Most weight loss diets are based around controlling calories or avoiding certain foods.
This is a limited approach and requires a lot of will power. It is very difficult for anyone to maintain the level of commitment needed when you are confronted with the stresses of everyday life.
When you have to prepare special meals just for yourself and the rest of the family are able to enjoy a larger variety of foods.
Restricting your food and calorie intake too much will result in decreases of the essential nutrients your body need to cope with the task of keeping you healthy.
When your body sends you signals that it need these nutrients you feel the pangs of hunger more intensely.
Hunger and the feeling of being deprived of what we enjoy is one of the main reasons that maintaining weight loss is so hard to achieve.
Instead choose your program that allows you adequate levels of very enjoyable foods that are designed to
Be full to the nutrients you need for health
Taste nice
Contains foods that encourage your body to burn fat instead of storing it
Give you a feeling of fullness so you are satisfied all day
Contain foods that the whole family can enjoy (no special meals)
The program should also be able to address any medical reasons you might plateau
Stress
Dysbiosis ( a fancy word that means you don't have adequate levels of friendly bacteria in your intestines
Metabolic syndrome (where your body is not using the insulin you produce efficiently) which results in fat storage instead of fat burning
This is a medical term which simply means an environment which causes people to be overweight or obese.
Most of the population today is wondering why so many people are carrying too much weight. As far back as 500BC, Hippocrates warned us that to keep well one should avoid "too much food, too little toil". Over the centuries most people have had to do hard physical work to earn enough to keep their families fed and sheltered.
Now in 2010 hard physical labour is not the norm. Office work and getting about in cars has meant that to get any physical exertion whatsoever we have to start exercise programs in our own time.
How many of us find that time?
If you couple that with the fact that there is always a 24 hour supply of food with supermarkets and fast food outlets open almost around the clock
Portion sizes are now getting larger and larger
20 years ago hamburgers were smaller and contained around 330 calories Now with the BIG burgers there are 590 calories in each one
20 years ago a container of popcorn at the movies had 270 calories. Now it is more than twice the size and provides 630 calories
The hustle and bustle of modern life is making us time poor. The result
Too little time to prepare healthy meals. Too easy to use packet food or take-away
Too little time to organise an long term exercise program to work off the calories
Too easy to accept the larger portion sizes that are freely available
The drive to seek food is one of the strongest physiological compulsions in mankind. Our brain is even programmed so that we get feelings of pleasure when we eat. This should ensure that we receive enough nutrients to keep us healthy.
Instead much of the food that is available has much lower nutritional value than the food our parents enjoyed. This means that we have to eat much more food to acquire the same amount of nutrients. This extra food brings with it extra calories.
If we go on a weight loss diet then we eat less food. This is great from the lower calorie intake but it also means that we are getting less nutrients which then increases our appetite. A catch 22 situation which results in a constant battle with ourselves over feeling hungry and wanting more food and the desire we have to lose weight.
This problem is solved with the weight management program. A feeling of fullness is obtained without excess calories
There seems to be a competition these days between US Australia and New Zealand for the most overweight population. The current statistics are approx 60% of the adult population and 25% of children
This is quite alarming as being overweight is linked to various diseases like Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, osteoarthritis and even dementia. The contribution of obesity to ill health is now greater than tobacco smoking.
Achieving weight loss is becoming harder because of the types of food available and the fact that portion sizes are increasing. Hamburgers are much bigger than 20 years ago and contain twice the calories. Popcorn at the movies is similar. Combine this with our sedentary lifestyle (more people watch sport than play)and the result is expanding waistlines
Fad diets do not work and can be the cause of actually putting on more weight as the body rebels against the feeling of starvation that usually accompanies these diets.
The most recent medically tested eating plan is based around moderate protein/low carbohydrate choices
Protein will give a feeling of satiety( i.e. it takes away hunger) and is necessary to maintain muscle mass. Some diets cause muscle wastage but muscle is necessary to burn fat. Protein will also change the metabolism of the body to burn fat instead of carbs. This is necessary for fat loss.
Low carbs are usually sourced from vegetables (low G.I.). The more variety the better (choose from the different colours available)
Healthy oils should also be included. These can be sources from nuts, fish and salad oils (e.g. Olive oil)
If you choose wisely you will not go hungry. A well researched program will include 2 meals with a palm sized portion of lean protein and three handfuls of vegetables and 1 meal replacement (Balanced protein/carbohydrate) plus 2 snacks a day.
There are 21 meals available in the week if you stay with the program for 19 of those meals you can be a little naughty on the other two without consequences.
If you are following the eating plan closely then your body will produce ketones in your urine(a small amount is good) and these should be tested for to make sure the program is steadily working and you are steadily losing fat (some diets will cause fluid and muscle loss and this is not good). When you lose fat it will not be just where it shows but it will slowly disappear from your internal organs. Many overweight people suffer from “fatty liver” and this means that your liver is not functioning properly to metabolize and process foods
Most weight loss programs will involve a stage where you will plateau. Various causes involve metabolic syndrome, dysbiosis and stress to name a few. For this you will need access to professional help to overcome the problem
An exercise program is also necessary but has to be tailored to your current state of health
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