Dan Dempsey’s Weight Loss Blog

In 1985 the famed three day diet first came on the scene. It boasted creation of a “specific metabolic reaction” to cause quick weight loss and the system to be cleansed. This reaction has never been validated or even attempted to be explained. The diet is to be followed for only 3 days, with an off period of generally 5 days in between diet times. All the versions of this diet share in common detailed steps that must be followed and foods that must be eaten in order for the diet to work. What better way to blame the dieter when it doesn’t work than “you botched the formula.”

Breakfast on the first day comes with coffee (no sugar), one half a grapefruit, and a piece of toast with 1 Tbsp peanut butter. Lunch is a can of tuna, a piece of toast, and black coffee. For dinner it’s 3 ounces of chicken or lean meat, a cup of green beans, one cup of carrots, one apple, and one cup of regular vanilla ice cream. The other two days of the diet are pretty similar in meal quantity, though the specifics change, for example Day 2 recommends two beef franks for dinner in place of three ounces of lean meat. Supposedly it’s possible to lose as much as 10 pounds in only three days.

Baloney! How’s that for specific? And no baloney is not found on the diet. As stated the metabolic reaction has never been examined much less proven. Any weight loss would be mostly water loss due to a lack of carbs which help the body store water. That could lead to dehydration.

Because of binge eating after such starvation and because most of the weight lost is from water, the weight will quickly return after the three days. Deprive the body of water for three day cycles enough times and a person could develop kidney damage, dehydration, or a host of other dangerous conditions.

The 3 day diet is best treated as a no day diet. In other words, don’t do it.

Article Title: Atkins diet
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Author: Daniel Dempsey

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The short name for the Atkins nutritional approach is the Atkins diet. It was the brainchild of the doctor named Robert Atkins. He had gained a lot of weight in medical school. Atkins read about a low-carb diet in one of his medical journals. He perfected it and released it to the public.

Dr. Atkins came up with new ideas, his Atkins diet, about the nature of weight gain. First, he dismissed the idea that saturated fats were bad. Carbohydrates, found in potatoes, and breads, were the real problem. In fact Atkins thought that the focus on fats had made a problem much worse. He pointed to all the low-fat foods that were high in carbohydrates. Dieters were being tricked into eating foods that would cause them to gain more weight.

The Atkins diet changes this. He shifts dieters’ metabolism to burn body fats by cutting out carbohydrates from their diets. That’s the goal of weight loss. It’s not just a matter of eating less. Now it was all about what your diet can help you burn. Dr. Atkins claimed that his diet would result in the body burning an extra 950 calories each day. But later reviews of his studies found that his claims were false.

The Atkins diet also could help people with type 2 diabetes.. As opposed to type 1 diabetes, type 2 is often closely associated with diet and people who weigh too much. So in general any diet that helps decrease weight will help address type 2 diabetes. Dr. Atkins also said that his Atkins diet would remove the need for medications such as insulin, because it severely cut down on carbohydrates which Atkins claimed were the major cause of type 2 diabetes. The jury is still out in the medical world as to the causes of type 2 diabetes. So while science agrees with Atkins that lowering intake of Carbohydrates will help with the disease, it would disagree that the step alone would remove the necessity for medicine.

What steps does one take to follow the Atkins diet? It follows four phases - induction, ongoing weight loss, pre-maintenance and lifetime maintenance. Here is an overview of the most important phase - Induction.

The first phase of the Atkins diet, Induction, is like the boot camp for the diet. Atkins is flexible as to the time period – but recommends two weeks. Carbohydrates are nearly removed entirely from the diet, only 15-20 grams can be consumed each day. The goal is to enter a fat burning metabolic phase called ketosis when the body, starved of glucose, will begin converting stored fat into fatty acids needed to power the body. During this phase weight loss can reach as much as 10 pounds per week.

Learning the ideal carbohydrate levels for weight losing and for day to day intake after the weight loss ends are the purposes of the final three phases in the Atkins diet. Millions of people are still losing weight on this diet – but beware the dangers of taking in too much fat.

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Resource box: Daniel Dempsey Dempsey

2189 N. Rte. 83 # 103

Round Lake Beach, IL 60073

http://www.dandempsey.com/weightloss/tsfls.htm

The quickest way to lose weight is through diet and exercise, period. That means taking in fewer calories than you burn. There’s no need to starve, and in fact periods of starvation such as missing a meal could lead to more weight gain when the body enters “starvation” mode, not to mention starving yourself could cause tremendous damage to your body. Like so many other things slow and steady wins the race. In the long run a smart every day diet combined with good exercise is the quickest way to lose weight. And the best part is you won’t regain the weight.

Diet means the everyday way you eat, not a short term gimmick for losing weight. Foods from each food group are part of a healthy, balanced diet. From there adjust down calories at times when some weight loss is needed.

