Crash Diets and Fitness - Why They Do Not Mix

There are a couple of reasons that most people want to lose weight. Typically, most people want to shed pounds to feel and/or look better. The sad truth is that most dieters are motivated by vanity more than they are motivated by health issues. Of course, there isn't anything wrong with wanting to look good or feel good. But to truly look and feel better you need to do more than simply drop a few pounds. In order to truly be healthier you need to exercise as well as eat a healthier diet. Crash diets don't advocate this, and this is why most of them do not work.

Most crash diets encourage dieters to drastically reduce the amount of calories that are consumed each day. When you dramatically decrease your calories, you lose your energy, making it harder to exercise effectively. This is especially true for the diets that advocate limiting or completely cutting out carbohydrates. Think about it...when athletes have a big event coming up, they are famous for filling up on carbohydrates to raise their energy levels and increase their stamina.

When you engage in exercise, your body needs to have carbohydrates on hand to burn in order to keep your energy level up. According to a study done by The Physician and Sports Medicine Journal, during the first twenty minutes of your workout, your body burns carbohydrates. It is only after this initial carbohydrate burn that the body turns to your fat reserves.

When you limit your carb intake, you won't be able to get through that first twenty minutes, let alone exercise enough to burn some of your fat stores. You simply won't have the energy to keep moving. In order to last through your workout's first twenty minutes, you need to consume complex carbohydrates.

While nobody would advocate the quick consumption of candy or junk food before a workout (those are simple carbs which are absorbed quickly and wreak havoc on your blood sugar levels), having a granola bar or some fruit a couple of hours before your workout could be extremely beneficial. The carbohydrates in these foods are absorbed slowly and they release energy slowly and steadily, allowing you a lengthier workout.

When you try to figure out which weight loss methods are right for you, choose a method that will guarantee you have enough energy to last through your entire workout. Crash diets won't do it.