proteins for growth and development.

Pistachios: These protein-packed nuts may help increase you metabolic rate and promote fat burning.

But don’t forget to get moving! Exercise is just as important as nutrition because that’s how you burn calories, says Lakatos. “Exercising is how you speed up your metabolic rate and get your body going. We’ve found that when our clients exercise, they feel good about themselves, and they don’t want to undo their hard work by eating the wrong foods.”

If you're serious about losing weight you want to do a little homework. Find out what foods are good for you, and which ones will only add fat to your body. You can't work off a bad diet or any food that your body can't process and pass through. If you wonder why you're adding body fat it's because your body can't process the food you're eating.

If you really want to lose your body fat than look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $1.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com, just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page.