Most people are overweight because they eat the wrong kinds of food. Sure activity does play a role in how much fat we carry but diet is the most important part.
Most people that come to me have at least 50 lbs to lose. The thing is not all of these people are eating a lot of so called “bad foods”…so why are they gaining weight?
People that are overweight eat too much carbs period. Very simple, very straight forward. Most people think that people who have a weight problem eat a lot of junk foods like soft drinks, fast food, chocolate and chips. But this is wrong. Although a lot of people that need to lose weight do eat these, a lot of people don’t.
The common foods that people eat too much, which I am convinced that make people fat are: Bread, rice, pasta, fruit juices, cereal. These foods are brutal for weight loss. In my opinion the number one culprit would be bread. People love their bread more than anything else. Asking them to stop eating everything else is not a big deal but once you ask them to stop eating bread that’s something that they cannot seem to comprehend.
For example, I was talking to a Phys ed teacher who was telling me how he is starting to get a spare tire around his waist and wants to know how to get rid of it. So I ask him what does his diet look like. Well he was eating almost a whole loaf of bread a day! A lot of people are like this too, and it is more common in people that are over-weight.
This is a common diet for someone who needs to lose weight:
Breakfast: toast, some fruit juice and maybe some cereal
Lunch: Some kind of sandwich, a sweetened drink and maybe a fruit because they are being healthy
Supper: Some kind of meat, potatoes or rice and maybe some bread and butter or toast
Dessert: Some kind of healthy snack like a granola bar or something
Besides the obvious large amount of bread in this diet there is a lot of sugar and not enough protein. If you are not carb tolerant (which 80% of the population is not) then you will get fat on a diet that looks like this. People have been brought up with bread and potatoes as staples of the diet. Probably 2 of the worst foods you can eat if you want to lose weight.
Once you start the diet one of the first things you must get used to is not having your traditional meals. Toast for breakfast and sandwiches are out. In fact if you want to lose weight you will not be eating any bread whatsoever. The same goes to the other culprits I mentioned as well.
Once you get your head around preparing different meals and eating different meals it does get easy. But you must go through a couple of rough weeks to get there. This is when you will go through withdrawals.
Most people that are overweight are addicted to these foods. Just like people are addicted to drugs, they can be addicted to carbs. Carbs, when eaten cause chemical changes in the body and brain, which is why people become addicted to them. Just like any other addiction, the substance must be totally removed for a long period of time to get rid of the addiction. For most people it’s about 2 weeks.
So remember when you are starting a weight loss diet there will be cravings and withdrawals as you are more than likely addicted to carbs. Rough out the storm, once you do you will find that weight loss is surprisingly easy. Once you get to this point you will reach your weight loss goals and keep it off.
