People say there is a fat epidemic out there. Why do you suppose we’re suffering a fat epidemic, of all things? We do less physical labor? We over-eat? Too much fast food? Too many sodas? Not enough exercise?
All of the above. But in my case what really got me fat was going on too many starvation diets. When I was in junior high and just barely chubby I started my career as a bad dieter. And continued on that path for more than 30 years. Sure I would lose fat but it wouldn’t stay off. What was even worse, I would gain back even more than I lost. Each and every time. Well, you can see where that was going.
Once I tried diet pills a doctor gave me. Boy! I didn’t eat hardly anything for months. I had to make myself eat. And I love food. I did get thin. At least as thin as I’ve ever been but the fatness came back with a vengeance and I was fatter than ever.
What I didn’t realize until later was starvation diets lower your metabolism so after a starvation diet you burn fewer calories. Now even less food makes you fatter. How unfair is that?
Bad diets like mine make you lose fat for sure but along with losing fat you also lose muscle.
I’ll bet that most fat people have been on tons of starvation diets and for all their suffering they were just making their butts and their problems bigger.
The solution to this never ending cycle is to watch what you eat and lift weights. You lose fat and you keep it off. Muscles raise your metabolism making you burn more calories. Put on just 10 lbs. of muscle and you’ll burn 500 calories. That’s every day at rest.
It’s worked real well for me. I cut out sodas. I don’t go to fast food restaurants (well maybe once or twice a year). Overall I have reduced my eating. A little less here and there. Instead of 2 rolls, just one. I’ve cut back on fried foods. I’m trying to eat more greens. And soups. A lot of soups are healthful, taste good, are filling and low in calories.
But most importantly I started a weight lifting routine. I have lost weight very slowly. This lost fat will stay off and I will continue to lose fat and gain muscle. I hope to be just barely chubby again soon :)