Sounds like a big change, huh? It doesn’t have to be. You may already eat most of the foods needed for a well balanced diet, just not in the right portions. Cut down quantities, replace starches with whole grains, and you can still even eat cake while losing weight .

The key to maintaining a healthy diet is planning. When you fail to plan you skip meals, that leads to binge eating. When you fail to plan you often end up at the mercy of a fast food restaurant or a friend whose cooking leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to healthy foods. Plan meals in advance, including for occasions like parties and social gatherings. It only takes a few questions to find out what’s being served and plan the days other meals accordingly to not break the bank for calories. Part of the process is understanding that sometimes the plan will fail. Don’t let missteps discourage you. One cheated meal doesn’t mean the whole diet, remember it’s an every day forever diet not just a few days diet, has failed.

As for exercise perform 30 minutes of aerobic exercise seven days a week. That’s the goal, don’t worry if you miss a day here or there. Add extra activity such as parking further from the store or office for a little walk, or taking stairs instead of the elevator.

Combine the healthy every day diet with physical activity for the quickest way to lose weight.

Are there any easy ways to lose weight? It’s common knowledge that diet, cutting down on caloric intake, and exercise, increasing the number of calories you burn, work together as a formula for losing weight. But the hard part is sticking to a low calorie, and often bland, diet. It won’t be easy, but with a little work it sure is easier. Here are some tips to make it easier.

Carry a notebook to jot down everything that passes your lips. Writing down everything you eat and drink, even water, helps you eat less. Studies show that people eat 15% less when they track everything they eat. 15% is a lot.

On average Americans consume 245 calories a day from drinks. Make the switch to 0 calorie water. 245 calories a day add up to 90,000 calories each year. That’s 25 pounds. Are soda and juice really that good? Keep in mind too that juice and soda don’t trigger a feeling of fullness, despite their calories.

Eat five or six smaller meals a day instead of three large meals a day. Studies show that eating in smaller portions more often results in eating 30% fewer calories. You’re also less likely to binge because the body won’t produce as much insulin which leads to hunger.

Make sure your wardrobe only includes the “skinny” clothes. If you don’t have clothing that’s comfortable when you’re fat, you’re more likely to be reminded to keep the weight off every time you dress. And if you have to buy a whole new wardrobe you’re less likely to gain weight.

Switch to smaller plates. It’s proven that people eat what’s in front of them. Use the salad plates instead of dinner plates.

Similar to the idea of using smaller plates, serve your food on the plate rather than in bowls on the table. When the plate is empty the meal is over, instead of spooning another portion onto your plate.

Don’t eat white bread, sugar or white rice. Those are the foods with loads of carbohydrates which lead to higher blood sugar and weight gain. Stick to whole grain breads and dark rice. Don’t be concerned with the sugar, pretty soon you won’t miss it.

Weight loss isn’t easy, but relatively speaking there are easy ways to lose weight. Don’t be intimidated if it’s only easier instead of really easy. If weight loss were easy, everyone would be a supermodel.

Lots of folks need to shed weight, and lots of people are always on the look out for diet plans that work. The issue isn’t really finding a diet plan that works, but rather finding a diet to which a person can stick. The 46.8 billion dollar diet industry (as of 2005) depends not on people staying healthy and keeping off weight, but rather on people taking an endless ping-pong ride between health and fat. Because the money comes from repeat business, the focus is naturally on methods and products that work for a short period but result in return business.

So you want a diet that works? Here’s one. Drink only water, eat only a thousand calories each day, and combine it with 30 minutes of aerobic activity 5 times a week. That diet will result in shedding weight. Only two small problems. The first is that cravings will foil the diet. 1000 calories and all that exercise will eventually lead to massive hunger and binge eating. First it’s a potato chip or piece of cake, then it’s an extra hot dog and the whole bag of chips, and then the diet is ended. #2 the diet eventually ends. You soon go back to eating the same old way. Next spring, or next time to wear that dress or tuxedo, or next family trip, or simply the next time you look into a looking glass on the way out of the shower it will be once again be diet time.

The best diet is one making a change to overall diet, permanently. A lifestyle change to healthier eating habits and more exercise is the best way to lose weight and keep off the weight. Connie Guttersen created the Sonoma Diet which, as a base, focuses on 10 “power foods.” The power foods are almonds, bell peppers, blueberries, broccoli, grapes, olive oil, spinach, strawberries, tomatoes and whole grains, combined with the diet of the Sonoma country, which includes Asian, Latin American and Mediterranean influences. The diet includes a wide selection of real, and enjoyable foods so it’s easy to remain on it .

Want a diet that works? Shift the focus away from a short term diet to permanent eating habits that go along with an overall healthy and active lifestyle. That way you won’t gain the pounds in the first place.

