As Little As One Drink Of Alcohol A Week Can Significantly Reduce Fat Loss

Here is the common statement- if you eat well and exercise regularly having a drink once a week or so isn’t going to affect your weight loss that much. Unfortunately, having worked with hundreds of people over the course of almost two decades I can tell you from personal experience that it will. In fact my observations over the years have borne out that by having as little as one drink of alcohol a week is more than enough to reduce your weight loss by over 60-70% as compared to those following the same dietary plan and exercise regime. More important is that for those final pounds to come off those that consistently had as little as one drink a week were never able to attain flat and rippling abdominals while those that did not drink were consistently able to do so while following the prescribed dietary and exercise protocols. Working with the individuals that indulged I was also always able to tell whether they were drinking or not as their performance in the gym was noticeably reduced if they consumed alcohol for well over 48 hours after consumption. Why does alcohol have such a negative impact on weight loss and performance- the standard idea is that alcohol is high in calories and to lose weight one must at all times burn more calories that you are taking in- but in reality this has nothing to do with why alcohol has such a negative effect as even low calorie alcoholic drinks are problematic. The real problem is that alcohol works to reduce the amount of fat your body is able to burn while increasing your appetite and lowering your testosterone levels for up to 24 hours after your last drink.

After having a drink or two here is what happens to your body that you may not be aware of:

• A some of the alcohol consumed is converted into fat.
• Your liver converts most of the alcohol into acetate.
• The acetate is released into your bloodstream, and replaces fat as a source of fuel.
• The alcohol raises levels of the stress hormone, cortisol which also acts to increase muscle breakdown.
• The alcohol also reduces testosterone levels.
• The alcohol intake will increase your appetite thus making it more likely that you will overeat without being aware of it.

How Alcohol Inhibits Fat Loss

As we said earlier conventional thought is that beer bellies are caused by the excess alcohol calories being stored as fat- but studies have found that on average less than 5% of the alcohol calories you drink are converted by the liver into fat. Rather, the main problem with alcohol is that it reduces the amount of fat your body is able to burn for energy. In a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 8 men were given two drinks of vodka and sugar-free lemonade in half hour intervals. Each drink contained less than 90 calories and fat metabolism was measured both before and after consumption of the drinks. For several hours after drinking the vodka, whole body lipid oxidation which is the rate at which your body burns fat was reduced by 73%[1],!

Instead of being stored as fat, the tendency for your liver to convert alcohol into acetate. Acetate is used by your body as an alternative fuel source- one that replaces fat as a primary fuel source when it is present and available in your system. So when acetate levels rise your body burns more acetate and consequently significantly less fat. In the study it was found that blood acetate levels were 250% higher than normal and this sharp increase in acetate goes a long way in inhibiting fat loss.

Alcohol Makes You Eat More

The combination of alcohol and a high-calorie foods creates an even bigger problem as alcohol works to stimulate your appetite. The word aperitif is French in origin and refers to the alcoholic drink taken before meals to increase your appetite and has been a tradition for hundreds of years. A Canadian study showed that an aperitif increased calorie intake far more than a carbohydrate-based drink [2]. Many other studies have validated this and the bottom line is that you will always eat more when you consume alcohol with your meals.

Alcohol Reduces Testosterone Levels

As if it wasn’t bad enough, not only does too much alcohol inhibit fat loss, but it also decreases testosterone levels. Studies have shown that one bout of high alcohol consumption drinking raises levels of the muscle-wasting hormone cortisol and increases the breakdown of testosterone for up to 24 hours [3]. Even more alarming is the fact that it was found that the damaging effects of alcohol on testosterone are made even worse when you exercise before drinking [4]. The testosterone reducing effects of alcohol on testosterone could be one reason that people who drink a lot carry less muscle and thus are unable to achieve the levels of muscular development and fat loss required for a lean and sculpted physique. A 1993 study showed conclusively that alcoholic men have bigger waists and smaller muscles than those who abstain from alcoholic beverages [5].

Can You Have Maximum Weight Loss And Still Drink Occasionally?

Having alcohol with a meal will increase your metabolic rate, but will also reduce the amount of fat your body burns for energy — far more so than high protein, high carbohydrate, or high fat meals [6]. A drink once in a blue moon might not do that much but it is important to understand that if you really want to maximize your fat loss and muscle building efforts to create a truly lean and sculpted physique, alcohol is more of a liability than an asset. It isn’t always easy especially in many social situations, but at the end of the day it is important that we understand fully the consequences of our actions rather than pretending that a drink or two a week won’t make much of a difference.

