If you’ve never tried a starvation diet, you’re not missing anything except misery. Food is meant to nourish and energize your body and it should be enjoyed in the right portions.

Here are 10 common habits of those who just want quick weight loss using various starvation diets or methods:

1. You never make a commitment to a lifetime of fitness and health. You are too concerned with pounds on the weigh scale. Those who have succeeded at transforming their bodies from fat to lean have health and fitness practices that they do on most days. It becomes a sustainable lifestyle.

2. Starvation diets rule again and again. The less food you eat, the more weight you’ll lose, right? Sorry, but it just doesn’t work this way in the long-run. If your idea of the perfect diet plan for weight loss is popping crackers and diuretics, you’re headed for disaster.

Starvation slows the fat-burning process. Your body relies on the nutrients in whole, natural foods for fuel. When you starve yourself, it senses the downward shift in your caloric intake and kicks into starvation mode. When this happens, your metabolism will slow down and your body will hold on to stored fat in order to conserve energy.

Muscle mass needs more energy to function than fat. Basically, the more muscle mass you have, the more calories you’ll burn. If you continue to starve yourself, your body will feed on your muscle tissue and make it even harder for you to lose weight.

Obviously, if you starve yourself long enough, you’ll have no choice but to lose weight. But the weight loss won’t be healthy, and it will show in your appearance. You’ll become emaciated and your body will start to look like an old bag of bones.

The weight lost from starvation diets almost always comes back. Starvation slows your metabolism down. And it can take months for it to return to normal. As soon as you start eating again, you’ll likely gain all of the weight you lost back, and more. In the end, you’ll wind up bigger than you were before you started starving.

3. Chronic starvation dieters end up with damaged health. If you are eating 900 calories a day, that is not enough food to even support your basal metabolic rate.

When you go without food, you don’t get any of the essential nutrients needed for good health. This can result in fatigue, kidney failure, heart failure, gallstones, ulcers, hair loss, muscle weakness and osteoporosis. This is just a short list of the physical problems a starvation diet can cause. We haven’t even touched on the mental stuff.

It’s not uncommon for extremely calorie-restrictive dieters to struggle with depression, anger, indifference, memory loss, poor concentration, hallucinations and mood swings. Starvation can also increase your chances of suffering with eating disorders like bulimia and anorexia.

In essence, your health will be a mess if you try to lose weight by starving. The worst part about it is that some of the health issues that arise from starvation diets can cause irreversible damage to your body and require long-term hospitalization or lifelong medical care.

If you plan to turn starvation dieting into a lifestyle, you’ll end up in a body bag way before your time. No amount of skinny is worth your life. Don’t let the desperation to lose weight push you to go on a starvation diet.

4. You experience weight loss and weight regain many times.

According to a Medicinenet.com article, “Weight Cycling…Facts About “Yo-Yo” Dieting,”

“Weight cycling is the repeated loss and regain of body weight. When weight cycling is the result of dieting, it is often called “yo-yo” dieting. A weight cycle can range from small weight losses and gains (5-10 lbs. per cycle) to large changes in weight (50 lbs. or more per cycle).”

“Some research links weight cycling with certain health risks. To avoid potential risks, most experts recommend that obese adults adopt healthy eating and regular physical activity habits to achieve and maintain a healthier weight for life. Non-obese adults should try to maintain their weight through healthy eating and regular physical activity.”

“Some studies suggest that weight cycling may increase the risk for certain health problems. These include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and gallbladder disease.”

5. Starvation dieters are not concerned with burning body fat. You MUST change your body’s composition. You must increase muscle mass to become a “fat-burning machine.” This keeps the weight off your body for good. You don’t need to be a body builder but you need to replace the fat (to an acceptable body fat percentage) on your body with muscle mass. This will give you the lean, healthy body you need.

You must do more than cardio exercise to change your body’s composition. “Cardio only” will not lean out your body. Too much cardio will waste away your muscle mass.

Make a commitment to full-body strength training. Among other things, it builds muscle mass, speeds up your metabolism (the body has to work harder to maintain muscle) and helps improve your bone density. And, you’ll look great.