Article Title: Atkins diet
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Author: Daniel Dempsey

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The Atkins diet is really called the Atkins nutritional approach. Dr. Robert Atkins invented this low-carb diet. He put on a lot of pounds while he attended medical school. Atkins read about a low-carb diet in one of his medical journals. He built on that diet and eventually made it popular.

Dr. Atkins had rather radical theories about the nature of weight gain as expressed in the Atkins diet. First, he dismissed the idea that saturated fats were bad. Carbohydrates, found in potatoes, and breads, were the real problem. In fact Atkins thought that the focus on fats had made a problem much worse. Carbohydrates are used to make up for the lack of fat in low fat foods. Dieters were being tricked into eating foods that would cause them to gain more weight.

The Atkins diet changes this. By cutting out carbohydrates people would burn stored body fats. That’s the goal of weight loss. It’s not just a matter of eating less. Dr. Atkins held that your diet could actually help you burn calories. Dr. Atkins claimed that his diet would result in the body burning an extra 950 calories each day. That sounded good but it wasn’t true.

The Atkins diet also could help people with type 2 diabetes.. Being overweight is generally considered the major cause for type 2 diabetes. Therefore, by means of losing weight a person on the Atkins diet would be addressing their type 2 diabetes. But the Atkins diet is also low in carbohydrates, which must be avoided with type 2 diabetes regardless of caloric intake, so by means of this aspect of the diet Atkins claimed those who suffer type 2 diabetes would no longer need medication such as insulin. But that’s counter to the prevailing medical theories regarding type 2 diabetes which, although recommending that lowered intake of carbohydrates and weight loss help manage diabetes, ascribe no causal relationship between carbohydrates and type 2 diabetes.

What steps does one take to follow the Atkins diet? It consists of four steps or phases which are induction, ongoing weight loss, pre-maintenance and lifetime maintenance. Here are more details of Induction which is the most crucial of the phases.

The Induction phase is the most difficult phase of the Atkins diet. Atkins is flexible as to the time period – but recommends two weeks. During this phase carbohydrates are severely limited – only up to 20 grams per day. The goal is to enter a fat burning metabolic phase called ketosis when the body, starved of glucose, will begin converting stored fat into fatty acids needed to power the body. During this phase weight loss can reach as much as 10 pounds per week.

The next three phases of the Atkins diet help establish the levels of carbs people can consume in order to lose weight and to maintain a desired weight. The diet lost popularity after Dr. Atkins died, but it’s still popular.

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Resource box: Daniel Dempsey Dempsey

2189 N. Rte. 83 # 103

Round Lake Beach, IL 60073

http://www.dandempsey.com/weightloss/tsfls.htm

The “3 Day Diet” goes back to 1985 and today can be found all over the Internet and on book store shelves. The three day diet and its variants claim quick weight loss, a cleansing of the system, lower cholesterol and increased energy all through a “specific metabolic reaction” that no version of the diet has ever validated. The diet is to be followed for only 3 days, with an off period of generally 5 days in between diet times. All the versions of this diet share in common detailed steps that must be followed and foods that must be eaten in order for the diet to work. What better way to blame the dieter when it doesn’t work than “you botched the formula.”

Breakfast on the first day comes with coffee (no sugar), one half a grapefruit, and a piece of toast with 1 Tbsp peanut butter. For lunch, you are allowed a can of tuna, a piece of toast, and black coffee. Dinner consists of 3 ounces of chicken or lean meat, a cup of green beans, one cup of carrots, one apple, and one cup of regular vanilla ice cream. The following two days of the diet are relatively similar in meal quantity, though the specifics change, for example Day 2 recommends two beef franks for dinner in place of three ounces of lean meat. Supposedly it’s possible to lose as much as 10 pounds in only three days.

Hogwash is the answer. The question is what is a specific reaction to that claim? There is no evidence for the so-called “specific metabolic reaction.” The only reason this diet would shed pounds is because of the lack of calories in the diet. In fact, because the diet is so low in carbohydrates a person could lose ten pound in three days. Of course most of that would be water weight because carbohydrates encourage the body to retain water. By the way, losing that much weight from not retaining water is dangerous as the body needs water to survive.

Once the three days end the weight will return, primarily because it’s mostly water. But also because any weight lost from the missed calories will be regained when the starving diet victim returns to normal, or in this case heavier than normal, eating. Furthermore, such water loss could result in some serious medical conditions. But hey, then you’d lose some real weight in the hospital.

If something sounds too good to be true it is. The 3 day diet sounds too good to be true.

The quickest way to lose weight is through diet and exercise, end of story. How do you burn more calories than you take in? Starving yourself is silly because it sends your body into a low calorie burning mode, and it could cause serious health conditions. Patience is a virtue when trying to lose weight, as with many endeavors. In the long run a smart every day diet combined with good exercise is the quickest way to lose weight. And the best part is you won’t regain the weight.

