Understanding how food calories and macro-nutrients impact body weight and increase health risk is important. Especially when long-term mobility and longevity expectations are at the top of your fit healthy lifestyle goals.
When thinking about a diet plan specifically used to lose weight fast, immediately suspect it to be a restrictive or limited macro-nutrient diet that can’t be sustained long term and typically increases health risk as duration continues.
The 3 macro-nutrients are protein, carbohydrates and fats.
For example, if a weight loss plan is composed mostly of protein and lacks essential fats and carbohydrates the metabolism will be starved of the other two macro-nutrients.
With the absence of carbohydrates for long periods of time – ketosis occurs… “when the body doesn’t have enough carbs it burns fat and makes substances called ketones, which it can use for fuel.” This metabolic process after a period of time is hard on kidney function and can also lead to Osteoporosis and kidney stones.
If the diet is too high in fats over the balance of the other two macro-nutrients, one is at higher risk of diabetes, stroke, cardiovascular disease and some types of cancers may result.
On the flip side, if the diet is too high in carbohydrates (especially refined carbs) and lacks the other two macro-nutrients – one is at higher risk of fatty liver, cardiovascular and diabetes disease.
If your fitness goal is to lose weight, it is wise to avoid products and services that guarantee amazing results within a 10-30 day window. Restrictive macro-nutrient diets are very stressful on the mind and body and leads many to experience the yo-yo affect [weight re-gain with a vengeance]… and cause of associated ill-health problems.
When calorie nutrient imbalances limit or restrict metabolic energy exchange then the mind and body begin to feel sick and depressed. You may lose the weight, but you’ve also become habitually dependent on someone, or product providing little choice outside of the routine. In other words, you don’t learn how to change habits and/or lifestyle to a healthier outcome.
Every diet plan offered in the marketplace no matter how good it looks or appears to work for others, if it doesn’t include balanced food choice, then the program will likely fail you in the long run.
Our encompassing [mind, body and spirit] fit healthy well-being is dependent upon balanced organic diet, exercise activity and healthy environment. When the encompassing being is in balance, so is body weight, health and sense of well being.
Author: Marc T. Woodard, MBA, BS Exercise Science, ARNG, CPT, RET. 2019 Copyright. All rights reserved, Mirror Athlete Inc., www.mirrorathlete.org, Sign up for your Free eNewsletter.