6. There are many lies about fat loss and weight loss out there—and many people believe them. Why? Businesses are trying to make money off of you and they’ll lie, tell half-truths or present unproven facts to get it. You have to make a choice to believe or not believe those lies.

Fad dieters are always looking for the next pill, diet or fat blocker to change their bodies. The dream never comes true. Doctors, dieticians, and fitness experts agree that the best way to burn fat and lose weight is to eat higher quality calories, exercise regularly and increase your daily activity. Don’t look for shortcuts.

7. Starvation dieters lose water weight. Burn body fat and lose weight.

If you lose 20 pounds in 10 days using severe calorie restriction with no exercise (you probably won’t have the energy to exercise), just about all of that weight loss will be due to lost muscle mass and water weight.

The problem is further compounded if you gained weight without exercise. The composition of this weight gain is mainly fat and water retention. I have seen individuals with up to 70% body fat.

One big cause of water retention is too much salt consumption (sodium). If you eat many processed foods and not many whole, natural foods, your sodium consumption is too high—and you will take on more water weight.

So, you find yourself regaining this weight quickly when you begin to eat the carbohydrates, proteins and fats that your body needs. Why? Because you will also replenish water stores in your body’s cells.

8. Veteran starvation dieters are frequent users. The typical dieter tries a new plan four times a year. “We have this mentality that a diet is something to go on and then get off as quickly as possible,” says FITNESS advisory board member Madelyn Fernstrom, PhD, founding director of the University of Pittsburgh’s Weight Management Center. “But lasting weight loss requires making lifestyle changes that will work long-term.”

9. Quick weight loss veterans deal with slowed metabolism, a weaker immune system, hormonal imbalances, loss of lean mass, increased body fat, decreased energy levels and disrupted sleep patterns. Is that worth it?

10. Your confidence takes a hit with each weight loss and weight regain episode. “The more times you go through the gain-lose-gain cycle, the less convinced you become that you can break free from the constant ups and downs,” says Keri Gans, RD, a dietitian in private practice in New York City. “No one wants to diet forever; it’s hard work.”

Stop starving yourself, start eating right and start building your body the right way. Its worth the effort.

Download your FREE 14-Day Accelerated Fat Loss Program, start burning max fat and start building your lean, hard body!

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

Research has proven that you will reach more major goals if you focus on one goal at a time.

A good overall fitness goal would be for you to change your body’s composition to lean and toned. Why?

Here are 7 good reasons to “lean out” your body:

1. Having a lean body will improve your self image, health and morale. Every one wants to feel good about themselves.

–If you don’t like what you see in the mirror, start changing your body. Stop putting it off. You will be healthier, feel better and look better.

–Have you been putting off that full physical exam? You need to know your health numbers. Schedule that appointment today.

–You are not destined to be what “your genetics” or “family heritage” dictates. Every one can have their best version of a lean body. You don’t have to look like a model but you can look lean and toned.

2. You will have improved eating habits. And, those will be healthy eating habits that you can maintain throughout your life. Throw those fad diets and starvation diets in the trash! They won’t lead you to improved eating habits and they will leave you fatter in the end.

Fill your plate with whole, natural foods that have one ingredient—the food itself. For instance, fruits and vegetables have one ingredient. Foods in a box or bag have many unhealthy ingredients like trans fats and processed sugars.

3. You will have a toned body without bulkiness. Muscle mass takes up less space than fat mass. That is why you can weight the same (or a little more) and still be smaller. Your body shrinks.

Focus more on full body strength training and less on cardio exercise. If you only do cardio exercise, your body will not be lean. I can’t tell you how many people I see who only do cardio exercise. Their body composition never changes to lean and toned.

4. A lean body will speed up your metabolism and keep it active. Muscle mass is metabolically active tissue and your body has to work harder to maintain it. You will burn more calories and fat during the day and at rest—depending on the intensity of your workouts.

Short burst workouts like circuit weight training and interval cardio will lean and tone your body. Exercise Post-Oxygen Consumption (EPOC) causes your body to burn more calories and fat after a tough workout. Your body has to work harder to get back to its pre-exercise state. Your metabolism may be elevated for up to 24-48 hours after an intense workout.

5. Fat loss will keep the weight off your body. You can kiss yo-yo weight loss and regain goodbye forever. This improves your health in the long-term too.

