Weight Loss FUNdamentals
Weight
loss is one of the most elusive dreams we strive for. Eighty million
Americans begin a diet each year. Fifty two million Americans fall within
the obese category for weight. Volumes upon volumes have been written
about weight loss and the health risks of being overweight have been
well publicized. So why can't we lose weight?
There are three
major influences on an individual's body weight. Historically, our bodies
needed to concentrate on weight gain for survival. When food is abundant
our instinct is to store fat for the possible famine in the future.
When food becomes scarce, as it does during a low calorie diet, our
bodies slow down all functions to conserve body fat. Thus, slowing weight
loss as much as possible. Fats and sweets taste good to us because they
will supply us with the calories we need to survive. The body is designed
to gain weight.
As food is the
source of life, society has used it for celebration, hospitality, forming
alliances, comfort in hard times and as a gauge of prosperity. Until
quite recently in our history, being plump was a sign of success and
affluence, not thinness. Generation after generation focused on eating
more. Weight loss requires us to go against our heritage.
Society also influences
weight by the constant bombardment of advertising for the food industry.
If they can inspire you to buy more, you will spend more and eat more.
Convenience foods tend to be high calorie because they are rather low
quality in taste without the added fat, sugar and salt. Restaurants
can charge more for larger portions. The more courses they can persuade
you to order, the more money they can make. We eat three times a day
and what is available around us is often much higher in calories than
foods that were naturally available to us. Surrounded by high calorie
foods makes it terribly difficult to achieve permanent weight loss.
The third major
influence in our lives, which prevents successful weight loss, is the
drastic changes in our lifestyle over the past forty years. With the
growing popularity of television, video entertainment and the widespread
use of computers, our lifestyles have become extremely sedentary. The
hours we spend sitting still, as opposed to "in motion" reduce
our need for food tremendously.
With more high
calorie foods available; family, friends and businesses pushing us to
eat more; and becoming much less active in our daily lives, how in the
world can we expect easy weight loss? At this point most of us start
looking for the "magic" pill. We don't have to look far. There
are plenty of people out there selling magic weight loss. The question
is: "If any one of these formulas really worked, why hasn't it
made the news as a scientific breakthrough?" Why hasn't the ADA
and the FDA sent out informational pamphlets on the new weight loss
product? Why are we still overweight?
The answer is,
that there simply is no weight loss pill that will keep the weight off
safely and permanently. A little pill cannot fight successfully, the
combined influences of our bodies, society and our lifestyles. Only
the human mind is strong enough to fight these three and win. Wake up
your mind and become consciously aware of what you eat, what you do
and why. Mentally take control of your life to reach your weight loss
goals. Top
Weight
Loss Mentality
The first step
in winning a mind game is to study the rules and figure out a winning
strategy. There are mountains of rules, on bookstore shelves, about
weight loss. Eat this, don't eat that, combine this with that, carbohydrates
versus proteins, on and on. No wonder we can't lose weight. We are too
confused by all the information out there on how to play the game. We
can't even get started. The rules of weight loss are unbelievably simple.
In fact, there
is really only 1 rule: For successful weight loss you must consistently
expend, or use up in activity, more calories than you take into your
body as food and drink.
You add calories
and fat to your body by eating and drinking. Calories are a measure
of energy and body fat is stored energy. To get rid of calories and
fat you need to expend energy by increasing activity. Energy left over
at the end of the day is stored as either fat or glycogen, which is
a carbohydrate stored by our bodies for quick energy.
The real challenge
in weight loss is not learning the rules, it is learning how not to
break the rules. The most important game facts you must keep in mind
are what things around you will help you increase weight loss and what
will increase weight gain. Smaller portions help weight loss. Fresh
fruits and vegetables promote weight loss. Cultivating an active lifestyle
will speedup and maintain weight loss.
A hundred times
a day you will make a choice that leads towards either weight loss or
weight gain. It is the purpose of Dieter's Digest to provide you with
weight loss choices that will help you win the weight loss game. Half
the battle is remembering that you desire weight loss more than that
candy bar, before you eat it. Our ideas about food must be questioned
if we are to turn around, on the path we are traveling, to weight gain
and begin the journey towards weight loss. Top
Mysterious
Metabolism
Weight Control
is a balancing act performed every day by your body. Your body takes
the nutrients you give it-proteins, carbohydrates, fats, water, vitamins,
minerals-and decides where they all go. We call this metabolism.
Everyone's metabolism
is different because, it is determined by every aspect of who we are
and what the current state of our body is. Metabolism is affected by:
Age Growth
Height Digestion
Weight Climate
Personality Fitness level
Health or sickness Caloric intake
Muscle mass Hours asleep
Dehydration Walking fast or slow
Pregnancy Activity level
You can work with your metabolism towards weight loss or struggle against
it the entire time you are trying to lose. Weight loss is much easier
if you and you body work together. First, begin the habit of waking
up your metabolism in the morning with a nutritious breakfast. With
a metabolism driving at full speed all day, you will be able to eat
more and still have the weight loss you desire.
For all day maximum
drive, fuel your metabolism with four small meals and fruit snacks in
between. Skipping meals drops metabolism and raises hunger levels, which
is likely to drive you to over eat. Not eating regular meals can also
cause nasty mood swings and cravings for comfort foods. It is more difficult
to concentrate on any task when you are uncomfortable or unhappy. Weight
loss is all about paying attention. Give your body what it needs first
and it will quietly allow you to cut back on its calories and allow
weight loss.
Once you and your
body develop the understanding that you will nourish it properly; and
you can cut back on calories while keeping metabolism high through activity,
then you should begin to look outside yourself for more ways to increase
weight loss. Top
Diet
Plans
Diet is a four-letter
word. It conjures up feelings of deprivation, hunger pangs and images
of bland foods we would rather not eat. When we do eat what we love,
we feel guilty and depressed. No one wants to be on a weight loss diet.
The truth of it
is though, we are already are on a diet. A diet is simply the patterns
of food and drink we choose on a regular basis. Most of us have a dozen
suppers we prepare regularly, a few breakfasts and lunches we stick
to. We drink the same things each day, each weekend. We are creatures
of habit. Unfortunately we have chosen a slow but steady weight gain
diet.
No matter what
weight loss diet we choose, we are destined to gain the weight back
if we do not change our weight gaining habits. The pathway you choose
towards weight loss, should prepare you for weight control after you
reach your goals. The problem with the great majority of diet plans
advertised is that they are so restrictive that you cannot adapt them
to a maintenance lifestyle. Weight loss is hard work and you will be
wasting that hard work if you don't make some permanent changes that
will control, rather than gain, weight.
Breaking a habit is never easy. It takes patience, determination and
commitment. Conscious effort is the only thing that will keep you from
reverting to old habits. Practicing weight loss eating patterns and
actions will change your lifestyle. These weight conscious actions will
then become your new habits. You will be in control.
Examine your present
diet and make a few changes to reduce your daily calories. Begin by
reducing some of the high calorie drinks you have each day. To figure
out how many calories you take in each year in liquids visit the Beverage
Calculator at www.MyFoodBuddy.com
You will be amazed at how much weight loss you can attain, simply reducing
the beverage calories in your present diet. Be sure to replace the liquids
with water and no-calorie, flavored seltzers to prevent dehydration.
Your body will fight weight loss if you are not getting enough liquids.
Another weight
loss habit you might find easy to follow is to simply reduce the portion
sizes of the foods you already eat. Whenever you leave the table stuffed,
you have eaten too much for effective weight loss. We often eat what
is put on our plate, rather than eating what we need. This must change
for permanent weight control. Top
