by Jenn Draper

Created on: June 04, 2007

The name "diet" is a myth all by itself. You cannot "diet" for a certain amount of time just to end it and continue eating the way that you once did before the diet. In fact the term diet should be deleted from everyone's vocabulary until we all understand just what a diet is.

We should all be on diets, lifestyle diets. Diets that are consistent and never-ending. Yo-yo diets are so common because we deprive ourselves of food and the food that we love. It seems as if most of of need a good dose of education when it comes to our diets.

One big fat no-no is greatly reducing our calories and starving ourselves. When we feel hungry it is because our bodies are in need of FOOD! Our meals should be spaced out between 5-7 meals a day, depending on our caloric needs, our goals, and what our height and weight is. This keeps our metabolism going strong and keeps us from binging on our next meal.

Not only should these meals be frequent, but they need to be fairly small. A serving of complex carbs- yams, oatmeal, whole wheat pastas; should never be larger than the size of your own closed fist. A serving of lean meats should never be larger than the palm of your own hand. And of course, add a nice serving of vegetables. They're low in calories, high in vitamins and anti-oxidants, and some vegetables, such as broccoli, require more calories to digest then they actually contain!

Another no-no is TOO MUCH CARDIO! Everyday I see people running their muscle away by doing hours of cardio. 20-45 mins a day really is all that's needed. After using all of your energy stores from carbs and fat you'll start to lose your much needed and wanted muscle. Don't get excited if you're losing more than 1-2 lbs per week. If you are, I guarantee you're losing muscle. Alternate cardio sessions between short (20 mins.) high intensity and longer (45-60 mins) low intensity on alternating days, and you'll see the fat melting.

One last bit of advice- lots of weight. Women are afraid to use high weights in fear of looking manly. It's not going to happen unless you're using the proper supplements to look that way. Weight training should be within the 10-12 rep range with 3-4 sets. Keep rests between sets short- only 30-60 seconds. A weight training routine should never be longer than about an hour. Pump hard, till it burns. Walk out of that weight room shaking, tired, and desperately needing a bit of rest and craving water and some carbs.

Don't give into hype. You know what's bad for you and you know what's good for you, And be consistent. Don't think of it as a diet you will do for three months. If you want to look great and be healthy you need to eat great and exercise, forever. Get the word "diet" out of your head and replace it with the word, "lifestyle".

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