According to Marketdata Enterprises, an estimated 54 percent of people in the United States are currently trying to lose weight. This leads many of you to buy weight loss pills and “special foods” that promote weight loss. There’s no need to do this. Just start with a regular exercise program and eat healthy based on your basal metabolic rate, activity level and goals. You have to be willing to go with this plan for the long-term. It takes a long time to change your body’s composition.

If you don’t change your lifestyle habits, weight loss won’t last. The typical dieter tries a new plan four times a year. “We have this mentality that a diet is something to go on and then get off as quickly as possible,” says FITNESS advisory board member Madelyn Fernstrom, PhD, founding director of the University of Pittsburgh’s Weight Management Center. “But lasting weight loss requires making lifestyle changes that will work long-term.”

6. Others will follow your example. When you “walk the talk,” people take notice. You will have a great feeling when your family and friends want to get their bodies in shape because YOU DID IT! That’s what life is all about. People inspiring and helping other people.

7. YOU are worth all the effort it takes to improve your health and body. Believe it. Do it.

Set your attitude and sharpen your focus. Train hard and safe.

Be sure and download my FREE 14-Day Accelerated Fat Loss Program and get started changing your body.

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

Having said that, you can burn more calories by speeding up your metabolism. This will help you burn fat and lose weight—and maintain weight.

You need to know your basal metabolic rate (BMR). Your BMR is the amount of daily calories your body needs to maintain itself. Said another way, it is the amount of calories your body would burn if you did nothing all day. Not everyone burns calories at the same rate. Some factors that influence the speed of your metabolism are:

a) Your age. Your metabolism will start to slow down in your 20s if you become a couch potato. Your metabolism may slow down about 5% per decade after age 30 if you are sedentary. Too many starvation diets will also wreck your metabolism.

b) Gender. Men generally burn more calories at rest than women.

c) Your proportion of muscle mass to fat mass. The more muscle mass you have, the higher your metabolic rate will be. Your body has to work harder to maintain muscle mass because it is metabolically active tissue (fat tissue is not active).

d) Heredity also plays a part in your body’s rate of metabolism.

e) Thyroid problems may also cause your metabolism to slow down.

You can maintain or increase your muscle mass (and body fat decreased) throughout your life with regular interval cardio and weight training. Weight training also helps to keep your bones strong which helps prevent osteoporosis.

My BMR is approximately 2000 calories, so if I consume 2000 daily calories I will burn fat and lose weight. This happens through exercise and daily activities which would allow me to maintain a caloric deficit.

One surprising thing about metabolism is this: the more you weigh, the faster your metabolism will be. This happens because your body must work harder to maintain itself. That is also why it is easier to lose weight in the beginning of a fat loss/weight loss program.

The overweight person’s metabolism is running so high that any cut in calories will result in quick weight losses. On the other hand, its easier for that person to regain the weight because her or his body now needs fewer calories to sustain itself.

Here are 7 facts about metabolism:

Fact #1 A slow or sluggish metabolism is not the major cause of weight gain.

A caloric imbalance is the main cause of weight gain (consistently consuming more calories than you burn in a day).

Fact #2 Lifting weights (or other resistance exercises) and interval cardio exercise will give you a higher metabolic rate.

Specifically, a combination of circuit weight training and high intensity interval cardio will get your metabolism “revved up.”

These types of workouts burn more fat and calories during and after your workout. Exercise Post-Oxygen Consumption (EPOC) causes your body to burn more calories and fat after a tough workout. Your body has to work harder to get back to its pre-exercise state. Your metabolism may be elevated for up to 24-48 hours after an intense workout.

Research at Duke University, directed by Dr. Cris Slentz, supports high-intensity exercise for better fat loss. The eight-month study showed that people could lose weight with exercise and no dieting. Those who exercised intensely (especially using interval training) lost much more fat than those who exercised moderately.

According to the research, the high-intensity exercisers had these advantages over the low-to-moderate intensity exercisers:

–more release of fat from cells
–more fat used as fuel during exercise
–increased metabolic rate after exercise

Fact #3 Sweating is not a gauge of how many calories you are burning.

