Obesity - The Modern Day Disease
Obesity is now a major problem in developed countries and especially so in the United States where around 35% of the population are classed as obese. The proportion of the population who are overweight is a whopping 70%. Never had has weight problems reached such and epidemic state.
If you're slightly overweight or obese trying to lose of or better all of the excess weight is necessary to become healthy. Excess fat is associated with a number of diseases and is a factor in the metabolic syndrome. These diseases include angina, hypertension and diabetes.
Agricultural methods and technology as so advanced that whole farms only require a few people to operate, yields have increased and meat production is abundant. Food availability was a major triumph that is now causing the biggest health problem in the developed world.
Weight Loss Fads
Because of the increase in obesity over the last few decades the weight loss and dieting industry was created and is thriving. They promote some really good products which help people to lose weight and keep it off, overall they help individuals convert to a healthy lifestyle. However more and more gimmick, fad and down right bad weight loss products are being released every year often spurred by celebrity endorsement (accidentally and otherwise).
One of the themes which many people looking to lose weight are attracted to is the prospect of doing so without needing to exercise. It's understandable since work and life are now more stressful and pressuring than ever people feel that they either don't have the time to exercise or aren't finding enough motivation. This is where bad diet products come in, they promise to lose you dozens of pounds per month and give your massive discounts on highly expensive products that cost next to nothing to produce to lure you into their sales funnel.
A lot of these bad diet programs require you to go on a very low calorie diet, typically less than 1500 calories per day is on the high end, to induce very rapid weight loss. They are not wrong, it will work fast, but a lot of that weight will be water and it's not sustainable. Once you can't go any further with the diet you'll be craving sugary, starchy, fatty delicious food which will easily put fat back on your body, and quite possibly more so. The reason is because by starving yourself on an insufficient diet your metabolism will decrease to conserve as much energy as possible; this will likely also include reducing the amount of muscle you have.
Trying to lose weight without exercising in the way described above is not the way to go! There is a far better way, albeit slower, which is actually good for your body in the long run. When I say body that includes your brain and mental health. by eating a healthy diet you will improve all parts of your body.
How To Lose Weight The Right Way
You're probably overeating frequently at present, that's why you've put on weight and aren't losing any. Below are a few simple guidelines to follow, stick to it and you won't regret the results.
- Limit calorie intake without starving yourself, eat enough for your body to function properly. Typical daily recommended daily allowances state 2500 calories a day for men and 2000 for women, is it a bit to general because obviously people are all different sizes and thus have different requirements. So what do you follow? Well once you've sorted out what you should be eating (which I will tell you later), eat slowly and take at least 20 minutes to finish a meal and stop eating. This should be quite effective at giving you enough nutrients and stopping you from overeating.
- Eat a balanced diet, this means proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Yes fats are essential. Hormones are derived from fats so if you want your body to function properly you need fat in your diet. Proteins are essential for maintaining your body, for muscle repair and pretty much everything else. Carbohydrates are your primary source of energy, cut back on these and you will feel tired, lack energy and get headaches. What you need to focus on is eating the right fats and carbs; these are unsaturated fats and complex carbs. Nuts, olive oil and avocados are good sources of good fats; whole grains, legumes are great sources of complex carbohydrates as well as decent amounts of protein. Lean meat, seafood and eggs are your best sources of complete protein.
- Things to avoid. Simple carbs - sugary food, white bread, pastries, cakes. Saturated fat - animal fat, cooking oils that aren't olive oil, butter and derivatives. Consume as little of these foods as possible.
You'll notice that all this just seem to be what all the nutritionists say are part of a healthy diet. Well you are right, it's exactly that - a healthy diet. No mention of weight loss because weight loss is a by-product of a healthy lifestyle which include a healthy diet.
Even Though This Article Said No Exercise
So you can lose weight without exercise just by eating very carefully, but exercise is an important part of healthy living. By doing some exercise you will greatly enhance weight loss speed, and the rest of your health. You'll feel more energetic, have far better mood and enjoy life much more.
Humans evolved to be active and by being sedentary causes so many health issues including all of those mentioned at the beginning, as well as gaining unwanted weight.
Try and be active throughout the day. If you work in an office where you're sitting for most of the day try to walk around a bit every half an hour or so, and make lunch times active. Please start doing some exercise every day, some light jogging for 30 minutes will get your blood flowing, improve your fitness and burn calories.
Also try to include some high intensity exercise into your weekly schedule, 3 times per week is adequate. Here's how it works. Sprint for about 30 seconds then rest until you're pretty much back to normal, then repeat as many times as you can manage. By doing this you deplete energy stores in your muscles and that requires replacing, it makes your burn fat for up to 48 hours after the workout (it'll also make your legs ache a bit on lactic acid). You can opt to cycle instead, it's easier on the joints.
All this exercise might sound hard but trust me when I say you'll enjoy it soon enough. You whole body and life will improve - better mood, high level of fitness, more energy, better sleep, even better sexual performance.
JT writes about losing weight at his blog AWayToLoseWeight.com, where many a fad diet is revealed. He is passionate about guiding people towards a healthy life with losing weight being part of the process.
Head over to the blog for a more detailed overview of the effects of obesity as well a guide on losing weight with no exercise.
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