Weight loss: What are the pros and cons of dieting?

Here are the pros and cons of dieting in a nutshell.

Dieting pros – the benefits of losing weight

When you slim down to a size which is appropriate for you, you’ll feel much better. You’ll have more energy for everything in your life: for work, fun, and your family.

You’ll also look better. In our image-obsessed culture, being overweight can make you feel bad about yourself, so weight loss is a confidence-booster.

You’ll be healthier. Over overweight is unhealthy. Your bones, heart and all the systems of your body need to work harder when you’re carrying excess weight.

Dieting cons – dieting can be dangerous

Here are some dieting cons:

* It’s dangerous when short-term dieting is looked on as a quick-fix for an unhealthy lifestyle. Yoyoing weight puts strain on your body;

* Dieting is hard: it’s hard to ensure that you get all the vital nutrients your body needs when you’re on a diet;

* With so many unhealthy and fad diets around, a diet can damage your health permanently.

So, should you go on a diet?

Don’t think in terms of “dieting”.

Think in terms of eating well, and living a healthy lifestyle which incorporates daily exercise.

If you eat well, and exercise, you will lose weight no matter what you currently weigh. Going on a diet is no guarantee that you’ll lose weight in the long term – in fact many dieters gain more weight than they’ve lost when they stop dieting.

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