Weight loss or gain is a product of calories consumed and burned. If you burn more calories than you consume, you will lose weight and vice-versa. Sweating in a steam room or sauna will not help you burn calories. Sweating helps keep your body temperature regulated.

Fact #4 The best time to exercise is whenever you have the most energy.

Working out at any time of the day will increase metabolism for several hours, depending on intensity.

Fact #5 Your metabolism doesn’t necessarily have to slow down as you get older. Again, a combination of circuit weight training and high intensity interval cardio will keep your metabolism “revved up” throughout your life.

Fact #6 Eating smaller, frequent meals will keep your metabolism “ramped up” during the day. Eat every 3-4 hours. Your metabolism will slow down if there are too many hours between meals.

Fact #7 There is no significant evidence showing that eating certain foods/drinks such as peppers and green tea will speed your metabolism for a long period of time. Actually, any food consumption will speed your metabolism within the first hour after you eat. A high-protein food might speed metabolism for a longer period of time since protein requires about 25% more energy to digest. Your best bet is to follow Fact #6 when it comes to eating.

Be sure and download my FREE 14-Day Accelerated Fat Loss Program and get started changing your body!

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

You have probably heard that your health begins in your colon, but do you really know why?

The colon is as much responsible if not more for ridding your body of toxins as your kidneys and sweat glands.

While the kidneys, lymph system and sweat glands depend on your intake of appropriate amounts of
fluid, your colon requires a bit more attention to the diet.

Here’s why:

Over time, you may realize that a buildup in the colon walls is possible, which will prevent both the absorption of nutrients AND the elimination of toxins.

Thousands of chemical reactions and enzymes are at work breaking down our food as it passes through
our stomach and small intestine.

By the time it reaches our large intestine, it should be digested to the point that the walls of the colon can absorb the water and remaining nutrients.

But sometimes the food and toxins that we ingest are not so easily digestible, and cause accumulations on our colon walls, causing not only a depletion in micronutrients, but a toxic buildup as well.

These toxins are then able to pass into our bloodstream in place of the nutrients that are no longer allowed to pass through the blockages, leading to cancers and other chronic diseases.

There are FIVE crucial elements that must be in place for the proper functioning of your digestive system:

(1) Chewing!

Yes, your mother was right, chew your food thoroughly!

If you do not do this, eating in a hurry and gulping down your meals will result in gas and bloating, and a buildup of bad bacteria in your gut!

If you are having a lot of gas and bloating, stop and think when you eat, are you really chewing your food well enough? It’s something we often don’t think about!

Chew slowly and longer, which will actually help you to feel fuller, and ultimately aid in weight loss if you are overweight. If you are not overweight it certainly helps nutrient absorption!

Saliva is what begins the digestive process. Some vegetables are digested primarily with the enzymes in our saliva, the remainder of which facilitates digestion through the lower intestine as insoluble fiber (more on fiber in number 3…)

(2) Water

How much do you need on a daily basis, and what counts? The recommended amount is at least 1/2 of your body weight in ounces. In other words, if you weigh 160 lbs, you need 80 oz. of water (10 8 oz glasses) per day.

Now this might sound like a lot but there are some things you get to consider, which I explain in this post.

(3) Fiber

Fiber is simply a form of carbohydrate that the body cannot digest, and is not absorbed into the bloodstream. It is not converted to energy as are other carbohydrates, rather, it is excreted from our bodies.

Fiber is known to aid in shedding extra pounds, preventing constipation, hemorrhoids and diverticulitis, managing blood sugar levels, and may even also help with lowering the bad LDL cholesterol. Fiber has been shown to prevent some cancers.

Fiber also helps to balance the pH (acid/alkaline level) in the intestine, which is important for nutrient absorption.

It also regulates the good bacteria, which in turn helps to detoxify your body and regulates your immune system. (For more on good bacteria, or probiotics, see number 4).

Soluble fiber forms a gel when mixed with liquid, and prolongs the time that the stomach is emptied to provide for better nutrient absorption. This is also important when eating sweet fruits so that your liver does not get over taxed and create fat from excess fructose absorption.

Soluble fiber also binds with essential fatty acids, which are crucial to cellular health. Sources of insoluble fiber include oats and oat bran, nuts, flax seed, fruits, and vegetables such as peas and carrots.

