Before many Australians recently, a devastating story unfolded on a popular current affairs program.
We watched with compassion as the fattest man in Australia told of his most recent, serious attempt to lose weight. Approximately 12 months earlier and weighing close to 300 kilos, he under went surgery and had his stomach stapled.
I doubt there would have been one person watching not moved by this man's depression and plight. Despite undergoing the surgery, today he could barely get through each day, both physically and mentally. He shared with us his sense of hopelessness and wanting to end it all.
It was not only his size that was causing his depression. He had to deal with a heart broken by disappointment.
You see, the stomach stapling had been a success.
He soon lost well over 50 kilos post operation and he and his family rejoiced. But then the unthinkable happened.
The weight came back. Today he weighs well over 300 kilos - more than before the stomach stapling.
This is an extreme case, but nonetheless raises a question that so many people continue to battle with.
After a diet, why does the weight come back so quickly?
To answer this we need to understand how much energy a body requires. For each pound you weigh, each day you need 12 calories to maintain your body weight. If you weigh 120 pounds you will need 120 x 12 calories, that is, 1440 calories per day to maintain that body weight. If you eat or drink more calories than your body requires, the excess energy is stored as fat. It takes 3,600 excess calories to make one pound of fat.
In this example, if your typical daily calorific intake is 2000 calories, in around 30 days you would put on between 4-5 pounds of fat!
Let's say, you then decide to go on a restrictive diet and halve your calorific consumption to 1,000 calories per day. You stay on this diet for around a month and lose 10 pounds and now weigh 110 pounds. You feel fantastic about losing the weight but can't keep up such a restrictive regime because you are irritable and have no energy.
So you go off your diet and go back to your usual routine of 2,000 calories a day. Remember you are lighter now and your body requires less energy to maintain its new weight. You would now require 110 x 12, that is, 1320 calories per day.
In this instance, by consuming 2000 calories daily, because you are lighter than before, you would put the weight back on in just 24-25 days!
If you want to keep the weight off you must develop a consistent change in eating habits to ensure you do not consume more than your body requires. You cannot continue to eat the same quantities and/or combinations of foods that caused you to be overweight in the first place. This will require developing an understanding of the nutritional content of food and raising your body's metabolism through increased muscle mass and exercise.
(c) Copyright Kim Beardsmore
Are you interested in earning money from home? We're looking for individuals who have basic phone and internet skills to join our team of work-at-home-ers. If you're serious about earning money from home and are willing to work (this isn't 'get rich quick'), then we'd like to help you grow a profitable business. We offer complete training, online and offline resources and a partnership for success. http://free2liv.com/?refid=why-567883382
recurring maid service Wilmette ..Obesity is defined as an excessive accumulation of body fat.... Read More
To upgrade the current software in your brain you can... Read More
Learning the jargon is part of the weight loss journey.... Read More
The following are weight loss tips that you can start... Read More
The Government of the Australian state of Victoria has started... Read More
One thing I really must say at the outset of... Read More
If you are overweight and suffer from pain in your... Read More
In a global television commercial just launched (10 June 2005),... Read More
Yes it's true- and so unfair. As we get older... Read More
When it comes to our weight and the appearance of... Read More
Are you one of the many people who feel frustrated... Read More
In order to identify hunger, you must first understand what... Read More
What is "too young" to begin a weight loss program... Read More
If you want to reduce your body fat, focus on... Read More
You and I know that getting plenty of support from... Read More
Okay, so you've read some of these articles, done your... Read More
Well, with the success of my article, "Wrinkle Remover That... Read More
Before you try starving yourself or turning to diet drugs... Read More
We are bombarded with advertisements pushing delicious looking, fat filled,... Read More
Are you committed to losing weight and keeping it off?... Read More
There are many factors that cause us to increase body... Read More
Self-acceptance and body love can be tough concepts to grasp... Read More
In the early nineties I had the opportunity to work... Read More
First? establish realistic goals. Start with a target you can... Read More
As much as many of us who are over-weight do... Read More
last minute cleaning help Highland Park ..One of the biggest scams ever successfully pulled on the... Read More
A pound of fat represents approximately 3500 calories of stored... Read More
Recently, I read an article from Japanese magazine that by... Read More
It's a sad comment on human nature that prejudice and... Read More
If you want to reduce your body fat, focus on... Read More
How to Estimate How Many Calories You Can Have and... Read More
According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, writing... Read More
There's recently been a LOT in the weight loss news... Read More
How much will power does it take in order to... Read More
Thankfully, winter does not last forever! In the spring there... Read More
I personally lost 60 pounds in 2003. Here are some... Read More
In March 2003 our then 13 year old daughter, Helen,... Read More
I know a lot of people out there would like... Read More
In the early nineties I had the opportunity to work... Read More
Which diet is the best? ALL of them and NONE... Read More
So many people are talking about how slow their metabolism... Read More
Weight Loss tipsAll throughout my childhood and teenage years I... Read More
How to Say No When You Don't Want the FoodA... Read More
All Diets Work: No Diets WorkHave you lost weight in... Read More
The Atkins diet Plan breakfast can usually composed of eggs... Read More
It would not be surprising to hear your answer is... Read More
After the post-Halloween sugar surge, everyone coaches you to get... Read More
WARNING: Don't weight train until after you've lost weight! No,... Read More
A healthy pregnancy almost always involves weight gain. But now... Read More
Losing weight and going on a diet can be quite... Read More
Weight Loss |