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So you want to lose weight? In my practice, losing weight is a common question among patients. They want to know my opinion, what I would do if I were going to lose weight. Everyone has an opinion, and a lot of the time I think they want to hear if my theories fit with theirs.
The last couple of years I have seen a trend of people trying to get the latest and greatest quick weight loss strategy or ideas. The push usually comes in the spring because we want to look good in the bathing suit for the summer.
Everyone is getting a little more anxious and willing to do a lot less to lose weight. Fat loss has become a huge topic, and libraries and bookstores are full of information. How can you really get to the real information, when at times it feels like weight loss is on information overload?
First, weight loss does not have to be difficult. There has to be a conscious effort to make a lifestyle change. You must want a lifestyle change to become healthier and vibrant. You need to start taking a more proactive role in educating yourself on how to lose weight properly. I have read hundreds of books on the topic and they all have a basic premise. You need to eat right and exercise. These have to be activities that become a daily habit. Also for most of us we have to look at what emotional factors are causing us to gain weight. Stuck emotional habits are probably one of the biggest reasons why most people have tried every diet under the sun and still can’t lose weight.
Start with creating good eating habits, if that is adding a salad to your lunch; then congratulations. Exercise more, if that is beginning with walking; then great! As days progress, walk faster and longer, try and develop a sweat. Most importantly, look inside and find out what emotional triggers are holding you back from losing weight. Dr. Alan Jenks is a Health & Wellness Consultant in British Columbia. His web site Weight Loss Chronicles was developed to create an open and honest information source for real weight loss solutions. Sign up for his free weight loss eCourse at www.weightlosschronicles.com
You are feeling sluggish and generally not well. You are getting breathless when you walk too fast. Have you been to see your doctor? Did he take your blood pressure and tell you it was higher than it should be? Did he tell you to lose weight?
Whether the doctor told you to lose weight or you have decided you want to look better, your clothes are getting too tight. So now it’s a case of how to lose weight?
Do You Know Where To Start?
You probably already know that you have to eat less calories than you have been doing. But here is:
This Is Myth Number One:
If you stop eating regular meals, maybe miss one meal a day, surely that will reduce your calorie intake.
Not true.
You only need to eat 100 calories a day less than you use in your daily activities. So if you miss a meal you are likely to be eating about 400 calories less than you should be. This is not good.
Why isn’t this good?
The body needs a certain amount of calories each day to function properly. Each one of us is an individual. We each of us need to eat an amount of food that is our individual need. If you are an active person you will burn more calories than someone who is less active. What Happens If You Miss A Meal?
Your body begins to shut down. It receives the message that for whatever reason there is going to be a famine. No food is going to be eaten. So the food you do eat is stored as fat. This makes the body’s metabolism slow down. You will become constipated and you will feel even more sluggish than before.
So this is not the way to lose weight is it?
Here is Myth Number TwoCrash Diets do no harm do they?
You have a lot of weight to lose. But you want to lose it quickly. So again like with Myth Number One, missing meals is not going to do you any favours.
Usually when a person loses weight, it starts with the face and starts going downwards. If you’re hoping to decrease the inches on your bum or your tum they will be the last to go.
So if you are not giving your body all the nutrients it needs, your face will become haggard looking. Your breasts will shrink and yes people will notice but for the wrong reasons.
So How Should You Eat To Lose Weight?
It is better to eat smaller meals more often, say every two to three hours, rather than eating two to three big meals a day. But be sure that each meal is providing all the vitamins and minerals your body needs. If in doubt, you can take nutritional supplements.
To lose weight you need to speed up your metabolism.
Metabolism What Is It?
Metabolism is the breaking down of the food we eat into energy. Calories are actually units of energy.
So eating more calories per small meal will produce more energy. More energy will burn more fat. Burn fat and you lose pounds and inches.
Are You Serious About Losing Weight?
The more often you eat the quicker your metabolism; the quicker your metabolism the quicker you will lose weight.
Now you know how to unmyth the myths regarding losing weight.