Getting that perfect body is not about faddy diets, quick fixes, or starving and bingeing – all of which play havoc with the metabolism and health and don’t last. It is about a consistent and healthy lifestyle! Repetition – eating and doing things that protect the body – making small changes – and everything in moderation.

But here is what so often happens, and if you are a kid you need to receive a serious health warning......

Whilst partaking in a Charity Spinathon for Children in Need (from which – I may add – by bottoms has not yet recovered – and Pudsey Bear is not in my league), I got chatting to a young girl. I noticed that she had a protein shake carton in her hand and before I knew it we were talking about nutrition.

“Why are you having a protein shake right now in the middle of your Spinathon”?

“Well, I am trying to lose some weight quickly before Christmas, because I know I will be pigging out a bit and will put lots of weight back on then! So I have to cut my carbs, right?”

ARGH! Here we go again - the age old response of cutting carbs and then putting the body through a roller coaster ride of ups and downs thinking it will survive it all. Feast and famine, gluttony and starvation………..when will these kids learn?

Like so many people, I have tried crazy diets - from cutting carbs and consuming high fat, to high carbs and low fat, all protein and no carbs! It was all in the name of trying to get that perfect physique - whether it be wearing spandex on TV, wearing tights in the wrestling ring, or jumping on stage with more baby oil on than the Chippendales! Yet whilst doing one or the other, I never quite achieved that balance of healthy mind and body.

So let’s look at what my little friend was planning to do:

Cutting Out Carbs

At the end of the day, the body needs carbohydrate – glucose – to survive. All carbohydrates convert to glucose one way or another – our brain needs it to survive and we need it for immediate energy. Our carbs should be our friends and not our foe.

I liken it to a furnace. If you get a constant and controlled flow of oxygen, the fire will keep burning consistently and reliably for a long time. If you reduce the oxygen supply, the flame will slowly begin to perish and eventually go out! On the other hand, if you increase the oxygen flow too much, you will get a huge fire but it will burn out incredibly quickly.

The body is very complex, and it has an incredible memory. It recognizes the flow of food that we chose to give it, and adjusts itself accordingly.

So my little friend decides to cut off the carbohydrate supply for 6 weeks – CRASH DIET! Her body reacts thinking that it will not eat again for a long period of time. It is called the Starvation Response. Her metabolism slows down – her fire starts to go out – so she won’t use up as much oxygen to get her through the day. At the same time, her body does not know when the next meal is going to come from, so it shoves a bit of fuel into the next room (the fat store) just in case it needs it for later.

Then Christmas comes – the reason she has tried to lose her weight so she can pig out a bit. Her mum has been out and bought lots of naughty things – irresistible! Sausage rolls, crisps, chocolates, mince pies – and in they go!

Now, after 6 weeks, the body does not know what to do with all of this. Her metabolism has dropped and her body does not know what to do with this onslaught of extra carbs. Whilst it is thinking about it, away they go into the next room again (the fat store).

Here is the YO YO Cycle

1. You start a quick weight loss diet, which results in a lowered metabolic rate (your body now burns less calories each day than it did before).
2. You quit your diet.
3. Now, you return to eating as much food (or more—because of a sense of deprivation) as you did before your diet.
4. As a result, you gain weight gain beyond what you previously weighed due to your lowered metabolic rate (and/or because you are binging on previously “forbidden foods”).
5. Frustrated with your weight gain, you go back on a diet.
6. Your metabolic rate lowers further; you regain lost pounds and add more weight in the process.
7. The cycle continues….

Muscle and Metabolism

What my little friend really needs to do is understand her body. It has long been established that an extreme diet that promotes more than a two-pound per week weight loss will break down muscle tissue for energy at a more rapid rate than it will break down fat stores for energy.

Whereas, the slower one loses weight, the less our body uses lean muscle tissue for energy and the more it uses our fat stores. Lean muscle is the last thing a dieter wants to lose. Why? Muscle tissue IS the source of our metabolic rate. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn each day. The less you have, the less you burn each day. Thus, even slow weight loss diets will burn some muscle tissue for energy, particularly when unaccompanied by exercise. Choosing to lose weight fast without exercising is a no-win combination that is a strong predictor of weight cycling.

Health Risks

Apart from the obvious problem of providing only a temporary solution, here are some of the real dangers of yo-yo dieting

• Mental/emotional frustration - which vents itself in mood swings, low self- esteem and disordered eating. Numerous studies link chronic dieting with feelings of depression and increased stress, anger and bingeing.
• A higher risk of heart disease and some cancers then individuals whose weight remains stable if even overweight. This is due to reduced levels of specialised immune system cells.
• Long-term fatigue of an individual's metabolic rate.
• Increased risk of osteoporosis, fractures and broken bones - due to the nutrient deficiencies common in calorie restricted regimes.
• Loss of muscular strength and endurance and loss of co-ordination.
• Fainting, weakness and slowed heart rates.
• Issues with memory as the stress and anxiety about food and weight can actually consume a significant portion of a dieters working memory.
• Dieting can in some cases lead to an eating disorder as a result of body dissatisfaction and constant concern with bodyweight and shape, fat grams and calories.

The Solution!

If you eat the right balance of foods (proteins, carbohydrates and dietary fats) for the needs of your body ALL OF THE TIME and have a regular exercise regime, the body really starts to believe that you are looking after it. The metabolism speeds up and everything gets ready for the next meal. We have a controlled and regular supply of oxygen which will keep our fire burning for a long time! If you “yo yo” with the body, depriving it of one thing or another, it will simply start to protect itself and store things up just in case!

Perfection does not exist, but finding happiness in mind and body is pretty close!

Until the next time, work hard, eat well, and enjoy!

Daniel "Warrior" Singh