Questions and Answers about Weight Loss Programs

With the growing awareness of obesity in this country there has been a marked increase in the number of so-called super diets being offered. As a consumer who may not have a lot of knowledge in these areas how do you decide what's real and effective and what's not? The basis of this article is to answer some of the more common questions surrounding weight loss and diets as a whole. Let's get into it:

Q1) This diet claims to be able to lose 15-20 pounds in the space of a month. Is that possible?
A1) The simple answer is no. Current medical studies have found out that the average person is able to lose between two to three pounds a week on the high side. The real numbers tend to be closer to two pounds versus three. When you see some of the claims being made remember that they are not making a difference between water weight and fat loss. A lot of these diets will get rid of a lot of water weight in a relatively short period of time. Because it is water it will be quickly gained back by the body leaving you at a net zero loss.

Q2) With so many esoteric methods being claimed for dieting what really works?
A2) There are a lot of claims being made by some of these diets. The truth is in a lot of these cases no studies have ever been done to substantiate or debunk them. However, losing weight is really a simple process. It comes down to managing your daily calorie intake and maximizing your daily calorie burn rate. Just like you can only manage what you can measure you should start off by keeping track of your current calorie intake. You should also take note of any exercise you get during the day. You can use these for your current baselines. The idea will be to minimize your calorie intake and substitute any unhealthy aspects of your current diet with more healthy alternatives. And find ways to get more exercise during the day like walking instead of taking the elevator, walking instead of driving and etc. You should also be looking to exercise two to three times a week for a minimum of thirty minutes a session.

Q3) Will any of these diets lead to permanent weight loss?
A3) The sad truth is no in the vast majority of these. This comes down to the very simple fact that when you are done with any of the so-called rapid weight loss programs you will go back to the eating habits and activity levels which got you into the situation you are in right now. The best course of action would be to change your habits as far as eating is concerned and activity is concerned so that you will end up with a lifestyle change. That would be the best of all worlds.

The focus of this article was to answer some of the more common questions surrounding dieting. The questions answered included answering the maximum amount of weight loss that is possible, answering the effective methods versus the in-effective ones and finally answering the permanence of these so-called miracle diets. By incorporating some of these answers into your existing dieting regimen you will find a more satisfying end result.

This author has been writing articles on the world wide web for just about three years. Not only does this writer specialize in diet, fitness and weight loss he additionally markets a few different niche sites. Find out about his most recent internet site on Commercial Microwave deals that has great information and reviews.