Almost 108 million Americans were overweight or obese in 1999. Even today, obesity continues to be a very serious problem and is expected to reach epidemic levels by the year 2020. One way to prevent this happening is to make people aware of the risks of being overweight or obese. Here are some diseases that you are putting yourself at risk to, if you are carrying a lot of extra pounds: 1. heart disease; 2. stroke; 3. diabetes; 4. cancer; 5. arthritis; 6. hypertension.
Losing weight helps to avoid or control these diseases. The rapid weight loss methods that have spread like wildfire recently do not offer lasting results. More often than not, dieting programs which involve dietary drinks, foods and supplements or pills do not necessarily 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 objectives 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 excess pounds in a healthy way:
1. Do not starve your self. The only path to a safer, healthier method of losing weight is: Do not diet. You may be happy that you are shed those excess kilos on your stomach and thighs by skipping meals. However, just remember that this can not go on long. Your body can not tolerate having insufficient sustenance to fuel the energy that you expend everyday. If you try missing one or two meals a day, your body will go into starvation mode, meaning that when you do eat, it will go right to your thighs, buttocks and hips.
2. Start your day correctly. Mothers always say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and they are right. Have a healthy meal in the morning to jump-start your metabolism. A traditional breakfast of bacon, eggs etc. will keep your stomach busy all day, staving off your hunger pangs.
3. Eat smaller, healthy meals often. Five small servings a day is far better than three hearty meals. Eating more often, and in smaller amounts, can help avoid over-eating. This will also speed up your metabolism and force your body to burn more calories faster.
4. Decide on how much weight you want to lose. Keep your aims realistic. In the long run, it is virtually impossible for you to lose 40 pounds in two weeks. Have a mindset that you want to eat healthy to stay healthy for the rest of your life. Once you have decided on a weight loss plan or program, keep to it and make certain that you follow your own set of dieting rules.
5. Drink plenty of water. Your body needs sufficient water to burn fat and keep your cells hydrated and healthy.
6. Avoid too much sugar. Plan your meals around lots of fruits and vegetables, some bread, rice or pasta for that carbo fix that you want, plus lean meat and protein rich-foods. Sweets, sodas and pastries should be once-in-a-while indulgences only.
7. Watch your fat intake. Fat is not the reason for being overweight. You need fat to keep your weight at the correct level. There is such a thing as a healthy fat. Olive, peanuts and canola oil have them. Tuna, salmon and mackerel have omega-3 essential fatty acids which are great for the heart.
8. Exercise.
Leave your car where it is, if you are only travelling a few hundred yards from home, take the stairs instead of the lift, jog, cycle or skate. Use these activities and other home chores if you are too busy to go to the gym and take exercise classes. Make sure that you do this frequently and you will not even notice that you are already shedding pounds with these mundane chores.
It does not matter how many kilos you want or have to to lose. What is important is that you set achievable goals for yourself. Go slowly. If you have already lost 5-6 pounds, give yourself a break then try to lose the next five pounds. Eat healthy, drink lots of water, have plenty of sleep and exercise. This will give you a higher chance of losing weight and improving your health, which will result in a new, shapelier you.
Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on a variety of subjects, and is now involved with Italian Pasta Flour. If you would like to know more, please visit our website at Gourmet Food and Good Health.