People begin diets for any number of reasons. A doctor may recommend weight loss as a means to prevent future health problems like adult on-set diabetes or congestive heart failure. A once active person may want to resume a favorite high-performance sport, and seek to lose a few pounds to better enjoy play. A person about to undergo surgery may need to lose some weight before being admitted to the hospital.
For many, many others, vanity plays a large role in the desire to lose weight. An upcoming high school reunion, a desire to wear a sexy bikini to the beach, and just wanting to look and feel beautiful every day fuels many of us to try various diet and exercise programs and hope for the best. Unfortunately, saddled with vanity is another factor that may spur people to lose weight for the wrong reasons - societal pressure.
Watch any television program, open up any fashion magazine, and you will be bombarded with images of rail-thin celebrities and models, glamorized by the media as the ideal body image and definition of beauty. True, while today's top movie stars, athletes and singers may evoke an aura and personality people find appealing, it should be noted that the standards they maintain need not necessarily be held by everyone else.
Consider the life of a famous actress or pop star - how many professionals are in her employ to keep her looking young and beautiful? Factor in a hair stylist, makeup artist, fashion consultant, personal trainer, and personal chef, and it is easy to see how one person can look like a million dollars. More than likely, a million dollars is how much it costs annually to stay that beautiful!
Consider, too, that being thin is not always equated to being healthy. It would be unfair to say that the petite, size 2 movie star is healthier than the busty, size 14 rap artist just because she weighs less for her frame. For all we know, the rap artist may exercise daily and be a vegatarian, while the movie star gorges on junk food and lives a rather sedentary life.
Being thin also does not exempt you from health problems - genetics can play a large role in your risks for heart ailments, high cholesterol, and low blood sugar. Consequently, being underweight presents health problems as well. Whoever said "You can never be too rich or too thin" didn't consider that being underweight increases your risks for osteoporosis, anemia, fertility problems, and a compromised immune system.
So why should you lose weight?
You should lose weight because it is what you want to do for yourself, not because a magazine tells you to do so. You should lose weight if you feel the change in your body will change your life for the better. If you feel losing weight...
...will improve your sexuality and stamina
...will give you more confidence and raise self-worth
...will boost your self-esteem every time shop for clothes and browse smaller sizes
...will allow you to better enjoy activities with your family
...will give you a new, positive outlook on life
...then definitely consider doing it to benefit yourself and your life. When you do lose the weight, then society will benefit from your positive mood and improved health. But let this be a decision only you or your doctor dictates, not society.
Your body needs glucose, which is a form of sugar, and is the main fuel for the body. The body is constantly trying to maintain blood sugar levels and it is the carbohydrates we eat that turns into glucose which goes directly into the blood stream to feed all the cells of the body. Glucose is the only fuel your brain uses and it is the brain that uses more energy than any other part of your body. If your blood sugar goes down, it starves the brain and a wide variety of symptoms can occur such as feeling weak and sluggish, drowsy, dizzy, confused, headache, irritability, trembling, rapid heart beat, and even anxiety and panic attacks.
Carbohydrates alone do not make a healthy body. We need a balance of protein, carbohydrates, fat, water and exercise to maintain health. The biggest difficulty that we have with weight problems is over indulging in high glycemic foods. These are the foods that contain too much sugar or foods that are refined carbohydrates. If you over indulge in carbohydrates, (which produce insulin) then the excess glucose gets stored as fat. You can counter that by eating protein with it, (which produces glucagons). Glucagons promote the utilization of fat to be used for energy. Insulin and glucagons in balance maintain normal blood sugar levels. A body in a high insulin state promotes excess stored fat and disease.
The foods that are high on the glycemic index are foods such as the root family, potatoes, carrots, parsnips, rutabaga, yams etc. If you want to eat potatoes then I'd opt for the yams or sweet potato (without the honey and brown sugar). They are the lowest on the glycemic scale. Also rice, pasta, corn, most breads are high on the scale as well as some fruits like bananas, apricots and pineapple.
Some low index foods are vegetables such as broccoli, the lettuce and cabbage family, various beans, dairy and soy.
I would also like to make a mention about fat. Fat in it self is not the bad guy. Our diets require fat to remain healthy. Fat provides fuel for the body plus it helps in the development of cell membranes and hormones and also helps to insulate our bodies. Fat in our foods is what gives us that satisfied feeling. You don't need very much fat intake. Stick with good fats like olive oil and stay away from saturated or trans fats.
Portion size is very important. The rule to remember is; if you have approximately 3 oz. of protein and you have a high index carb. then eat only 3oz of that carb. It is a one to one ratio. A protein and a low index carb. would be 3 oz of protein and 6 oz of carb. It is a 1 to 2 ratio.
If you eat 6 small meals per day in the correct ratio then you should easily be able to lose weight.
Enjoy!
"Nothing in this article makes any claim to offer cures or treatment of any disease or illness. If you are sick please consult with your doctor."
Both Kathryn Lively & Willie Jones are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Kathryn Lively has sinced written about articles on various topics from Lose Weight, Laptops and Advertising Guide. writes for , custom fit weight loss for everyone.. Kathryn Lively's top article generates over 673000 views. to your Favourites.
Willie Jones has sinced written about articles on various topics from Hair Care, Home Management and belly fat. Willie is a freelance writer and researcher and is dedicated in bringing information on health related issues and other topics.