Why do people go on diets?

When people diet they may temporarily lose weight. If they don't excercise to at least maintain muscle mass at the same time, what they lose is muscle as well as fat. Eventually they fall off the diet and the weight comes back. And they ask themselves why it comes back even faster than it went off. Well you wind up with less muscle, and a slower metabolism. So it's easier to gain the weight back and more and you wind up with a higher body fat % than when you started this yo-yo process. You have got to realize it takes effort, eating right, and exercise. I have never been on a diet, but I did come to the point where I chose to make a lifestyle change.

Here are some basic differences between a diet and a lifestyle change:

Diet: The goal is self-limiting.When you get to your goal weight, you stop the diet

Lifestyle: The goal is open-ended.Weight management becomes part of your daily life, with strategies that vary as circumstances, priorities, and needs change.

Diet: A diet is a surface level change.It involves simple changes in behaviors you are already doing (or not doing). You take in fewer calories from food and (maybe) expend more calories on activity. Foods are "good" or "bad" based on calorie content.

Lifestyle: Lifestyle changes are made on many levels.In addition to healthy changes in your relationship with food and exercise, you will challenge the basic attitudes, beliefs, thoughts and feelings that made you overweight (and unhappy) to begin with.

Diet: Progress and success are measured by the scale.Anything that results in weight loss is considered acceptable, even if it poses potential problems or risks. Failure to lose weight as fast as desired is very upsetting, and the process feels like a constant battle. High stress is constant.

Lifestyle: Progress and success are measured in terms of satisfaction & quality of life.Weight loss and maintenance continue to be important, but are put in perspective as one way you can move towards larger, more rewarding goals. Daily ups and downs become much less stressful when you realize that you can replace the fat with muscle and even if the scale doesn't always move you're improving your body in so many ways.

Diet: Results don't last.Even if you manage to stick with all the unpleasantness of a diet long enough to reach your weight goal, your odds of keeping it off permanently are less than one in twenty.

Lifestyle: Results are lasting.Your lifestyle change is an open-ended, ongoing process with goals that continue to expand and grow. There is no reason to go back to the habits that got you overweight in the first place.

Coach Randy
http://www.randysfitnessspot.com/

Losing fat actually makes you smarter

New research shows shedding pounds can make you smarter

You already know that losing weight is good for your heart, adds years to your life, and even eases depression, but a new study proves it can also make you smarter.Researchers at Stanford University found that patients who had undergone gastric bypass surgery showed improvement in memory, problem solving, and attention to detail. Belly fat contains harmful chemicals, which, when released into the bloodstream, trigger inflammation and cloud the mind. You don’t need expensive surgery to test out this theory: Experts say losing weight through diet and exercise has the same effect. Do you feel intimidated by those folks in the gym. Or hate waiting on your turn for equipment at the gym? Are you bored with the same workouts, or stuck on a plateau? Check out the muscle confusion techniques available through a variety of BeachBody products at my website at http://www.randysfitnessspot.com/. And, of course, always remember that the workout plan isn’t effective if you’re not eating clean. Stick to whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, and pack a lunch so you won’t be tempted by fatty takeout. Lose weight, and you might find you’re wittier and more productive.

Home is where good health begins

You don't have to go to a gym in order to get a great workout. In this tough economy a lot of people are looking for ways to save some money. Between the cost of gas over the past year, and gym membership costs on the rise, there has been a recent growing trend toward working out at home.

The idea of a home gym can be very appealing. There's no drive time, no parking, no line for equipment, and no membership fee. Many folks didn't go this route before because they didn't feel they had enough equipment. Did you know that well over 90% of U.S. households have a DVD player. With a variety of excellent workouts now available on DVD, you can get full hard core guided workouts with a lot of variety that will sculpt your body and build solid muscles on a limited budget with DVD's and a few bands or dumbbells. I know, because I haven't had a gym membership for several years, and have packed on lean muscle by consistently pushing play.

Check it out at www.randysfitnessspot.com

Election day tomorrow

I'm not sure which is scarier Halloween or Election Day. At least on Halloween you get treats. Hey, I'm not about to step on any polical soapbox here. But one of the very few positives I've noted during this drudgingly long process is the idea that life is, or should be, run like a campaign - to clarify your postion on the big questions, to recruit good allies, to learn to take on the right risks, and to balance your work and home life in a way that elevates both. But please, don't trash everyone else in the process who doesn't think the same.

I don't consider fitness as fanatical. Whether you want to succeed in any career whether it's as President, Accountant, Homemaker, Doctor, or Sanitation Engineer, you need to carve out time to take good care of your body. And whoever wins, my wish is that more time and effort would start gettting spent on disease prevention instead of waiting to fix problems. This is the best way to put a dent in rising health care costs long term.

Afterthought: By the way. did you know that there are currently seven federal offices devoted to Women's Health Care, but none for Men's Health Care? This despite the fact that men die earlier than women do of heart disease, stroke, and cancer. Does anyone know why that is?

Today's tip for a Winning Life

Fitness: Speed it up! Some say slow, fat burning exercise is the best way to maintain health. When I was going to the gym everyday(my gym is at home now), I used to see the same lady on the same treadmill every morning. She was there when I went in, and she was still there when I left. Just plodding along and never actually breaking a sweat. And she wondered why she never lost any weight. Higher intensity workouts burn more calories in the short term and build muscle faster, which in turn burns more calories 24 hours a day.