Insoluble fiber is not water soluble, and passes through us largely intact, helping to move waste through the intestines, preventing constipation, and improving digestive health. Sources of insoluble fiber include fruit and root vegetable skins, green beans and dark leafy vegetables, nuts and seeds, corn bran, whole wheat.

Soluble fiber needs water to provide the required function of absorption, and insoluble fiber needs water to move, so always be sure to get enough water with an increased intake of fiber! Water will facilitate the benefits of both soluble and insoluble fiber.

So How Much Fiber Should You Have?

If you consume a diet high in refined starches and meat, you are probably not getting enough fiber.
Current recommendations suggest that children and adult women consume a minimum of 20 grams of dietary fiber per day, and adult men consume at least 30 grams per day.

The more calories you consume, the more fiber you need. Teens, active adults, and particularly men may need up to 38 grams per day or more. This recommendation is for dietary fiber from food, not supplements.

Here is one fiber chart I’ve found that is a good source to keep around, and see what you are really getting.

Fiber supplements are ok, but it is better to get as much as you can from whole foods. Sometimes the fillers and sources of fiber supplements are less than optimal, and you are certainly going to get more micronutrients from whole foods!

(4) Probiotics

Probiotics are the “friendly” bacteria that benefit the colon and therefore the immune system.

They are live micro-organisms (usually including lactobacilli, bifidobacteria, streptococci, and some yeasts such as Saccharomyces, and moulds) which are beneficial to health by restoring microbial balance in the intestine.

Probiotic foods are those that involve fermentation in their production; including miso, pickles, sauerkraut and fermented dairy products such as yogurt and kefir.

A new category called prebiotics refer mainly to certain foods, and occasionally to certain food products, that support probiotics by enhancing their survivability.

Prebiotics foods include artichokes, leeks, onions, oats, and whole grain breads and cereals, fructooligo-saccharides, or fruit derived, digestion resistant sugars (FOS), also in honey, and galacto-oligo-saccharides, which are the sugars in galactose-containing foods like goats milk.

I’ve written more about probiotics, including some history, recommendations, precautions and reliability of supplementation.

(5) Exercise

Yes, even for your digestive health, exercise plays a crucial role! Particularly core strengthening exercises and stretching, which increase the blood flow, nutrient absorption, and facilitate toxic elimination.

Be sure and visit Vicki’s site, Nutrition-To-Wellness!

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

As I was researching this topic, I clicked on Ellen’s incredible website, A Weigh Out. There is a caption at the top of the site that says, “Freedom from Emotional Eating and Weight Obsession.” That’s just the beginning.

The Mayo Clinic defines binge-eating disorder as follows:

“Binge-eating disorder is a serious eating disorder in which you frequently consume unusually large amounts of food. Almost everyone overeats on occasion, such as having seconds or thirds of a holiday meal. But for some people, overeating crosses the line to binge-eating disorder and it becomes a regular occurrence, shrouded in secrecy.

Although binge-eating disorder is the most common of all eating disorders, it’s still not considered a distinct psychiatric condition. But if you have binge-eating disorder symptoms, treatment can help you.”

Ellen also has personal experience with emotional eating and binge-eating disorder and has shared her story on The Oprah Winfrey Show:

“Because of my own decades of struggle with emotional eating and a binge eating disorder, I know first hand what most visitors to this website are experiencing! Like many people, I blamed my problem on what I (and society) labeled ‘a lack of willpower’.”

“But even before I knew I had an eating disorder, that didn’t make sense to me because I had lots of stick-to-itiveness, even hyper vigilance in some other areas of my life. So why couldn’t I stop my compulsive over eating?”

“When I was finally diagnosed, therapists called what I had, “atypical bulimia” because I binged but I didn’t purge… and they didn’t know what else to call it back then. Today it has a name of it’s own and those of us in the binge eating disorder field are working hard to get this Binge Eating Disorder the recognition that it, and those of us who struggle with it, deserve!”

Thanks Ellen for sharing your story and helping many people with these struggles!

I have many workout books to help you burn fat and get healthy. I don’t have any food addiction and binge-eating disorder books to help you…..Ellen does.

If you need help or know somebody who does, visit A Weigh Out today!

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs