For many people, weight loss remains one of the more daunting puzzles in modern times. How does one lose weight in the first place? Where does one begin? With the dizzying amount of information purporting to be the right information regarding weight loss, how does one sift through the mess of advice and tips?
One good way to find an appropriate weight loss plan for you and to know whether someone is just pulling your leg regarding dieting and exercise is to know the medical bases of weight loss. Nutritionists and medical doctors are the real authorities when it comes to weight loss.
Weight loss has no magical formula. You cannot lose weight by simply taking weight loss pills or by starving yourself. If you take weight loss pills, there is a big chance that the pills will not work (and it might have harmful side effects as well).
If you starve yourself, you will end up with anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa, which is much, much worse than just mere obesity.
Sensible exercise
Exercise does not have to be extreme in order for it to work. Aerobic exercise is what would allow you to lose weight. Bodybuilders who sculpt their bodies use anaerobic exercises. Use anaerobic exercise only when you have achieved weight loss. Remember, sculpting is not your concern yet.
Aerobic exercise also changes the over-all metabolic rate of the body, which is important for increasing your body's capacity to burn fat. If you can burn more fat and you have more stamina, you will succeed in shedding those unwanted rolls of fat.
Vigorous and regular exercise will also alter chemical formations in the body. Enzymes that are known to burn fat will increase in the body, thereby rendering you chemically able to lose those stored-up fats.
Correct eating habits
It is a given that we have different eating habits. Though this may be the case, correct eating habits should still be learned and practiced so that over-eating would be avoided.
How can correct eating habits be fostered? Remember that the human body requires particular amounts of protein, carbohydrates, fat, as well as different micronutrients. None of these vital chemical compounds should be removed. What should be done is to reduce the disproportionate levels and balance your intake.
Fat should definitely be reduced, as high levels of fat may also translate to high levels of bad cholesterol in the body. What about carbohydrates? For the longest time, the carbohydrate food group has been bashed for causing obesity even in younger children.
While any excess will cause obesity, carbohydrates should still form about 60% of the whole percentage of a daily diet. While some diets encourage removing carbohydrates to kick off the burning of fat, sensible diets should stick to all three: fat, carbohydrates and protein.
As for protein, stick to a proportional amount as well (no more than 400 grams a day) as too much protein might cause digestive dysfunction.
You should also be well-hydrated. Stick to plain water, and avoid soft drinks and other sugary drinks while attempting to lose weight.
Weight loss plateaus can be pretty discouraging for even the most motivated and driven individuals. If you don't avoid or overcome your weight loss plateau you run the risk of losing motivation and becoming disillusioned with your weight loss program. The real shame is that you give up on all your gains when you are so close to realizing your dream if only you just break through the plateau. Weight loss plateaus are a normal part of our life. We encounter it in most things that we do where we have become accustomed to it over time. When this happens we usually find that progress either stalls or slows.
Weight loss plateaus often occur 8-12 weeks into your program. One of the simplest ways to avoid encountering the weight loss plateau is to change your program every 4-5 weeks. As with all things in your life when you start something new you will find most of the gains in the early part, usually the first week or two and then noticeable progress starts to decrease as you continue with a plateau occurring usually around the 8 to 12th week as your body now is comfortable with the program.
So for example with respects to a weight loss program involving exercise sessions at the gym then change either the actual exercise equipment you are using or a variable within the exercise to give your body a new variation to get used to. To get the benefits of aerobic exercise you want to be able to try and maintain your heart rate at around 70% of its maximum for at least 30 mins and up to 60 mins. As you progress on your fitness regime you will find over time that you are able to maintain your heart rate at 70% intensity with less strain and work on your part. So you will want to review your maximum heart rate every time you change your program so that you can continue to keep to the 70% number.
So with this in mind you can change your exercise so long as you are able to keep to the above percentages and duration. One example is if you have started with the treadmill you can now shift to a bike for 4-6 weeks. Or you can change from a treadmill to bike with alternate sessions. It's up to you. Likewise with weights you want to be either increasing the weights or increase the reps.
There is no reason why you can't translate this to your meals as well. Why not introduce foods that you haven't tried during your weight loss regime.
The key is variety, by keeping variety in your weight loss program you are keeping it interesting and enjoyable. We tend to stick better with things that we find stimulating.
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