Diet means the everyday way you eat, not a short term gimmick for losing weight. Foods from each food group are part of a healthy, balanced diet. From there adjust down calories during periods when some weight loss is needed.

Sounds like a big change, huh? It might not be. You may already eat most of the foods needed for a well balanced diet, just not in the right portions. Cut down quantities, replace starches with whole grains, and you can still even eat cake while losing weight .

The key to maintaining a healthy diet is planning. When you fail to plan you miss meals, that leads to binge eating. When you fail to plan you often find yourself at the mercy of a fast food restaurant or a friend whose food leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to healthy foods. Plan meals in advance, including for occasions like parties and social gatherings. It only takes a few questions to find out what’s on the menu and plan the days other meals accordingly to not ruin your diet. Part of the process is understanding that sometimes the plan will fail. Don’t let a failure discourage you. One cheated meal doesn’t mean the whole diet, remember it’s an every day forever diet not just a few days diet, has failed.

Seven days a week exercise for at least 30 minutes. Little things like parking further from the office can add extra activity that makes a huge difference.

Combine the healthy every day diet with physical activity for the quickest way to lose weight.

Do easy ways to lose weight exist? It’s common knowledge that diet, cutting down on caloric intake, and exercise, increasing calories burned, work together as a formula for weight loss. But the hard part is sticking to a low calorie, and often bland, diet. It won’t be effortless, but with a little work it sure is easier. Here are some tips to make it easier.

Keep a daily log of everything that passes your lips. Taking notes helps you eat less. Studies show that people eat 15% less when they track everything they eat. That’s significant.

On average Americans consume 245 calories a day from drinks. Make the switch to zero calorie water. 245 calories a day is nearly 90,000 calories per year. That’s 25 pounds. Are soda and juice really that good? Keep in mind too that juice and soda don’t trigger a feeling of fullness, despite their calories.

Grazing, eating more smaller meals during the day rather than a few large meals, is another way to drop weight. Eating more meals with smaller portions results in eating 30% fewer calories. You’re also less likely to binge because the body won’t produce as much insulin which leads to hunger.

Get rid of the “fat” clothes. If you don’t have clothing that’s comfortable when you’re heavier, you’re more likely to be reminded to keep slim every time you dress. And you’re less likely to gain weight if doing so means having to buy a whole new wardrobe.

Use smaller plates. It’s proven that people eat what’s in front of them. Use the salad plates instead of dinner plates.

Similar to the idea of using smaller plates, serve your food on the plate rather than in bowls on the table. When the plate is empty the meal is over, instead of spooning another portion onto your plate.

Avoid white foods such as white bread, sugar, and white rice. Those foods are loaded with carbohydrates which lead to higher blood sugar and weight gain. Stick to whole grain breads and dark rice. Don’t worry about the sugar, pretty soon you won’t miss it.

There are a lot of other tips for easy ways to lose weight. Don’t be intimidated if it’s only easier instead of effortless. If weight loss were easy, everyone would be a supermodel.

You have to wear that old dress or suit and now you need to lose

weight? Lose weight too fast and you could harm

your body. Fad diets, diet pills, extreme fasting and other fast weight loss methods may work

but they can also cause you to lose muscle, counter productive to a long term weight

loss program, and can cause damage to your heart and other internal organs. Remember Fen-Fen?

Determine how many calories you eat, because burning more than you consume

results in weight loss. Keep a written record of every morsel, for at least a week. That means

everything, every morsel, every sample, every sip of water. Now with

the help of web sites like mypyramidtracker.gov figure out the calories in what you

eat.

Now that you know the calories you consume, start cutting. One great way is to use smaller plater. Portion sizes are generally too large both at home and in restaurants. There are

a lot of other easy cuts that don’t significantly change what you eat. Soda and juice, cake, cookies,

butter, ditch them. The average American consumes 240 calories a day

from juice and soda. That’s 90,000 calories a year - 25 pounds! Simply switching to water as a main drink is a big

step in weight loss. End you consumption

of white bread, sugar and carbs. These are easily replaced in your diet - try whole grain

breads.

An easy place to target for calorie reduction is the side dish. This portion of the meal often

contains more calories than the main course. Make a switch

to healthy foods, or cut out the sides completely.

Build up

some muscle to increase muscle mass and metabolism. It’s a decent calorie burner, but

will help you burn calories even when sitting still. Aerobic workouts are the key. {Many experts say to enjoy aerobic

activity for 30 minutes a day 3-5 days a week. Hog wash!|Don’t pay attention to the 3-5 times a

week school of thought on this Find an activity

you can sustain for seven days each week, forever..

There’s the plan to lose weight fast. Now get moving!