Our bodies don't like diets

If you have ever dieted, you will know about the weight loss plateau. That weight level that seems to stick, even though you are still being careful about what you eat. This weight loss plateau is one of the reasons why dieters get frustrated - so much care and control and you stay the same weight. The thought comes to mind "Why bother?" and we can all sympathise with that.

Rudulph Leibel of Columbia University has shown that there is a biological mechanism that tends to defeat efforts to reduce our weight. What happens is this: When the body sees that food is getting short, it reduces its metabolism, often rapidly and substantially, in order to keep you fit to survive these hard times - with enough body fat to keep you ready for efficient reproduction. Your body is really only interested in this part of you!

So as you reduce your food intake, your body is reducing the calories it needs for maintenance, and so you are chasing a moving target. So diets don't work.What can you do?

Small, regular changes to your eating habits will avoid the big weight changes (5%-10% of body weight) which trigger this effect. Increasing your activity even just a little will also help. Get yourself a pedometer and check how many steps a day you are doing, and do a bit every day to increase the steps within your normal daily behaviours.

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