References
1. Siler, S.Q., Neese, R.A., & Hellerstein, M.K. (1999). De novo lipogenesis, lipid kinetics, and whole-body lipid balances in humans after acute alcohol consumption. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 70, 928-936
2. Buemann, B., Toubro, S., & Astrup, A. (2002). The effect of wine or beer versus a carbonated soft drink, served at a meal, on ad libitum energy intake. International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders, 26, 1367-1372
3. Valimaki, M.J., Harkonen, M., Eriksson, C.J., & Ylikahri, R.H. (1984). Sex hormones and adrenocortical steroids in men acutely intoxicated with ethanol. Alcohol, 1, 89-93
4. Heikkonen, E., Ylikahri, R., Roine, R., Valimaki, M., Harkonen, M., & Salaspuro, M. (1996). The combined effect of alcohol and physical exercise on serum testosterone, luteinizing hormone, and cortisol in males. Alcoholism, Clinical and Experimental Research, 20, 711-716
5. Kvist, H., Hallgren, P., Jonsson, L., Pettersson, P., Sjoberg, C., Sjostrom, L., & Bjorntorp, P. (1993). Distribution of adipose tissue and muscle mass in alcoholic men. Metabolism, 42, 569-573
6. Raben A, Agerholm-Larsen L, Flint A, Holst JJ, Astrup A. (2003). Meals with similar energy densities but rich in protein, fat, carbohydrate, or alcohol have different effects on energy expenditure and substrate metabolism but not on appetite and energy intake. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 77, 91-100

Kevin Richardson is the creator of Naturally Intense High Intensity Training 10 Minute Workouts™ and one of the most sought after personal trainers in New York City. Get a copy of his free weight loss ebook here.

The Dirty Dozen- So Called ‘Healthy’ Foods To Avoid To Lose Weight

So many people struggle every day with diets that do far more harm than good to lose weight and get themselves in shape. Thanks to the multi-billion dollar bonanza created by the public need for weight loss solutions companies spend an enormous amount of money to influence what we think is healthy. From public relations campaigns where their products and foods are touted in the press and endorsed by celebrities and at times government organizations to studies funded by food lobby groups to find healthy attributes in foods with questionable health properties.

Never before has it been harder to get unbiased information on what you should and should not eat if you want to lose weight, stay healthy and avoid diet related diseases. The misconceptions are so numerous that I thought I might help a bit by going over the definitive no-no’s to keeping your tummy tight and your body in the best shape possible. Remember that words like ‘organic’ and ‘natural’ are marketing terms that refer to the foods ingredient but have no bearing on whether the food is actually good for you or not. Nightshade berries for example are organic, natural and are high in vitamins anti-oxidants – but it doesn’t make it a good idea to eat it as it is the most poisonous plant in the Western Hemisphere! The same applies to our foods- don’t be mislead by hype about the great properties a food product is supposed to have- in fact I would venture to say that the more of a health food it is supposed to be the more you should avoid it! We are today eating more ‘organic’ and ‘health’ foods in the United States than ever before but our rates of obesity and diet related ailments continue to climb so obviously there is something fundamentally wrong with Western processed foods. Here is my definitive dirty dozen of hidden dangers in what most refer to as healthy foods:

‘Healthy’ Foods To Avoid To Lose Weight

12. Bran Muffins 

It always amazes me that people still think that there is some inherent good in having bran muffins for breakfast. Trust me, there isn’t, even though they do contain some fiber, bran muffins are notoriously high in sugar and have a very high glycemic index. It is are refined carbohydrate and often also contains a fair amount of partially hydrogenated oils- (trans fats)- exactly what you want to stay away from if you want to get into shape. Carbohydrates that have a high glycemic index will give you a nice sugar rush, followed by a nasty crash. Whenever your body consumes a high glycemic rated food your insulin levels will go up dramatically. Increased insulin levels make your body store fat– which I am sure is not your goal nor are they healthy for your body as over time it can lead to pancreatic problems and the onset of type 2 diabetes. The key is to eat only complex carbohydrates that are naturally occurring foods not their refined cousins that are man made.

