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By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
www.burnthefat.com
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Tom
Venuto |
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3.7%
Body Fat |
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Every so often you read a sad story
in the newspaper about someone who dove headfirst into a river or
lake, without checking to see how deep the water was beforehand.
Unfortunately, it turned out to be a shallow 18 inches and the
consequence of this miscalculated plunge was a broken neck and a
wheelchair.
This reminds me of the way most
people impatiently dive into strict, extreme, or unbalanced crash
diets, without thinking about the long term consequences, invariably
crippling any chance they had for keeping the fat off in the long
run.
One thing almost all mainstream diets have in common is an “induction phase” (or the
equivalent). This is often done under the scientific-sounding
auspices of “making the metabolic switch” from “carb burner”
to “fat burner.”
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Another common way that popular diets
begin is with a “liquid fast” or “internal cleansing” phase.
This is often suggested as necessary for clearing out all the gunk
that has accumulated on your insides which (says them), is the
reason you feel like “blah” and can’t lose any weight.
Larrian Gillespie, the
About.com guide to low carb diets, made a keen observation in a
recent article. Writing about the Induction plan on programs such as
the Atkins diet, she noted:
"Frankly, the only thing I
object to is the induction plan concept...for ANY diet. It's a cheap
trick approach to weight management, since we as Americans are
fixated on quick fixes or we toss a plan and go onto the next
marketing promise."
Not only do I agree – I would take
it a step further. I believe that this radical beginning phase
actually increases the chances of failure in the long term.
Gillespie continues with advice about
what to do if you choose a low carb approach such as Atkins…
"This (induction) approach will
trigger a rebound weight gain. Don't overdo the induction phase.
Better yet, go directly to stage 2 of the plan and begin there.
There is nothing more irritating to a physician than having a
patient come in with health problems as a direct result of following
some crazy diet, like eating ONLY cabbage, or only grapefruit."
“Induction” is simply a
politically correct way to say you have to crash diet and starve
yourself in the beginning. Look at the forums and message boards:
They’re filled with posts from people about to start these
programs, dreading the “initial” phase and wondering if
they’ll be able to hack it (and with people telling war stories
about how they “survived” it ...or tried it and failed).
“Induction” has nothing to do
with science, health or permanent fat loss. It has everything to do
with marketing and instant gratification. Dieters flock to the gurus
that promise 12 to 15 pounds of weight loss in the first two weeks,
while sneering at the idea of losing a paltry 2 pounds of fat per
week. “Give me results now” is the mindset, with no thought
given to body composition, health or long-term consequences. What
sells more books: “Quickly Lose 8-10 pounds in the first week”
or “lose 8-10 pounds of fat per month and never gain it back?”
Unfortunately, it is usually the former.
Over the past decade and a half I
have almost always used the opposite approach with my clients –
and that is, never dive into diets – instead, ease into a new way
of life, one habit at a time, if necessary.
My clients are introduced to words
such as habits, balance, lifestyle and patience. I sit them down,
look them in the eye and ask, “Do you want to lose weight quickly
and gain it back or do you want to lose fat slowly and keep it off
forever and never have to “diet” again?”
When confronted face to face, the
answer is always the latter (but often begrudgingly so). The
patience pays off, and those who are wise enough to listen enjoy the
fruits of lifelong health, leanness and fitness, never having to
endure the repeated yo-yo losses and gains so many people suffer for
an entire lifetime.
Consider these concepts: Do NOT crash
diet only to relapse to your old, unhealthy ways. Do not even put
yourself in “emergency” situations where you feel pressured to
lose weight quickly. Build a foundation and master the fundamentals
first, then nit pick, sweat the small stuff and try “advanced”
techniques later.
Once you’ve mastered the basics,
then you can slowly make your plan stricter – if necessary –
based on your results. You can reduce or eliminate cheat days, and
tighten up your food choices.
Yes, carbs can be s-l-o-w-l-y reduced
to find that optimal level for your body type where fat loss really
kicks in. Calorie levels can dropped, more cardio added, rest
between sets decreased, and training intensity increased.
On and on your regimen can be
gradually “tightened up” and compliance increased until the
desired results are achieved. Then, it’s a gradual, comfortable
transition to maintenance phase, which is never far away from the
fat loss phase.
Contrast this sensible, healthy,
lifestyle approach, (which most people view not only as slow, but
flat out “backwards”), with the crash diet or “induction”
approach:
The new dieter STARTS from day one
with the strictest, most extreme version of the diet. It’s often
very unbalanced with entire food groups removed, or it emphasizes
only one food or food type. Sometimes, the restrictions are so
tight, you even have to limit the amount of vegetables you eat! Is
that CRAZY or WHAT????
The weight comes flying off…
SUCCESS! Or so it appears…until all the weight has returned 6-12
months later along with the rest of the 95% of dieters who fail
because they insisted on following the herd and hopping on the
latest quick fix bandwagon.
No two people are exactly alike and
no single nutrition program is right for everyone. For example, some
people really do thrive on reduced carbohydrate diets. But one thing
that‘s true for 100% of people 100% of the time is that starvation
and crash dieting are a one-way ticket to eventual weight regain and
metabolic destruction.
What should you do instead? Ease into
it. Stick your toes in the water first. Isolate bad habits and
replace them with good ones – one or two at a time – for life.
Psychologists say it only takes 21 days to form a new good habit,
and habits, not diets, are the key to long-term fat loss success.
Any nutrition program not built squarely on a strong foundation of
nutritional fundamentals and good long-term habits is an accident
waiting to happen.
Tom
Venuto is a natural bodybuilder, certified strength and conditioning
specialist (CSCS) and a certified personal trainer (CPT). Tom is the
author of "Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle,” which teaches you
how to get lean without drugs or supplements using methods of the
world's best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid
of stubborn fat and increase your metabolism by visiting: www.BurnTheFat.com |
