Stay Healthy While Losing Weight
April 7, 2009 by Gary L. Condoluci, LMT
Filed under Diet
In 1999, more than 108 million US residents were overweight or obese. The number of overweight or obese Americans has continued to expand and the average American has grown heavier in the last decade. Already one of the biggest public health challenges facing the country, experts have predicted that obesity and related health problems will reach the level of an epidemic by 2020.
One way to prevent this scenario is to make people aware of the risks of being overweight or obese.
The following are just a sampling of the diseases which being overweight disposes you to:
1. Heart disease 2. Stroke 3. Diabetes 4. Cancer 5. Arthritis 6. Hypertension
Losing extra weight and keeping it off prevents these diseases and can help treat them in people who have already developed them.
The quick weight loss methods which have spread like fire these days do not provide lasting results. More often than not, dieting methods which involve dietary drinks, foods and supplements or pills do not work. If they do, the results are just temporary.
It is better to rely on a healthy weight loss option which will provide lifetime results. You have to set realistic goals and not expect to lose a lot of pounds in a short span of time. Here are some tips on how you can lose those unwanted pounds the healthy way:
1. Don’t starve yourself
Do not diet; this is the best advice I can give anyone who’s interested in healthy weight loss.
You may seem happy and feel that you are losing those unwanted flabs on your belly and thighs by skipping meals. But remember that this would not last long. Your body cannot tolerate having insufficient food to fuel the energy that you use up everyday.
If you get used to skipping one or two meals a day, your stored calories will be used up instead of the energy that should have been provided by your meals. So if you just eat one huge sandwich in one day, it will end up straight to your problem area (i.e. thighs, buttocks, hips).
2. Start your day right.
You should listen to your mother. Eat a nutritious breakfast every day to get your metabolism going.
Your food intake after you wake up will be used to burn fat all day long.
3. Eat smaller meals and eat them more often
Five small-serving snacks per day is better than three hearty meals. Eating more frequently, and in small servings, can prevent over-eating. This will also increase your metabolism and make calories burn faster.
4. Set a realistic weight loss goal
Set a weight loss target which you know that you can achieve. There’s no way to lose 30 pounds in a week (no healthy way, anyhow) and keep this extra weight off. Instead, eat a healthy diet and live a healthy lifestyle ” this will take the weight off gradually and in a healthy way and allow you to stay slim for life.
Set your goals and stick to your plan!
5. Get plenty of water
Water helps you burn fat and stay hydrated ” so get six to eight glasses every day.
6. Cut down on sugar
Your diet should consist of fresh produce, lean, high quality proteins and whole grains. You can have the occasional treat, but make sure this doesn’t become a habit.
7. Don’t cut out fat entirely – but do get the right fats
It’s not eating fat which makes you overweight; in any case, you need to get some dietary fat to maintain good health.
However, these should be heart-healthy fats like peanut and olive oils. Fish oils are also healthy and contain healthy Omega-3 fatty acids.
8. Get regular exercise
If you can start going to the gym regularly, great! There are many other things you can do to get the exercise you need though. Start climbing the stairs instead of taking the elevator, walking or biking to work or to run errands instead of driving and getting a daily brisk walk. All of these will help you to start losing weight ” not immediately, of course, but it wont be long before you can see the difference. You’ll start feeling more energetic as well as starting to shed those excess pounds.
Whatever your weight loss goal happens to be, the way to get there is to set realistic goals which you know you can reach. When you reach a goal, it gives you the motivation to keep going.
Go slow. If you have already lost 5 or 6 pounds, give yourself a break then try to lose the next 5 pounds.
Getting regular exercise, drinking plenty of water, eating a healthy diet and getting enough sleep will have you on your way to healthy weight loss and a whole new you!
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Healthy weight is easy to maintain, just watch your diet and always exercise.;*`