11. Juices

“You must drink orange juice everyday to be healthy and get your Vitamin C!” is what most of us grew up hearing. Oddly enough, fruit juices are devoid of almost all naturally occurring vitamins as the refinement process destroys them and thus vitamins have to be added back into it. Basically when you drink a glass of orange juice all the vitamin C that you are getting comes from a dissolved vitamin tablet (which explains the taste) which our body cannot use as efficiently as a naturally occurring source. Juices of all kinds should be avoided if you are really trying to slim down as they are high in simple sugars and low in fiber. As strange as it may seem but juices are very much a foreign entity to our bodies as we are not at all designed to drink them. In nature, sugar occurs in fruits in the presence of fiber. This fiber is a key factor in how our body processes the sugars and serves to reduce any severe spikes in insulin levels after consuming it. The naturally occurring fiber also helps tell our brain when enough is enough. Anyone can easily drink a glass of apple juice in a couple of seconds but it takes anywhere from 6-8 apples to make one glass of juice and our bodies are not made to ingest that many apples at one time. In fact I don’t know of too many people that could eat more than one or two apples at a sitting as the high fiber content would prevent you from overdoing it. Take away the fiber by juicing it and voila you have just transformed a perfectly healthy food into a refined food product that isn’t good for your health or your waistline.

Don’t fall for the nonsense marketing of the health benefits of juicing- it’s a great way to sell juicers but don’t think that you can get your servings of vegetables and fruits by gulping down a glass- even vegetable become refined food products if you use a juicer because the concentration is unnatural to our bodies. So if you want the nutrition of a fruit and vegetables just do what we’ve been doing for the past 150,000 years without any problems- just eat fruit and vegetables.  You’ll lose weight, save money and stay healthier.

10. Soda.

There is no getting around it, soda is evil. Every year Americans guzzle over 15 billion gallons of it and I cannot understand why. Simply put, soda is loaded with empty calories and simple sugars. One can of soda exceeds your USDA recommendation of sugar requirements for the entire day! What about diet soda, you ask? That couldn’t be too bad,  right? Wrong! Diet sodas contain high amounts of phosphoric acid, which can destroy your teeth and gums. The phosphorous in soda also weakens bones by interfering with calcium absorption. Additional studies have found that diet soda also can lead to weight gain.  So don’t fool yourself at the checkout window by thinking that you are doing yourself a service by having the diet soda instead of the regular kind. Having a diet soda instead of a regular one like jumping from the 70th floor instead of the 75th. The only healthy choice is a little known beverage called water but thankfully it isn’t that hard to find.

9. Processed Meats.

Lunch meats and cold cuts are among the most disgusting and revolting foods on the planet and I intrigued by the fact that they are allowed to get away with labels that proclaim some form of health benefit. You’ll see tags saying that they are ‘99% fat free’ and such but it is still junk and really bad for you. Pregnant women are advised to avoid cold cuts and deli meats and for good reason. Keep in mind that these meats have only a quarter of the protein value of real meat per serving size. The other 75% is made up of preservatives and nitrates designed to keep them ‘fresh’ as well as fillers and binders made from questionable animal parts to make up the extra weight. Consider how old the meat that you are eating might be– do you really think eating meat that is several months old is a good idea? The extremely high sodium levels also won’t help your blood pressure and your physique. But there is more cause for alarm,  according to a recent study in the journal Circulation- eating just one serving a day of processed meats like bacon, sausage and deli meats was associated with a 42% higher risk of heart disease and 19% increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Interestingly enough, there were no risks at all associated with eating the much maligned red meat as long as it was unprocessed. Remember our forefathers ate red meat for hundreds of thousands of years without any problems- it’s the processed meats that will kill you.

8. Cereal.

Here’s the deal, if you start your day with cereal, resign yourself to end it without looking and feeling great. Most cereals claim to be low in fat and that may be so, but they are still highly refined and processed, which means that most of the inherently good nutrients are lost. Refined carbohydrates also have a high glycemic index, which we talked about earlier which will make you ‘crash and burn’ as well as help put on some unwanted pounds. All cereals are bad, and many are high in sodium as well even the so called ‘organic cereals’. Be smart and stay away and keep your kids away from it as well. You are better off eating something like oats as a carbohydrate source in the morning for breakfast.

