Safe Ways to Lose Weight
I Have s friend whom seems to be permanent on a diet and exercise . One week she’ll announce with pride that she has lost five kilos . A few weeks later she’ll confide unhappily that she has regained it .
But you can’t blame her or the millions of other people who struggle with extra kilos. Blame all the highly hyped too-good-to-be-true diets . “ People who go on crash diets that promote large amounts of time almost always gain all their weight back “ , says Stephen Farrell , associate director of an aerobics research institute , “ And some will gain back more than lost “ .
The latest fad is an update of a diet that’s been around for decades: the high-protein diet , where you sharply reduce carbohydrates and consume mostly protein and fat . Unfortunately , those kilos that seem to drop so miraculously are mostly water lost through dehydration , say researchers such as Miriam Nelson of Tufts University , co-author of the best selling book strong women stay slim. Nor are excessive versions of such programs safe , she warns . “Protein diets may cause dizziness and extreme fatigue. “.
Dr Charles Baum , associate professor of nutrition and medicine at the University of Illionis say Chicago , cites two other concerns : a loss of essential minerals from tour bones and elevated lipid levels due to the increase in fat. An increase in lipids may cause cardiac problems .
So is there a way to lose weight quickly , without sabotaging your health or long-term term results ? Yes . And research shows that you can do it a lot more easily than you may think...if you follow a few simple rules or hopes .
Safe Strategy 1 :
High Fibre
For Each half-kilo of fat you want to lose , you have to create a “ caloric deficit “ of BOUT 3500 Calories , according to Baum. But nature has programmed the human body to protect you from staving in times of famine. If you limit food intake too drastically , nature’s safety net kicks in and slows your metabolism down.
This is why Baum , Farrell and other researchers say you should cut tour caloric intake by no more than 250 to 500 calories per day . And you should net feel deprived while cutting back . Dr Roland Weinsier , chariman of Alabama’s nutrition sciences department , recommends that you eat to your heart’s content – as long as it’s the right stuff .
According to Weinsier’s research , if people are allowed to eat as much as they are allowed to eat much as they want of vegetables , fresh fruits , grains and unrefined starches , they will eat almost half of calories than if they were choosing from sugars , meats , cheeses and fried foods . Part of the reason for this may be that high-ibre foods tend to be very filling and have fewer calories than other foods .
Eating high-fibre foods is not only important for long term weight loss , it’s essential for long- term health . Carbohydrates ( vegetables , grains , fruits ) should be about 55 t0 60 percent of your total intake of calories prtein 12 to 15 percent , with no more than 30 percent of daily calories from fat .
For dropping kilos and maintaining weight loss , it’s safe to cut your intake even further , to 20 percent of your calories , says nutritionist . Dr David Heber . In his book The Resolution Diet , Heber suggests that lean meat not occupy more than a third of your plate . That leaves you lots more space on your dish for vegetables , grains and starches .
Bear in mind too , “ it takes a while for your brain to register that your stomach is filled up with food and you’re no longer hungry , “ says Nelson . “ If you eat really fast , you’re going to be overeating before it registers .” . Nelson suggests two tricks for those accustomed to wolfing down meals . Put down your fork after every bite .And eat your meals with other people , conversing between nibbles rather than gobbling nonstop.
SAFE STRATEGY 2
Move Around
Exercise and other physical activities can burn another 250 calories per day in addition to the 250 you cut from you your diet , notes aerobics researchers Farrell . “ That’s a realistic goal . “ he says “ And doing that should result in about half a kilo of fat lost per week . “
In over two decades of study after study , experts have found that a weight-loss programme that relies solely on cutting calories is less effective in the long term than comprehensive plans that include physical activity .
For people who favour an aerobics programme , brisk walking for 30 minutes a day is the most recommended activity . But forget the oft-repeated slogan “ No pain , no gain “ . Aerobic dancing can trim you down as quickly as jogging or cycling , according to one study of mildly obese middle-aged women . Another study , published in the Journal of the American Medical Association , found that obese women on low-fat diets who upped their regular daily activities – by performing more gardening or choosing the stairs over the lift , and increased walking – were better able to maintain weight loss than those in a more regimented aerobics programme , perhaps because lifestyle changes are easier to stick with than exercise programmes for which you must set aside time .
Some study shows that even little daily activities can burn a significant number of calories For two months the researchers fed 16 volunteers 1000 calories more per day than necessary to maintain their weight . After measuring all the ways their subjects expended energy during the day , they realized that the people who had increased their movement , even if it was at their desks by changing posture, standing or occasionally taking short walks – gained the least weight .
They had spontaneously and unconsciously compensate for the greater food intake . In one subject , the boost in physical movement burned off as many as 692 calories per day . So while their more sedentary neighbours packed on up to seven kilos during two months of overeating , the ‘FIDGET FACTOR “ Limited weight gain for those who moved around more to as little as a kilo . Nelson says “ Walk , pace , stand up , tap your shoes , instead of sitting and having a coffee break with friends , take a five minute walk “. Those small changes-doing a little something extra each hour – can really add up .
SAFE STRATEGY 3
PUMP IRON
LAURIE GENGARELL , 43 , had tried all kinds of weight –loss plans – skipping meals , fruit-only regime , and over-the counter diet pills and drinks – but nothing helped . She finally decided to try Nelson’s comprehensive plan, which includes working out with weighs . Even though she’d never been one to exercise , she discovered she could easily do the strength-training routines in about 20 minutes , after a daily Walk . The results showed quickly . “ I started noticing-and so did others – a difference in the way I looked after the second week . “ raves Gengarelly . “ I noticed it most when I put on my jeans . They flew on with room to spare ! It was a joyous moment . “
Nelson put two groups of women on diets . one group worked out with weights : the other group did not . Members of both groups lost an average of six kilos . But more important is the kind of weight the women lost .The strength-training group lost fat and added an average 680n grams more muscle ; the diet-only group lost almost 1400 gram of muscle along with the fat.
Why is that important ? . “ The amount of muscle we have in our body dictates our metabolic rate , “ says Nelson . “ If we preserve that muscle as we lose weight , we will keep our metabolic rate at a higher level . And that helps long-term weight control . “
How significant is muscle mass to weight control ? “ Each half-kilo of muscle burns nearly 14 calories per day. “
Heber writes in the The Resolution Diet . Over the long term , that can really add up.
To conclude : As you can see , research shows that you don’t have to starve yourself , or eliminate major food groups from your diet , or become a competitive athlete in order to shed weight . Concentrate instead on small , intelligent changes , and you should see bi difference a lot faster than you make think .
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