Every day you walk down the street it is becoming more and more apparent that the average person is becoming larger and this trend has escalated over recent years. Why are they getting fatter? Here are some reasons...
? Less incidental activity
? Automated and computerized lifestyle
? Longer working hours and less leisure
? Increased consumption of processed foods
? Our food servings are larger than ever
Being overweight, or obese, has now moved from a social nuisance and domestic embarrassment to an official disease. The American Heart Association has announced obesity is a major risk for heart disease.
Obesity itself has become a major and dangerous epidemic. More than 70% of US adults are overweight and that figure is rapidly increasing.
What do most people do to rid their body of unwanted fat? They diet! Dieting is now a trillion dollar industry and just about every month a new diet is announced. If you do have weight problems how do you find a diet that is safe, effective and sustainable?
What you do is try to find a diet that includes a variety of foods that you can live with comfortably. You have to take a long-term view and include plenty of exercise. A good diet is one that supplies all of the essential vitamins and minerals, and is not high in fat or protein.
Research on people, who have successfully lost a lot of weight and kept it off long term, shows that the vast majority succeeded by consuming a low fat diet high in fibre coupled with strength training and cardiovascular activity.
Be wary of diets that
? Ban a specific food group
? Promise a quick fix
? Replace a balanced meal with a drink or a snack bar
? Make recommendations based on single studies
? Make recommendations to help sell a single product
Excess weight does not appear overnight and nor will it disappear overnight! In fact the faster you lose weight, the more likely you are to pile the pounds back on. Seek out a program that will help you maintain long-term body fat losses by providing attainable solutions such as a program that promotes lifestyle changes, healthy eating and regular exercise.
Regular exercise is important (i.e. strength training) as it burns fat, boosts your
metabolism and also increases your energy levels. Dietary changes can lead to initial weight loss, but this is only for the short term. Exercise is essential for maintaining weight loss for the long term.
Now let's take a closer look at what food is made up of and then you will have a good idea of what to look for in your daily eating plan. Firstly we need a wide range of nutrients to perform various functions for a healthy life.
These nutrients include carbohydrates, proteins and fat and are all present in the food we eat on a daily basis.
The foods containing these nutrients are cereals, legumes, nuts, vegetables, fruits, milk products and flesh foods (fish, meat and poultry).
We need all these nutrients to live and thrive and since we receive them through the food we eat, our food must be well balanced and in the proper proportions. Food is a fuel; the body requires this fuel for energy, which is measured in fats, carbohydrate and protein.
Each of these nutrients provides different amounts of energy and these are measured in calories.
Nutrient Calories per Gram
Carbohydrate 4
Protein 4
Fat 9
Let's look at carbohydrates first, carbohydrates supply energy for our body, they provide fibre for the prevention of disease and taste and texture to food. They are found in cereals, potatoes, fruits and vegetables.
They come in two basic forms, simple and complex. Simple carbs are easily identified by their taste and are sweet. Complex carbs, such as potatoes are pleasant to the taste buds, but are not sweet.
They are then divided into two groups, high fibre and low fibre.
High-fibre foods are the healthiest choices for nutrition and the intake of these foods is associated with a lower incidence of cancer and diabetes. Carbohydrates supply the sort of calories easily burned during cardiovascular exercise.
They are often wrongly feared and considered fattening, but the most important factor in weight control is balancing the energy (calories) consumed. Please remember:
ENERGY IN is more than ENERGY OUT = Weight gain
ENERGY IN is equal to ENERGY OUT = Weight maintenance
ENERGY IN is less than ENERGY OUT = Weight loss
Different foods affect the ability to exercise at different levels. High levels of exercise (cardio and strength training) require carbohydrate as a fuel source; at lower levels it is fat.
A lack of carbohydrate in the diet will lead to fatigue, the inability to exercise effectively, and excess fat consumption. When our food is digested, carbohydrates are broken down into simple sugars.
These sugars are absorbed by the body and used by the muscles or stored as glycogen in the muscles and liver. As our glycogen storage capacity is limited, carbohydrate needs to be continually topped up by the foods we eat.
BUT THE BODY HAS AN UNLIMITED STORAGE CAPACITY FOR FAT!
The average person is extremely vulnerable to fad diets and extreme dieting behaviours. The low carbohydrate diet is one of the latest eating plans to hit the streets. This current diet craze is very popular but there are safer and more effective methods based on scientific research, to reduce body fat levels.
LOW CARBOHYDRATE DIETING IS SIMPLY WRONG.