7. Alcohol.

Quite often I my clients whether or not they drink and the answer is often “Only a little on social occasions.” I have been able to catalog the effects of alcohol consumption on the weight loss progress of my clients over the past fifteen years and my notes clearly show that as little as one drink a week reduces the rate of weight loss by as much as 50 to 75% when compared to non-drinkers on the same diet and training program. This holds true for all ages and levels of fitness and comes with a significant decrease in performance during training as well. There is a great deal of media coverage given to to research about the benefits of moderate alcohol intake in reducing your chance of heart disease (thanks to a lot of money spent by wine and alcohol lobbies). Granted there may indeed be benefits, but there other, safer ways to reduce your likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease, like good nutrition and maintaining a healthy weight. Last time I checked alcohol didn’t help too much with the latter two categories and the risks far outweigh the benefits. Alcohol contains 7 empty calories per gram. It can also wreak havoc on your hormone levels, damage your liver, dehydrate you, depress you, impair your judgment, addict you and leave you with an always fashionable beer belly. Keep in mind as well that all the positive studies dealt with populations where people have been drinking wine in moderation every day of their life due to the cultural norms, no such benefit has been proven conclusively for those who start drinking everyday as adults- only negative effects – but don’t let that stop you from drinking for health reasons.

Read part 2 of Healthy Foods To Avoid To Lose Weight

Kevin Richardson is the creator of Naturally Intense High Intensity Training 10 Minute Workouts and one of the most sought after personal trainers in New York City. Get a copy of his free weight loss ebook here.

High intensity training can help reduce visceral abdominal fat.

High Intensity Training Reduces Visceral Abdominal Fat

There is an irony to our current health situation here in the United States and in developed countries. At a time in our history when more people than ever before are overweight the exercise and fitness industry is a multi-billion dollar giant that continues to grow even in times of economic contraction. We spend more money on exercise programs than ever before- most do little and some are so extreme that any weight loss derived cannot be realistically sustained so waistlines are not going down and staying down. The conventional approach to losing fat around the abdominal area has always been primarily aerobic exercises and most can attest that you don’t exactly get a six pack from running or being on the bike/treadmill/StairMaster/Elliptical Machine for hours and end. What has been proven time and time again by those in the trenches for reducing abdominal fat and creating the elusive toned and sculpted physique is weight training or more precisely high intensity training.

High Intensity Training As A Time Efficient Solution To Reducing Visceral Abdominal Fat & Improving Your Health

With an obesity rate of nearly 34% here in the United States and with most of those individuals suffering from the cluster of metabolic syndromes associated with a high body mass index and high visceral abdominal fat levels such as hypertension, Type II diabetes and cardiovascular disease, society as a whole need simple and long term solutions to being able to help people lower their body fat levels. The small time commitment of high intensity training is certainly a major part of the solution and more and more studies are pointing in that direction. High intensity training for a long time has been associated solely as a means toward increasing strength and muscle mass, but as more and more studies are conducted, researchers are discovering that high intensity training can not only help increase your endurance but also have a significant effect on the reduction of your body fat- specifically that layer dangerous layer right around your midsection. Read our article- The Dangers of Visceral Abdominal Fat.

Effects Of High Intensity Training On Body Composition & Visceral Abdominal Fat

A study published in Medicine & Science In Sports Exercise- the  journal of the American College of Sports Medicine found that high intensity training was far more effective than conventional prolonged low intensity training programs in reducing overall body fat and quite importantly- reducing abdominal visceral fat. It has been firmly established that high visceral abdominal fat levels not only present a cosmetic problem, but significantly increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and hypertension.

The study examined the effects of exercise training intensity in middle aged obese women with metabolic syndrome. The women were split into three groups-

• Group One maintained their regular levels of daily activity with no exercise added and served as a control for the experiment.
• Group Two engaged in a conventional low intensity prolonged exercise program five days a week similar to recommended protocols.
• Group Three engaged in brief high intensity training sessions three days a week.

To accurately determine body composition changes, researchers used single slice computed tomography scans to observe abdominal fat and thigh muscle cross sectional areas. Body fat percentages were calculated using air displacement plethysmography.

Conclusions: High Intensity Training Is More Effective At Reducing Visceral Abdominal Fat

The findings from the study: The high intensity training group significantly reduced their total abdominal fat and subcutaneous abdominal fat whereas there were no statistically significant changes in any of these parameters in the control group or the low intensity exercise group.

Conclusions: Data from the study found conclusively that body composition changes are indeed affected by the exercise intensity and that high intensity training is far more effective at reducing visceral abdominal fat and subcutaneous abdominal fat.

So if you are serious about getting your midsection into shape and improving your overall health, you might want to give high intensity training another look!

Kevin Richardson is one of New York City’s most sought after personal trainers and the creator of Naturally Intense High Intensity Training 10 Minute Workouts. Get a copy of Kevin’s award winning free weight loss ebook here and visit his official website at www.naturallyintense.net. 

