How Not to Lose Weight

Many of us are desperately trying to lose weight, and some of us are actually succeeding. There are so many websites that write about how to eat, move and act to lose weight but I got pretty fed up with them. Instead of culminating a list of ways to lose weight, I've developed the top ways to NOT lose weight. Doing the opposite doesn't necessarily bring you results but it does put things into perspective.

1. Being Dehydrated- Some studies have shown a decrease of 70% of body metabolism when a person is dehydrated. Obviously, there needs to be more studies done to hone in such a large % but it is something to think about. According to WebMD, a study has shown that after drink 17 oz of water, both male and females had an increase in metabolism of up to 30%. Many experts think it is the fact the body must heat the water in your system but other studies have counter indicated this point but don't point to another solution. Being dehydrated is not just for fat loss but it counters your internal homeostasis of electrolytes. This can cause muscle cramps, fatigue and some say even depression.

2. Carbs are Evil - The new fad in this industry is to dislike any kind of carbs. Some diet plans do allow some carbs but lets go into the chemistry a little bit. Every cell in your body requires the use of glucose (simple 6-chain sugar) to provide energy. Yes sugar, yes a carb! Can you imagine what you're doing to your body when you don't eat sufficient amounts of healthy carbohydrates? You are depriving cells from their energy source, and guess what? You get tired! There are healthy carbohydrates, and unhealthy carbohydrates. Some examples of healthy carbohydrates are whole grain (make sure it says WHOLE GRAIN on the ingredient list!) bread, whole grain pasta, brown rice, beans of all kind (also a great source of protein), fruits and some vegetables (potatoes and carrots are examples). Don't fall for the no-carb, low-carb diet, your body needs an energy source before it reverts to eating up your muscle! Which leads to the next point...
3. Not Lifting Weights - You might be running on the treadmill, but not lifting weights will backfire eventually. Your metabolism has been shown to increase temporarily after an effective cardio workout, but muscle has been shown to increase metabolism THROUGHOUT the day. There are more benefits to weight lifting than just muscle mass. (Ladies you don't have to worry about becoming The Hulk, your hormone levels will prevent that from occurring.) You build stronger bones, because the resistance of weights or even your own body weight (push ups, sit ups, theraband excercises) will force your bones to make up more bone mass to withstand these new forces. This will help prevent osteoporesis. Weight lifting also increases your energy level because of the metabolis increase. Don't be afraid to lift some dumbells but make sure you get some expert advice on form before you injure yourself!
4. Just Lift Weights - So the opposite to #3 is just as bad. Lifting weights is a fantastic way to gain a metabolism boost, but what about all the fat that is on top of those muscles? Have you ever done 1000 crunches every day wondering where the 6 pack is? Well guess what? You've got to do some cardio (elliptical, treadmill, walking, running etc, tennis, golf) at least 3 times a week to burn sufficient calories to lose the layer of flab!

5. High Fat Diet - You maybe restricting your calories, but your fat intake is still high. This is a major problem not neccesarily for your waistline, but for your heart. Eating large amounts of saturated or trans fats will increase the levels of bad lipids (bad cholesterol) in your blood. Ease up on that 1 Fried Chicken Drumstick if you have had a lot of fat in one day. Although it is just one, your LDL levels will sky rocket and your risk for a heart attack will increase. Be Heart Smart!
6. Eating Too Litte - You might think that restricting your calories below 1000 will help you lose weight. It might help you lose weight temporarily but you will start stalling, because your body thinks you are starving. Your metabolism will drop because your body doesn't expect to have food soon, which means fat will be stored from the food you do eat. If you continue to restrict your calories you will lose weight but your body will resort to using those muscle tissues as its energy source. You worked SO hard to build muscle don't let it all go to waste!

Now I'm not a exercise expert or a nutritionist, but do a little research on your own and see that this list really tops the ways of how NOT to lose weight. Stay healthy and be heart smart! You deserve it!