Diet Allies

Diet Allies will help you fight the war against excess pounds. The human body versus the fat that doesn't belong...the hardest fought battle of all time. Work with your Body Allies to declare victory over fat once and for all.

Three aspects of dieting and weight loss have been either neglected or incorrectly utilized by past diets. They are the food you eat, the muscle you have, and the habits you practice.

You might be surprised to know that diets today don't know about the three body allies. As a matter of fact, most diets aren't diets. Let's read the real definition of a diet...

A diet is a well balanced combination of foods, exercise, and the practice of good habits to promote fat loss, preserve and if possible gain muscle, and ultimately, prevent weight gain.

Wow! That's a lot a diet is supposed to do. But, it's correct. If you haven't already, go ahead and check out the article, Why Diets Fail. Valuable information can be found when studying why diets don't work...maybe that should be one of the Weight Loss Tips.

On with Weight Loss Tips and the Diet Allies...

The Food - Diet Allies

Great research conducted over the past few years clearly demonstrate the importance of caloric energy density and the thermic effects of feeding (TEF).

The basic idea is to use food in varying combinations that lower energy density, promote fat loss, and preserve muscle. The days of simply counting calories are gone.

I think that's a valid statement and this should be one of the Weight Loss Tips. The absolute number of calories is not as important as we once thought.

However, no matter how you manipulate, turn, twist, squeeze, or stretch it, a calorie follows the same physical laws of energy our bodies follow. Eat more than you need and your "war" with fat will continue.

For additional information, check out Food Essentials.

The Muscle - Diet Allies

Muscle is the most active tissue at rest. Simply, the more you have or the more toned you are, the higher your metabolism. The major contributor to weight gain as an adult is loss of muscle (or what is called lean body mass). Without it, your metabolism drops and your weight goes up.

Diets today, especially the "fast" weight loss diets, cause harm by decreasing muscle mass. Besides breaking the law of medicine, Do No Harm, they don't meet the definition of a diet. In fact,

They actually set you up to gain weight rather than prevent it.

It has to do with the "Hierarchy of Macronutrient Oxidation." That's a fancy phrase for the order in which fats, proteins, and carbohydrates are utilized as a source of immediate energy. Fat is used last.

Because a fat calorie is jammed pack with energy, it's naturally saved and other sources are used for immediate needs. Fat is the energy reserve for the body.

What does this mean?

Let's say you start a low calorie diet. Sensing a low energy supply, your body saves fat and burns other sources, specifically muscle. This is the worst thing that can happen.

Muscle is your best protection from gaining weight. The more you lose while on the low calorie diet, the more weight you can expect to gain back.

Bottom line...Muscle Keeps You Thin!

Bad Eating Habits

See our page on Bad Eating Habits to learn how to turn bad habits into good ones.

More than diet allies on our weight loss tips page

Healthy weight loss hope page