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Induction
Destruction: The Perils Of Diving Into Strict Diets Headfirst
By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
Every
so often you read a sad story in the newspaper about someone who dove
headfirst into a river or lake, without checking to see how deep the
water was beforehand. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a shallow 18
inches and the consequence of this miscalculated plunge was a broken
neck and a wheelchair.
This
reminds me of the way most people impatiently dive into strict, extreme,
or unbalanced crash diets, without thinking about the long term consequences,
invariably crippling any chance they had for keeping the fat off in
the long run.
One
thing that almost all mainstream popular diets have in common is an
“induction phase” (or the equivalent). This is often done
under the scientific-sounding auspices of “making the metabolic
switch” from “carb burner” to “fat burner.”
Another
common way that popular diets begin is with a “liquid fast”
or “internal cleansing” phase. This is often suggested as
necessary for clearing out all the gunk that has accumulated on your
insides which (says them), is the reason you feel like “blah”
and can’t lose any weight.
Larrian
Gillespie, the About.com guide to low carb diets, made a keen observation
in a recent article. Writing about the Induction plan on programs such
as the Atkins diet, she noted:
"Frankly,
the only thing I object to is the induction plan concept...for ANY diet.
It's a cheap trick approach to weight management, since we as Americans
are fixated on quick fixes or we toss a plan and go onto the next marketing
promise."
Not
only do I agree – I would take it a step further. I believe that
this radical beginning phase actually increases the chances of failure
in the long term.
Gillespie
continues with advice about what to do if you choose a low carb approach
such as Atkins…
"This
(induction) approach will trigger a rebound weight gain. Don't overdo
the induction phase. Better yet, go directly to stage 2 of the plan
and begin there. There is nothing more irritating to a physician than
having a patient come in with health problems as a direct result of
following some crazy diet, like eating ONLY cabbage, or only grapefruit."
“Induction”
is simply a politically correct way to say you have to crash diet and
starve yourself in the beginning. Look at the forums and message boards:
They’re filled with posts from people about to start these programs,
dreading the “initial” phase and wondering if they’ll
be able to hack it (and with people telling war stories about how they
“survived” it ...or tried it and failed).
“Induction”
has nothing to do with science, health or permanent fat loss. It has
everything to do with marketing and instant gratification. Dieters flock
to the gurus that promise 12 to 15 pounds of weight loss in the first
two weeks, while sneering at the idea of losing a paltry 2 pounds of
fat per week. “Give me results now” is the mindset, with no
thought given to body composition, health or long-term consequences.
What sells more books: “Quickly Lose 8-10 pounds in the first week”
or “lose 8-10 pounds of fat per month and never gain it back?”
Unfortunately, it is usually the former.
Over
the past decade and a half I have almost always used the opposite approach
with my clients – and that is, never dive into diets – instead,
ease into a new way of life, one habit at a time, if necessary.
My
clients are introduced to words such as habits, balance, lifestyle and
patience. I sit them down, look them in the eye and ask, “Do you
want to lose weight quickly and gain it back or do you want to lose
fat slowly and keep it off forever and never have to “diet”
again?”
When
confronted face to face, the answer is always the latter (but often
begrudgingly so). The patience pays off, and those who are wise enough
to listen enjoy the fruits of lifelong health, leanness and fitness,
never having to endure the repeated yo-yo losses and gains so many people
suffer for an entire lifetime.
Consider
these concepts: Do NOT crash diet only to relapse to your old, unhealthy
ways. Do not even put yourself in “emergency” situations where
you feel pressured to lose weight quickly. Build a foundation and master
the fundamentals first, then nit pick, sweat the small stuff and try
“advanced” techniques later.
Once
you’ve mastered the basics, then you can slowly make your plan
stricter – if necessary – based on your results. You can reduce
or eliminate cheat days, and tighten up your food choices.
Yes,
carbs can be s-l-o-w-l-y reduced to find that optimal level for your
body type where fat loss really kicks in. Calorie levels can dropped,
more cardio added, rest between sets decreased, and training intensity
increased.
On
and on your regimen can be gradually “tightened up” and compliance
increased until the desired results are achieved. Then, it’s a
gradual, comfortable transition to maintenance phase, which is never
far away from the fat loss phase.
Contrast
this sensible, healthy, lifestyle approach, (which most people view
not only as slow, but flat out “backwards”), with the crash
diet or “induction” approach:
The
new dieter STARTS from day one with the strictest, most extreme version
of the diet. It’s often very unbalanced with entire food groups
removed, or it emphasizes only one food or food type. Sometimes, the
restrictions are so tight, you even have to limit the amount of vegetables
you eat! Is that CRAZY or WHAT????
The
weight comes flying off… SUCCESS! Or so it appears…until all
the weight has returned 6-12 months later along with the rest of the
95% of dieters who fail because they insisted on following the herd
and hopping on the latest quick fix bandwagon.
No
two people are exactly alike and no single nutrition program is right
for everyone. For example, some people really do thrive on reduced carbohydrate
diets. But one thing that‘s true for 100% of people 100% of the
time is that starvation and crash dieting are a one-way ticket to eventual
weight regain and metabolic destruction.
What
should you do instead? Ease into it. Stick your toes in the water first.
Isolate bad habits and replace them with good ones – one or two
at a time – for life. Psychologists say it only takes 21 days to
form a new good habit, and habits, not diets, are the key to long-term
fat loss success. Any nutrition program not built squarely on a strong
foundation of nutritional fundamentals and good long-term habits is
an accident waiting to happen.
About
the Author:
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Tom Venuto
is a lifetime natural bodybuilder, an NSCA-certified personal
trainer (CPT), certified strength & conditioning specialist
(CSCS), and author of the #1 best-selling e-book, "Burn
the Fat, Feed The Muscle.” Tom has written hundreds of
articles and has been featured in print magazines such as IRONMAN,
Australian IRONMAN, Natural Bodybuilding, Muscular Development,
Exercise for Men and Men’s Exercise, as well as on hundreds
of websites worldwide. For information on Tom's Fat Loss program,
click
here.
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Articles By Tom Venuto
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