How To Build Your Lower Abs: The Problem Area 

For most- both men and especially women,  the lower abdominal region is their trouble spot. Even for those in relatively good shape the question always seems to arise on how do you build your lower abs and make that region right under your belly button flat and tight. Firstly, I should explain the structure of the abdominal muscles. The upper region of your rectus abdominus is relatively heavily muscled and can be easily developed which is what gives you that unmistakable six pack when the area is low in subcutaneous fat. Most people that diet properly and are able to reduce their overall body fat will start seeing their upper abdominals even if they are marginally developed but not their lower abs. 

You can clearly see that your lower abs are not thickly muscled like your upper abs

The problem is that your lower abdominals are more of a thin sheath of muscle as opposed to the thickly muscled blocks of your upper abdominals. Thus you can do all the exercises in the world, but to have prominently visible abs, you must have low body-fat levels in your stomach region. Since there is so little to the lower region, in terms of protruding muscle, you really have to get your overall body fat levels down to the lowest levels in order to see them. In fact when I work with bodybuilders and fitness models preparing them for contests that way that you would determine whether or not they are competition ready and at their best is when you can see the ridges of their lower abs and some vascularity in that area as well. 

How To Build Your Lower Abs: Exercises That Target The Region 

From an exercise standpoint the lower abs serve to rotate the pelvis inwards towards the ribcage so any movement such as reverse crunches or leg raise type exercise will focus on that area- but it more a matter of strengthening the region that building it up as there really isn’t that much to build. At the end of the day it comes down to how much you can reduce your body fat levels and the same holds true for your upper abdominals as well. You can do sit ups until you are blue in the face, train your abs everyday and still not see much of anything as such movements only work the muscle but do little to get rid of the layer of fat obscuring your abs. 

How to Build Your Lower Abs: Too Many Abdominal Exercises May Cause A Protruding Stomach 

That being said, train your abdominal muscles the same way that you train any other body part and don’t overdo it. Your goal should be to ensure that your midsection is strong and balanced and by training them everyday with a slew of exercises you are only over-training the area and may in some instances even over develop your abdominals. Once problem that I have seen happen with people that go too far is that they develop very blocky type abs- which may look impressive when their shirt is off but the blocks protrude outwards and give the appearance of a big gut when they are wearing clothes- which is certainly not what most people are looking for and is almost impossible to completely reverse. You see it as well with individuals that use anabolic steroids as their abdominals become far bigger than they ordinarily would be and thus they have to suck their stomach in to not look like they have a beer gut- which isn’t really a pretty sight. 

Having Great Lower Abs Comes Down To Your Diet & Your Bodyfat Levels 

The author

For the record- I don’t train my abdominals directly on a regular basis and haven’t done so seriously for over ten years now and they still look exactly the same- lower abs included. It might surprise you as well that the majority of natural athletes with great abs don’t really do much to keep them that way besides watch what they eat. If you follow a properly executed high intensity weight training routine your abdominals get a real workout in the process stabilizing your midsection during heavy movements and again you don’t want to over develop them by doing too much. So less is more if you have been training for several years doing more abdominal work isn’t going to do very much to make them come out more. 

Diet is the key and keep in mind that for your lower abs to be really tight, (especially for women) you really have to work hard to reduce and maintain your body fat to the point where they are visible. Training wise you’ll have a better chance at seeing your lower abs come out from high intensity resistance training rather than conventional aerobic type workouts but the onus still is on your diet. That being said having great lower abs shouldn’t be the be-all-and-end-all of any fitness program. Remember that having a low bodyfat percentage doesn’t always mean that you are healthy and you can have a six pack and still suffer from health related problems. Instead keep your eye on eating well at all times, always have a good and wholesome breakfast and be on guard to avoid processed and refined foods in your diet and of course always eat in moderation. If you train hard and stick to that philosophy in time you just might start seeing your lower abs coming out! 

Get a copy of Kevin’s free award winning weight loss ebook here! Kevin Richardson is one of New York City’s most sought after personal trainers and the creator of Naturally Intense High Intensity Training 10 Minute Workouts. Visit his official website at www.naturallyintense.net. 

Diet soda weight gain? Not only possible but highly likely.

Is Diet Soda Bad For You? Diet Soda Weight Gain.

