We live in a nation of growing obesity. Statistics indicate that
obesity has doubled since 1980. A 2008 report showed that 1.5 billion
adults were clinically obese and over 45 million children were obese.
There are complications connected to being obese.
Approximately 3
million people die yearly from disease brought on or made worse from
obesity. These diseases include diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
Practice
Prevention: There are many things you can do to control your weight and
prevent obesity. It is fundamentally a shift in how you think.
You must
realize that you have a great deal of power over your own health.
Consider the fact that you in part, can control how you age and how you
can maintain good health throughout your lifetime. Of course disease can
occur to any of us.
However you can greatly reduce your risks with a
healthy lifestyle.
Physical Activity: Exercise is a very important
part of any healthy lifestyle. Exercise will strengthen your body and
you will begin to build muscle. Your metabolism will increase because
muscle has a higher metabolic rate than fat. So add some strength
training routines to your exercise program. You can incorporate 2-3
strength training routines weekly. Only 15-20 sessions can have a huge
impact on your physical strength and health. You will begin burning fat
and therefore lose weight.
Good Fats versus Bad Fats: There are
healthy fats to add to your diet. These include omega fatty acids such
as those found in fresh fish.
Salmon is has one of the highest levels of
good omega fatty acids. 2-3 servings weekly could be very healthy and
helpful to your weight loss.
Research has shown that monounsatured fats
are very effective for weight loss. A good food to add to your diet is
avocados. Although not the lowest in calories, avocadoes are extremely
nutritious and high in monosaturated fats. Try adding some avocado to a
salad or make a guacamole dip to eat with veggie sticks such as celery
and carrots.
Other healthy food choices for good fats include grass fed
beef and extra virgin olive oil. Olive oil has numerous health benefits.
It has been shown to increase the fat burning response in the body as
well as lower inflammation levels.
Sugar: Sugar is something you
definitely want to eliminate from your diet, particularly if you are
trying to lose weight. When you consume too much sugar, this signals
your body to use insulin to begin burning it off.
As a result, your
insulin will spike. Whatever isn't used will be converted by your body
into fat. Try to limit your sugar intake to no more than 10 percent of
your daily calorie intake. So for example if you consume 1500 calories
daily, sugar should comprise only 150 of those calories.
Always be on
the lookout for hidden sources of sugar such as those found in soda and
juices.
A Healthy Breakfast: When you are sleeping your metabolism
goes into more of a resting state. This is referred to as "catabolism".
In order to turn it on as efficiently as possible, you need to eat a
good breakfast.
Having a protein with breakfast is helpful along with
whole grains. A good breakfast choice might be a veggie omelet with
whole wheat bread. Or some oatmeal topped with fresh fruit and a protein
bar. And remember to start the day with drinking some fresh pure water
to hydrate your body.
Eating Styles: Eating smaller "mini meals"
is a very effective way to help you lose weight. Eating your meals at
consistent times is helpful. Eating every three hours during the day is a
good way to keep your body consistently fueled with energy. This will
also keep you from overeating. Many people overeat because they starve
themselves all day and then they binge on a huge dinner.
The whole key
to keeping weight off is to keep your metabolic rate as high as you can.
Skipping meals actually lowers your metabolism.
Reward System:
Everyone once in a while you really need to just reward yourself. If you
are too regimented in your eating habits and never allow yourself a
little indulgence now and then, one of two things will happen. Either
you will end up binging or you will quit and begin to go back to your
old habits. It is well known that when you are too restrictive in your
diet you will usually binge within a month and potentially gain even
more weight.
Supportive Relationships: Being with like minded
people who take care of themselves will really help you. If you are with
peers who are overweight and have no motivation to get in shape you
will probably do the same.
We tend to mirror those we associate with. So
if this is your situation, why not look to broaden your horizons and
meet new and interesting people. You could join a gym, or a local meet
up group that does walking, hiking, swimming, dance, etc. This will
change your outlook on yourself. Before you know it, you will
incorporate new and healthy habits into your own life and be on your way
to successful weight loss.
