By Ilove2work,
Almost 108 million Americans were overweight or obese in
1999. Until now, obesity continues to be a serious problem
and is predicted to reach epidemic levels by the year 2020.
One way to prevent this scenario is to make people aware of
the risks of being overweight or obese.
Here are some diseases that you are putting yourself in risk
of 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 prevent and control these diseases.
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
supplement 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. Do not starve your self.
The key to a healthier way of losing weight is: Do not diet.
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. highs, buttocks, hips).
2. Start your day right.
Mothers always say that breakfast is the most important meal
of the day. Have a healthy meal in the morning to jump-start
your metabolism.
Your food intake after you wake up will be used to burn fat
all day long.
3. Eat small, healthy meals frequently.
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. Decide on how much weight you want to lose.
Keep your goals realistic. In the long run, it is virtually
impossible for you to lose 40 pounds in 2 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,
stick to it and make sure that you follow your own set of
dieting rules.
5. Drink lots 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 need, 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 culprit to being overweight. You need this to
keep your weight at the proper level.
There is such a thing as healthy fats. Olive, peanuts and
canola oil have them. Tuna, salmon and mackerel have omega-3
fats which is good for the heart.
8. Exercise.
Leave your car if you are only going a few blocks from
home, take the stairs instead of the elevator, jog, cycle or
skate. Use these activites and other home chores if you are
too lazy to go to the gym and take exercise classes. Make
sure that you do this regularly and you will not even notice
that you are already shedding pounds with these mundane
activities.
It does not matter how much weight you plan or need to lose.
What is important is that you set realistic goals for
yourself.
Go slow. If you have already lost 5 or 6 pounds, give
yourself a break then try to lose the next 5 pounds.
Eat healthy, drink lots of water, have enough sleep and
exercise. This will give you a higher chance of losing
weight and improving your health, which would result to a
new, healthier you.