In my early years in the health and fitness field, nothing changed the landscape as much as the onset of diet sodas. Even more popular than diet supplements, diet soda has become a ubiquitous addition to everyone’s attempts to lose weight- but is diet soda bad for you and can you end up with a weight gain from diet soda? Like so many others, growing up as a teenager in my native island of Trinidad, I saw diet sodas as a perfect solution to the problem of not having anything sweet in my diet while trying to get into peak shape. A sugar free, and almost zero calorie drink that I could have guilt and worry free seemed almost too good to be true and in the eyes of my bodybuilding coaches at the time, old timers all of them, it was. 

Several of my coaches surmised that if the brain perceives what is being consumed as sugar, then the body will respond with a concurrent spike in insulin levels; An insulin spike that thus sets in motion the body’s fat storage mechanisms and a potential for weight gain. At the time, I was not completely convinced by his argument but I heeded their advice nonetheless- after all, I had seen first hand what their personal training clients looked like and they had dispelled many a myth I had held in the past about health and fitness so I saw no reason to distrust their instincts. 

Diet Soda Weight Gain- Studies Show That Diet Soda Can Increase Insulin Levels
 

As the years went on, studies indeed began to surface that even though there is no actual glucose in a diet soda, the body still secretes insulin in response to consuming what it perceives as a sugary  drink, much in the way that Pavlov’s dog would salivate at the sound of a bell after being fed a tasty treat every time a bell would ring. So in the end, the old timers were indeed on to something!
 
I would also add that diet sodas are just about as artificial a food product as is humanly possible and thus in no way could ever be a natural part of a human diet. My belief has always been that processed foods always create problems in the human body and our growing obesity epidemic here in the United States and in developed countries continues to highlight the fact that our modern food products are not compatible with our physiology. It’s hard to compare an apple, which we as humans have evolved over the course of over countless thousands of years to harmoniously derive essential micronutrients, carbohydrates and fiber with a diet soda. The term ‘diet’ may be a great marketing tool to help us not be wary of a potential long term health hazard but the more we reflect on where we are and where we are going as a species the more obvious it becomes that such food products are best avoided. Our great-great grandparents didn’t have soda of any kind, much less the diet variety and they also didn’t have problems with obesity and the slew of preventable diet related diseases that come with it. 

Diet Soda And Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is estimated to affects one in five women over the age of 50 in the United States and among the potential causes is a high dietary phosphorous intake. Phosphates have been shown to deplete calcium and are considered a factor in osteoporosis. Where would such high levels of phosphorous come from- you guessed it- carbonated beverages. Other countries (usually poorer ones) where the populations does not consume as much dairy products or supplemented calcium as we do here in America do not have such alarmingly high rates of osteoporosis as compared does the U.S. and other developed countries. One theory lays the blame on squarely on America’s number one drink- soda, and its kissing cousin, the highly fashionable diet soda. 

Diet Soda Long Term Weight Gain From Reinforcing The Bad Habit Of Consuming Sugary Drinks

There are other behavior related reasons why diet sodas can bring about weight gain and are bad for you without even touching on the health questions raised by the long term ingestion of artificial sweeteners and that is the fact that it prevents a progression towards healthy eating habits. I have in my own personal training practice that clients who trained consistently and avoided the use of diet soda had an easier time making the transition toward consistently better eating choices than those consuming diet sodas regularly (the same applies for those that drink high levels of caffeinated beverages as well- but that’s another article.) In order to stop consuming a particular food it is important that we learn to forget about it and replace their tastes with those of healthier varieties. By keeping diet soda in your diet that switch away from needing something sweet on a regular basis never has a chance to go away and thus it becomes all the more difficult to eat well on a consistent basis. 

Even among my clients that ate well but still consumed diet soda, they never seem to make as much progress in terms of weight loss and body fat reduction as the ones that cut them out completely- an interesting piece of information for anyone serious about getting into their best shape. 

Diet Soda Is Not Part Of A Long Term Strategy For Getting In Shape
 
It may not be a scientifically validated double blind study, but it is what I have seen over the course of almost twenty years as a personal trainer- and it makes sense. Being able to make good food choices requires a gradual movement away from things that are simply not good for you, and by drinking diet soda, you are continue the behavior of accepting that sugary taste as something positive as opposed to working to accustom yourself to the tastes of foods that are indeed good for you. 

Kevin Richardson is the creator of the Naturally Intense High Intensity 10 Minute Workouts and one of the most sought after personal trainers in New York City and the founder of the Naturally Intense System of Diet & Exercise™. Get a copy of his free weight loss ebook here!