You can lose weight successfully
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Shudder at the thought of going on a diet? Well, guess what? You’re already on one! Everyone is on a diet everyday…..the difference depends on the nature of each of those diets. If you are thinking of improving your health or weight, think of it as improving your lifestyle choices, including your current diet.
Calories
The amount of calories we consume is one of the major factors into how much weight we gain or lose. Before embarking on any weight loss program, I believe it is important to understand that healthy weight loss must include monitoring your calories, carbohydrates and protein intake. Becoming aware of the amounts we need to be successful in achieving our weight loss goals. It’s not just about cutting back on your calories.
Make the commitment
The first thing you need to do is to make sure you are ready to make some changes. You will need to be serious and honest with yourself. Most people start their new diets on Monday. If that works for you great…but if you are really serious…you’ll start today. Write down your weight loss goal as well as the date you want to achieve that goal by. Put copies of this in places that will be seen by you, and not all your visitors. In the fridge, on a bedroom mirror etc. A sensible and realistic weight loss program should allow you to lose anywhere between ½ and 1kg per week. People with a lot of weight to lose may see more kilos shed earlier on in the piece.
Healthy weight range
Understand what your healthy weight range is. If you have a lot of weight to lose, don’t lock yourself into a particular weight at the beginning. Body type including bone structure is one factor that also determines your weight. For example, someone with a height of 180cm (5’9”) will have a healthy weight range of 65 – 81kg[1].
Planning
Now that you are serious and have committed yourself to losing weight and feeling better, it is time to get into the calories and diet schedule.
A person wanting to achieve a weight range of 65 – 81kgs needs to consume 1740 – 2700 calories per day, depending on activity levels and age[2]. Include in this diet around 121 – 189 gms of carbohydrates and 52 – 64 gms of protein[3]. Protein intake requirements may also vary depending on the level of activity you par take. Also, men generally require more protein than women.
Calories and carbohydrates are both required in balance for energy. Protein is required for muscle tone and normalizing the appetite.
Meal replacement programs
Meal replacement programs are a simple and effective way of controlling calories while getting the carbs, protein and other nutrition you need. Other calorie controlled diets can become complicated, and people often find they are always hungry and become fatigued because of the lack of nutrients due to strict calorie counting.
The Studies
CSIRO conducted a study[4] to determine the effectiveness of meal replacements to achieve weight loss. Meal replacements were compared with a structured weight reduction diet in overweight/obese Australians. The study was carried out with 66 subjects over two stages, each comprising of 3 months. The study showed meal replacement programs’ weight loss results were comparable with calorie controlled meals. Both programs were nutritionally adequate, but some nutrient intakes were higher in the meal replacement programs than in the calorie controlled meals. It was concluded that a meal replacement program is equally effective for losing weight in comparison to a conventional, structured weight loss diet. It also states “meal replacements offer a convenient and potentially nutritionally beneficial weight loss alternative than conventionally structured weight loss diets”
Now that you are eating better, you need to get moving.
Exercise is an integral part of maintaining any healthy lifestyle. Exercise improves muscle tone and circulation as well as regulating your appetite and increasing your metabolism. When you exercise regularly, you will burn fat for several hours even after you’ve stopped exercising. It is important to choose a form of exercise that is enjoyable which will in turn be maintainable. If you want to use fitness equipment, hire it first. Purchasing a bike, treadmill and the like will be of no use if you do not enjoy using it, then a waste of money. Talk to your gym and ask for a trial before you hand over that hard earned money; attending once a year will not do the job. Find a like minded friend to go walking with. Moderate walking (5.5 km/h) can help you lose up to 186 calories every 30 minutes. Find a team sport. Housework and gardening can help you burn up to 144 calories every 30 minutes.
Water: drink lots of water. About 2 – 3 litres; especially when you are exercising. As well as keeping us hydrated, water helps with our appetite and flushes our body and assisting in digestion. If you don’t drink enough water, our body stores it and that’s where water retention comes into play. A good way to ensure you consume enough water is to drink a glass ever hour; even if you are not thirsty.
State of mind
The final thing…..it is important to remain positive. If you make a bad choice, address why it happened and move on. Don’t beat yourself up. Failure comes from our own negativity; talking ourselves down. You have made the decision from the beginning to make better lifestyle choices. That’s a whole lot of positive.
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[1] http://www.mydr.com.au/tools/weight.asp
[2] The Australian Calorie Counter 1995
[3] Foods that harm, foods that heal 2006
[4] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=15294548&dopt=Abstract
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