Nadeem Most people who say that weight loss programs are bogus and doesn’t work have obviously chosen the wrong program in the first place. As you must have already seen around you, there are numerous weight loss programs. What would be the need for so many programs if one program could work for all? The answer is simple; one program would not suit all people as our body constitution, medical history, genetic constitution and personality varies. Hence when you choose a weight loss program it has to be suitable for “You” and not one that suits your neighbor.
When browsing through various weight loss programs it is imperative to study the detailed break-up of the program and see if you shall be able to do it “completely”. Say you come across a weight loss program that asks you to eat 2 eggs daily and you don’t eat eggs. Obviously it is not suitable for you. Don’t be under the impression that you can leave one aspect aside and still make the program work for you. For desired results you have to follow the program “exactly the way it is”. There are many programs that have scope for modulations but these modulations have to be discussed with a doctor or nutritionist and not be self decided.
If you want to go thorough some good weight loss programs you can surf the internet, read books, ask your doctor or see some related programs on TV that give you valuable insights on these programs. Let’s have a look at a famous weight loss program known as “High protein, low carbohydrates diet” and its salient highlights:
A high protein diet asks you to increase your daily protein intake and reduce the daily carbohydrate intake for effectual weight loss. This is very effective in losing weight quickly but the weight loss need not necessarily be sustainable. The whole idea is to get around 30-50% of your required daily protein intake from proteins.
The scientific explanation for this diet is that when the carbohydrate consumption of the body goes down the body starts burning its own fat that leads to weight loss. This body state is referred to as “ketosis”. In this state the appetite of the person reduces drastically and he feels less hungry that causes weight loss.
The disadvantages of this diet if you overload your body with proteins:
Strain on the kidneys: Too high proteins in your diet are not healthy for the kidneys and may lead to kidney disorders.
High cholesterol: A high protein diet directly ends up increasing your cholesterol as all food with high protein generally has high cholesterol too.
Osteoporosis: High protein diets make the person excrete more calcium that deprives the body of the required calcium causing osteoporosis.
Kidney stones: Due to high protein intake the calcium excreted by the body also increases and as a result there may be formation of kidney stones too.
Cancer: When you deprive your body of many carbohydrates you are also keeping your body deprived of many anti-oxidants that are required for keeping away cancer. So if you want a high protein diet then increase the intake of foods rich in antioxidants like fruits, whole grains etc so that your body’s antioxidant requirement is also met adequately.
Unhealthy metabolism: The state of ketosis is acceptable to the body only for a while and not prolonged as then it starts harming the organs and can cause a very unhealthy metabolic state.
