by Anthony Francisco

Created on: April 17, 2009   Last Updated: August 17, 2009

With diet programs popping up everywhere, you would think any average Joe with the right motivation can instantly shed "x" amount of pounds in "x" amount of days. With all the one week, four day, and 48 hour sensations out there, you would think every American worthy of poster boy status. America's hunger for hard bodies has sparked a multi-billion dollar industry, one that relies on uninformed consumers to fuel the next great fad. The truth is, dieting is a simple process where the basics will always triumph and quick fixes are guaranteed to falter in the long run. Through a long and often unfulfilling trial and error process, I have compiled the most applicable information, practices, and dietary technologies available today. Still, it's nothing new from what many people are hearing from their dietitians, in fact, the diet is not a diet at all. It's more of a lifestyle, a change in the way we are supposed to eat and live. Pizza is not going away. Ice cream is not going to suddenly disappear when your diet starts. These are the facts of life and only by accepting the pitfalls of today's society, will the next generation learn the true art of dieting.

The impact of food

The way the body accepts and processes certain types of foods can help us dieters make the most informed choices. When we have the luxury to choose, why not pick the foods that will be most beneficial? Is that not the purpose of a diet? To eat something other than what is currently being consumed? A different nutritional plan that will somehow banish the ever growing bulge above our belts. But why must our society make things so extreme? From the overconsumption of processed foods, to a strict no carb diet overnight. It's no wonder why most diets today fail, why we are still looking for answers to fight the obesity epidemic that has blanketed today's youth. Food does not have to be the enemy. It's true that carbohydrates with a high glycemic index such as white bread will cause the body to release excess insulin, resulting in the storage of body fat. However, what is not known to the common dieter is that the body will react differently if the same piece of white bread is consumed after a resistance workout. Instead, the carbohydrates provided by the piece of white bread will be immediately absorbed and used to refuel the depleted stores of glycogen that was used up during the recent workout session. On the other end of the spectrum, choosing the wrong types of dietary fats can have devastating

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