Diet


Many companies and individuals want you to believe that natural weight loss is difficult to achieve but it’s just a case of not eating as much, and having enough regular exercise; few ever listen to this suggestion. You would think it would immediately put all those specialist diet companies and the whole industry out of business but that is not the case; however, currently 35 percent of Americans are unable to prevent being overweight! Despite this, most of these overweight people want to be trim again although it is probably more for cosmetic reasons than those related to their health.

What most people do not realize is keeping at the right weight is much, much easier than losing it. If there is one thing we all know, it is that weight gain is likely to happen if we do not take forward-looking steps to stop it.

For some reason even when dieters who have become used to, and enjoy, a low calorie diet, they eventually drift back to old habits and start piling the pounds back on again. Extra weight often results in health issues and can negatively impact on one’s emotional state and self-esteem but all this can be cured with a healthy, natural weight loss program.

Most health experts contend that the significance of excess weight is more than cosmetic as it takes a huge toll on a person’s physical health. Losing weight by natural means isn’t a big secret and deep down most of us understand the principles behind it.

Maintaining a natural weight loss regime means sticking to low fat meals that are high in fiber and contain complex carbohydrates with a moderate amount of protein. A meal such as this would be something like a baked potato (complex carbohydrate), the fiber is vegetables and protein is a lean cut of meat.

Dietitians also say that the body has a capacity to retain dietary fat more than calories for regular foods so weight gain is more likely. Another problem is the obsession with fat free or low fat foods that food manufactures are stacking the shelves with which despite their popularity are not stopping the problem of obesity.

Whilst completely false, the perception is that you can basically eat exactly what you want provided it is fat-free but there are still calories in the food which can easily be converted to body fat. The term fat-free can be a trap if you start to believe that you can eat any amount of fat-free food when it is far better to respond to hunger with healthy snacks.

Schools of thought differ on this subject but many nutritionists agree that eating smaller meals with a snack every 3 to four hours or between meals could be beneficial providing main meals are not missed. The lifestyle you want really is possible if you just remember that natural weight loss is a way of living and not just some fashion.

Recent studies have shown that more people are becoming overweight every year; the most worrying aspect is the number of children who are now being diagnosed as obese. Although there are many ways to lose weight, some still choose the ‘easy’ surgical option, whereas others opt for a healthy lifestyle by taking regular exercise and making changes to their diet. Of course if you are really in a hurry then you can always use weight loss medication to speed the process up.

The process is relatively simple as the drugs act upon the brain’s own chemical, serotonin, fooling the brain into believing it’s not hungry and at the same time increasing the body’s metabolism. The problem arose when it was found that one of the side effects from this type of drug was the increased risk of heart valve disease and of course the drug was quickly withdrawn from use. Of course the manufacturers did not give up that easily and new drugs were created, these drugs are still being prescribed even though the Federal Drug Administration has not yet approved them.

Most people have known friends or family members who have tried using diet pills and have seen tremendous improvement. Let’s be honest, it’s in our nature to like things that provide near instant results, without having to put in any effort. This approach has seen consumers spend millions of dollars every year and has generated huge profits for the drug companies who manufacture and sell the weight loss drug.

Weight control pills can be purchased either over-the-counter or prescribed by a doctor but even with the advances in medical technology they can still cause a lot of health related problems which can be unpleasant such as diarrhea and vomiting. Surprisingly more dangerous side effects exist including stroke, heart attack, renal failure to name only a few, so these drugs are still far from safe to use.

The side effects will depend on the person taking the medicine and can be related to their lifestyle; a consultation with the doctor first, rather than buying them over the counter, can help to reduce side effects; stopping using the drugs completely may not eradicate all the problems they may have caused. Problems like depression, nausea, bad mood swings, nightmares, insomnia for example have all been reported when a person has stopped taking the weight control pills.

Despite all the bad publicity, weight loss drugs do work but they are more successful if they are used in conjunction with a low calorie diet and regular exercise, preferably using a properly worked out exercise regime. A low calorie diet would consist of meals that contain vitamins, minerals and fiber which are all essential for good health; the best sources are fruit and vegetables.

Exercising will need to be carried out if you want to benefit from the healthy food option but this probably needs to be worked out in advance with your physician. The best exercise plans should have cardiovascular and weight training exercises as this helps burn calories and increase the muscle to fat ratio that will increase a person’s metabolism and assist with weight loss.

If you are overweight then finding an easy weight loss program that suits you is probably high on your agenda; despite some methods that are debatable however, a number of proven systems that help shed pounds healthily do exist. Being overweight is the cause of many medical conditions which require long term attention but obesity also affects the way we see ourselves as well.

The most important aspect of any easy weight loss system is the person losing weight and many of these are available on the Internet. Losing weight can be for health reasons, self image reasons or both but whatever the reason, you must be sure that you’re doing it for your benefit and not another person.

Effective weight loss programs require you take certain facts into consideration; for instance, the time you eat during the day as well as what it is you eat, how often and whether you exercise at all. Many people have unrealistic expectations about how much weight they should lose every month but weight loss should not be rapid which can have a serious impact on your health.

To lose weight easily often means losing it slowly; for instance, one pound per week is only 500 calories a day and if some exercise and dieting is combined this can be achieved without any health implications. Most of us eat too much and definitely an excess of junk foods which we shouldn’t rely on the way we do although it is not a good idea cut out everything you enjoy.

Of course we often eat more when we do not feel very good about ourselves or are depressed about our life, which is often called comfort eating. These poor eating habits are causing serious concerns within the medical community as the number of people contracting type 2 diabetes increases which is usually as a result of obesity, not too mention cancer and heart conditions. Part of the reason for weight gain is psychological and therefore this must be addressed along with any easy weight loss diet that is being used.

All that said it has been shown that it is actually beneficial for the person using a weight loss program to be light-hearted about it as the mental attitude makes losing weight more likely. It helps to provide an environment of positive mental attitude which is necessary for us if we wish to be successful in any endeavor. Losing weight is known to provide us with more energy and allows us to carry out tasks that those extra pounds do not permit, which can all lead to improved self confidence.

Many easy weight loss programs are far from it as they actually test the person using them but the pain barrier does not last long and once through it, the whole system becomes more pleasant.

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