Nearly 108 million Americans were overweight or obese in 1999. As of today, weight problems remain a serious problem and it is predicted to reach epidemic levels by the year 2020. One method to prevent this scenario is to help make individuals aware of the potential 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: heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, arthritis and hypertension. Losing weight helps to prevent and control these diseases.
Rapid weight loss techniques which have spread like fire today do not give lasting results. More often than not, dieting techniques which entail dietary drinks, foods and supplement or pills don’t work. If they do, the results are only temporary.
It is better to rely on a healthy weight reduction option that will give lifetime results. You will need 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 undesirable pounds the healthy approach:
1. Do not starve yourself. The key to a healthier way of losing weight is: Do not diet.
You may seem happy and feel that you are losing the undesirable flab on your belly and thighs by skipping meals. But remember that this would not last long. Your body can’t endure having inadequate food to fuel the energy that you use up daily.
If you get used to skipping one or two meals a day, your stored calories will be used up rather than the energy that should have been provided by your meals. So, if you just eat one big sandwich all day, it will end up directly to your problem area (i.e. thighs, buttocks, hips).
2. Start your day right. Mothers often say that breakfast is the most essential meal of the day. Have a healthy meal in the morning to jump-start your metabolism. The foods you eat when you wake up will be used to burn up fat the whole day.
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 would like to lose. Keep your targets realistic. Ultimately, it is almost impossible for you to lose 40 pounds in two weeks. Have a mindset that you’d like 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 vegetables and fruits, some bread, rice or pasta for that carb 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 reason to weight problems. You’ll need this to keep your weight at the proper level. There’s 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 one’s heart.
8. Exercise. Leave your car if you are only going a few blocks from home and take the stairs rather than the elevator, jog, cycle or skate. Use these activities and other home chores if you’re too lazy to visit the gym and take work out classes. Be sure that you do this often and you’ll not really notice that you are already losing weight 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 make an effort to lose another five pounds.
Eat healthy, drink lots of water, have adequate sleep and exercise. This can give you a greater chance of reducing weight and improving your health, which will lead to a new, healthier you.
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