Intermittent Fasting Is a Temporary Approach to Dieting

Our modern day fixation with dieting is not surprising and living every day on a diet is just part of the problem. Adult obesity rates in the U.S. started rising with popularity of high-energy convenience foods, processed meats and sugary drinks. Americans are obsessed with losing weight to the point that losing weight by any means has become a way of life. More than forty percent of men and women worldwide claim they have tried to lose weight at some point. Forecasters estimate the total costs of our nation's obesity epidemic could exceed a trillion dollars annually.

Dieting can reduce the influence of your brain's weight regulation system by repeatedly encouraging you to rely on dietary rules rather than your own hunger, which can lead to diet sabotage, such as:

• SHORT TERM DIETS - Dieting is meant to last for a short time only. So, it is better to incorporate a personalized menu plan that makes healthy changes to your lifestyle until the new habits become a normal part of your day.
• STRESS EATING - Emotional eating is the act of consuming comfort food when things get tough. It only provides symptomatic relief as it is not a solution for managing your life's challenges. Stress eating is a temporary fix at best.
• NOT ENOUGH WATER - Since the body is composed of 50% water, it is a necessary nutrient that also helps to fill you up. Drinking more water can reduce your daily intake of calories and satisfying your thirst can help to manage your hunger.
• SLEEP DISTURBANCE - Sleep deprivation triggers hormone production that regulates hunger and satiety. Leptin suppresses appetite and encourages the body to expend energy. If you want to lose weight, you must get enough shut eye.
• ON & OFF AGAIN DIETING - Instead of dieting, focus on implementing small changes to not just lose weight but to keep it off for life. Bottom line is long-term lifestyle changes are needed to maintain your target weight.
• DIET SELF-SABOTAGE - Diet self-sabotage involves much more than just cheating on your menu plan. Setting unrealistic goals and failing to give yourself credit for what you've accomplished are good examples diet self sabotage.

Since the forbidden foods in the Garden Eden, dietary restrictions have continued to cause weight management problems. Fasting is a diet trend that has been around for centuries. Ancients often used fasting diets during religious ceremonies and special celebrations to cleanse their body and soul. Supporters of this type of food restriction would describe it as a lifestyle component rather than just another fad diet. You may need to give up on the idea of perfect control of your diet to improve your overall self-control.

If you are looking for a weight loss strategy that encourages you to appreciate and celebrate your body while working to restore your good health, schedule a free, no-obligations consultation at the Metabolic Research Center nearest you.