Why is this? Just as a car runs better on a certain fuel, so does the human body. Unfortunately the latest low-carbohydrate fad diets are not the fuel mix the human body was designed to run on.
Carbohydrates contain 4 calories per gram, whereas fats contain 9 calories per gram. For weight loss, the priority is to decrease total calorie intake. Reducing the amount of fat in the diet will make the biggest difference in reducing total daily calorie intake and hence weight loss.
CARBOHYDRATE INTAKE IS NOT FATTENING. EXCESS CALORIE INTAKE IS FATTENING
If you aren't having enough carbohydrates in your diet you will experience:
? Fatigue due to low blood sugar levels inadequate intake of vitamins and minerals
? Low fibre intake, which may affect bowel movements
? 'Bad' breath due to the breakdown products of fats (called ketones)
The bottom line for carbohydrates and weight loss is to:
? Try to balance carbohydrate intake with activity levels
? Maintain energy levels by eating carbohydrate rich foods on a regular basis
? Carbohydrate rich foods are normally low in fat and nutrient-rich
A real weight loss program includes all the food groups, strength training, and low-level aerobics, a slight decrease in your daily calorie levels and a program that can be followed for life.
Above all try to achieve a balanced diet, eating a balanced variety of foods will help you to feel great every day, ensure better long-term health and improve weight control.
Gary Matthews is a trainer from "down under" who has been coaching clients from athletes to bodybuilders for two decades. You may contact Gary directly at gary@maximumfitness.com and visit his website at
Wood Dale Chicago prom limo .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareNow that everything from a tan to pantyhose comes in... Read More
There's recently been a LOT in the weight loss news... Read More
Are you or your family members amongst the 65%?To help... Read More
Did you know that less than 2% of dieters lose... Read More
I personal lost 60 pounds in 2003. Here are some... Read More
I just read this conventional diet tip ? and we've... Read More
With the rise of obesity and the increasing incidence of... Read More
How many calories do you need? Well, that depends on... Read More
For those of you who aren't familiar with ephedra let... Read More
If you're serious about losing weight and getting fit, you... Read More
Mistake 1: Not changing your calorie plan as you lose... Read More
Going away for your holidays will also bring with it... Read More
Learning the jargon is part of the weight loss journey.... Read More
Hypertension is another name for high blood pressure. Blood pressure... Read More
Weight Loss and Water: A Way to Make Your Body... Read More
Weight loss specialists will tell you that attitude has a... Read More
My last article, Make Diets Work, concluded that dieting the... Read More
There are currently over 100 billion dollars sold in weight-loss... Read More
I want to make this perfectly clear, fruits are healthy... Read More
Lose Weight - Grab A GlassIn childhood, we heard it:... Read More
Many critics in have attacked low carb diets for only... Read More
A calorie is the unit used to measure the energy... Read More
Liposuction is also referred to as lipoplasty, suction-assisted lipectomy and... Read More
Losing weight doesn't have to be boring when you focus... Read More
Search Yahoo for "papaya" and "kirstie" and you'll find at... Read More
Antigo wedding limo ..Whenever I hear someone say they just can't lose weight,... Read More
Nothing is more disappointing than hearing a gastric bypass patient... Read More
I have put off writing a motivation article because of... Read More
Flip through a magazine, scan a newspaper, or channel surf... Read More
Nitrates and nitrites are preservatives that are added to certain... Read More
1. CUT THE SIMPLE CARBS.It's unfortunate that the majority of... Read More
In our mind's eye, we see our ancient ancestors as... Read More
All of the things we tell sick people so that... Read More
When we discover that we are heavier than we want... Read More
Cellulite ? a word most women are very familiar with.... Read More
Yep, it is that time of year again! Time to... Read More
Fifteen Secrets of Safe and Easy Permanent Weight Loss Revealed!*... Read More
Have you ever wished for a diet where you ate... Read More
When on a diet, snack attacks can hit hard and... Read More
Every day, it seems, a new study pertaining to weight... Read More
Any dietary plan on the market has some portion of... Read More
Negative calorie foods are said to use more calories to... Read More
Lose Weight - Grab A GlassIn childhood, we heard it:... Read More
Any food that we take into our bodies is composed... Read More
Have you seen the ditty below that's roaming the Internet... Read More
It is common for new WLS patients to ask, "How... Read More
If winter hibernation tends to pack on the pounds, take... Read More
1. Increase your fiber intake. The body needs a lot... Read More
Developed by Dr. Arthur Agatston, The South Beach Diet touts... Read More
Recently a woman went public in her online diet community... Read More
Weight Loss |