Losing weight isn't always easy. The typical instructions of eating right and exercising, while good advice, are not always enough to provide the results some dieters seek. By experimenting with various unconventional, yet safe weight loss methods, you may finally find yourself at your goal weight. If you have failed to lose weight by conventional means, maybe it's time to try something new.
Low Carb Dieting
Popularized decades ago by Dr. Robert Atkins, drastically lowering your consumption of all carbohydrates except some vegetables, may speed fat loss in some dieters. The diet works, according to Doctor Atkins, by limiting the amount of insulin released by the pancreas. Insulin is a hormone used to shuttle blood sugar into either muscle or fat cells. Chronically high levels of insulin can increase fat storage and result in type two diabetes. Combined with a high intake of fatty foods like meat, oils and nuts, low carbohydrate dieting signals your body to use body fat, rather than dietary carbohydrates as its primary source of fuel.
Paleo Dieting
Referring to the Paleolithic Era, the Paleo Diet works on the belief that our current methods of food production have evolved faster than our bodies' nutritional needs. Followers of the Paleo Diet eat only foods that were available to our early ancestors. The diet excludes grains, most dairy, refined sugar and processed meats, while encouraging lean grass-fed beef, free-range poultry, fruits, vegetables and nuts. Proponents of the Paleo diet, including author Loren Cordain, believe processed foods, especially grains, play a major role in fat gain.
Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting, also known as IF, is a way to schedule your meals to reduce calorie consumption while increasing metabolism. IF, frequently combined with Paleo dieting, calls for short fasts during the week. Some methods require you to refrain from eating until a four-hour "eating window" late in the day. Others call for you to fast completely for two days during the week while eating normally the rest. Proponents of IF believe fasting increases metabolism. They also point out that limiting the dieter's opportunities to eat automatically reduces calories without having to count them.
References
- "The Paleo Diet: Lose Weight and Get Healthy by Eating the Food You Were Designed to Eat"; Loren Cordain; 2002
- "Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution, Revised Edition"; Dr. Robert C. Atkins MD; 2002
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