Worst Ways to Lose Weight

Society is all about looks and the pressure to get thin and stay that way is overwhelming. People spend millions of dollars on weight loss products and strive to achieve their "perfection" in many ways, some of them unhealthy. As someone who holds a degree in nutrition and fitness I am all for achieving your ideal weight, but feel that it needs to be done in a healthy manner. If you are overweight and are looking to shed some pounds then please consult your doctor before doing anything to make sure there are no underlying health problems.

If you have made the commitment to lose your weight these are the methods you are going to want to avoid as they are unhealthy and unsafe.

Starvation - Some people feel that if they don't eat then they can lose the weight they want. If you aren't up on all the in's and out's of your body this process can lead so some serious eating disorders. Your body needs fuel to keep running, so instead of starving your self fuel your body with proper nutrition. This will help you lose more pounds in the long run.

Excessive Exercising - Exercise is a good thing, because it will help you lose weight, but if all you do is exercise to the point of exhaustion then you will do your body more harm. Compulsive exercising is not healthy so don't let your desire to lose weight override your common senses.

Diet Pills - I am not a big fan of diet pills, because I see them as a quick fix. People want to lose weight immediately so they turn to whatever they feel offers the most promise. Losing weight in a healthy manner is going to take time and hard work not some magic pills.

Fad Diets - I remember when the Atkins Diet was very popular. You could eat all the meats and fats you wanted, but as long as you avoided the carbs then you were good to go. Many people realized that this wasn't the way to go, because when they quit the weight just flew back on. Think about it, what kind of a diet lets you eat all the eggs and fats you want and is good for you?

Hypnosis - I will never understand why people think they can be hypnotized into losing weight. Instead of doing it the right way people once again look for a quick fix. Don't wast your money on this method, because there is no scientific evidence that it works.

Purging - We already talked about starvation, but we should also look at purging. If you are unfamiliar to what this is, purging is when you expel your food either by vomiting or through the other end with the use of laxatives. This is not healthy and leads to an eating disorder known as bulimia. Don't go down this path it isn't worth it.

Surgery - Gastric bypass surgery has become very popular as of late. Now I am going to be honest. I don't know what it is like to be excessively overweight, so I have never had to deal with what people opting for this surgery are going through. My personal opinion is that it is another quick fix. These people feel that it is their only option, but I have to ask how hard they really tried with a healthy diet and exercise. If you want to be healthy then go about it the right way. Sure it is going to be difficult, but in the long run you will be better off.

Dieting Alone - If you don't have a good support system then achieving the healthy lifestyle you want is going to be difficult. I would suggest finding a partner, local support group, or on line dieting community such as Spark People to help you out. If you have people who share the same goals as you then weight loss will be a bit easier.

Unreasonable Goals - It is good to have goals, because then you know what you are working toward. If your goals are unreasonable or too strict then you are going to do more harm than good. You need to start of slow, build in reward days, and don't set your self up for failure. Be reasonable, if you can't even run 1 mile then don't set a goal to run 10 miles per week. Eventually you might get there, but you need to give it time.

Avoiding Certain Food Groups - I have seen certain diets that suggest avoiding this food group or that food group. You shouldn't avoid the bread group because you want don't want to eat carbs or the fruit group because you want to avoid sugars. You should consume adequate amounts from each of the food groups in order to have a healthy, balanced diet. If you are having trouble with this concept check out the My Pyramid website.

I hope that as you begin your weight loss journey you do so in a healthy manner. Be smart and if something sounds too good to be true then it probably is. You didn't put those pounds on over night so don't expect them to come off over night either.