Matt Murphy Coaching

WHY LOW CALORIE DIETS DON'T WORK:

The leading cause of obesity in America is low-calorie weight loss programs. Americans will

spend more than $60 billion on weight - loss programs and diet products, according to a

consumer research firm. Ironically, obesity in America is more prevalent today than ever

before. The fact is that for 98% of the people coming off such programs, the weight loss was

due to loss of muscle and water, not necessarily loss of fat.

It is a huge misconception the "weight - loss" means losing fat. The diet industry would like us

to believe that all weight loss is fat loss. In most calorie restricted diets, the body will use the

muscle for energy and hold on to the fat for survival. The body must be fed a certain number

of nutrients in order to maintain its muscle and use the fat stores for energy.

Once the body starts to run on its muscle tissue, even the slightest elevation in calories will be

stored as fat. This is why people who lose weight can't keep it off. Their bodies become

extremely efficient at storing fat.

Generally, when people lose weight, they do not look like they imagined. Im often asked what

weight - training exercises help people to firm up. There are no exercises that will help them

tone simply because weight training works with muscle, and muscle is already tone. If the

weight lost would have been fat, people would be left largely with toned muscle. Instead, they

become a smaller person with a high percentage of body fat.

An Understanding of how the human body works is the first step to successful fat - loss

program. Since our earliest beginnings, the human body has fought to stay alive by making

the necessary adjustments for survival. Diets are perceived by the body as starvation. When

a dieter further restricts calories in an effort to lose weight, the body will fight that much harder

to store fat and conserve energy. The human body is an efficient fat storing machine.

Understanding one's set - point is an important fat - loss concept. A set point is where your

body is comfortable. It doesn't mean that is an ideal weight. In other words, one may lose some weight or gain some weight, but always seems to revert to its original weight.