Why Diets Fail (Because You're Addicted to Sugar) Read Online Free PDF

one of the biggest reasons we quit a diet. The challenge when trying to lose weight is that for weight loss to occur, we need to eat less food, but as we lose weight, we actually need even fewer calories in order to maintain our new, lighter body weight. A person who weighs 125 pounds, for example, needs fewer calories to maintain that body weight (when activity and metabolic levels are controlled for) than a person who weighs 200 pounds. Essentially, the more weight you lose, the less you can eat if you want to stay that size. And if you want to continue to lose weight, you’ll have to eat even fewer calories. So, if you are 200 pounds and want to lose weight, you will probably feel hungry on most diets because in order to achieve this goal you need to eat less than you are used to consuming.
    Yes, you need to reduce your caloric intake to lose weight, but caloric intake does not always directly match hunger levels. Certain foods make us feel fuller, or more satiated, than others. For example, later in the book you will learn about how liquid calories (for example, sugar-sweetened beverages) are less satiating than solid foods comprised of the same number of calories. Also, the components (or ingredients) of a food can affect how much it satisfies your hunger. Similarly, certain types of food can make you feel hungry or provoke you to eat more and more of them. We will discuss this in greater detail in later chapters, but for now, keep in mind that what you eat is equally as important if not more important for losing weight as how much you eat.
    PROBLEM #2: I CAN’T AFFORD TO BUY ALL THIS FANCY FOOD!
    Another barrier that you may have encountered when trying to diet is the cost of buying nutritious foods. If you go to the grocery store and look at the cost of buying a pound of fresh apples compared to a large bag of potato chips, you will probably find that the apples are more expensive. Likewise, researchers have shown that foods with a higher energy density (those that have more calories packed in each ounce of food) are less expensive than foods with a lower energy density. 5 So you can spend less money and buy more food; however, what you purchase will consist of added sugar, fat, and refined grains. 6 This means that while trying to reduce costs by buying cheaper foods, you may be contributing to the size of your waistline.
    Interestingly, there is evidence demonstrating that, over time, eating a lower-calorie, nutritious diet did not increase diet costs. 7 In this study, families with a child between the ages of eight and twelve in an obesity treatment program participated in sessions that focused on decreasing consumption of calorie-dense foods. After one year, dietary costs were significantly decreased . So while it may seem that you are spending more on food as you transition from eating processed and refined foods to those that are lower in sugar, over time, the amount of money you spend on food may actually be reduced. You are making an investment in yourself and it will be a better investment overall if you eat healthy.
    PROBLEM #3: I DON’T HAVE TIME TO MAKE ALL THESE MEALS!
    In some ways, time and dollar costs can be a double-edged sword. Even if we save money by buying less food or not going to restaurants or fast-food chains as often, we may increase the amount of time we spend chopping, seasoning, cooking, and preparing fresh meals. 8 For many of us, time is a precious commodity. Between commuting, work meetings, spending time with friends, volunteer work, and children’s soccer practices and ballet classes, the thought of adding one more thing to your metaphoric plate may seem daunting—but fear not! There are many little ways to make preparing healthy meals easy (see box on this page ).
    PROBLEM #4: I DON’T HAVE THE ENERGY TO WORK OUT THIS OFTEN!
    All of us have had our own unique triumphs and struggles when it comes to consistently incorporating exercise into our daily lives. Maybe in the past you