| Weight loss and weight management is mistaken by many as comprising of a starvation-oriented diet that aims at reducing excess weight. The cardinal rule of weight loss that cannot be stressed enough is ‘never starve yourself’. Your body has been designed to factor in extreme circumstances that can adversely affect health and will cautiously step into a storage mode where each morsel you consume will be hoarded against a perceived time of want. The end result would be frustration and weight gain—neither of which was what you set out to achieve. |
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Weight loss should involve a combination of healthy eating, exercise and healthy living while also ensuring that both body and mind stay happy. It is vital that the essential elements of daily diet be maintained while eliminating superfluous empty calories as well as simultaneously incorporating a tolerable exercise routine.
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Why do you need to lose weight?
You will be required to lose weight if your present weight is higher than the recommended weight for your height and age. There area few instances where being a little overweight is permissible, such as during pregnancy or Lactation. However, it is essential to remember that increased weight at other times can be harmful to your body in the long term. Thus, it is necessary to realize that there is more to losing weight than just looking good and trim.
Understanding your metabolism
If you understand how your body uses up calories, you will be better able to define the nature of activities and the types of exercise that can contribute to your healthy weight loss plan. Here, it is important to note that your body will use up more energy in digesting complex foods and proteins into an absorbable form than the empty calories that one can get from junk food or colas. The emphasis of a weight-loss diet should be on protein
The weight-loss plan
Now that you have decided to tackle the problem of those extra pounds, it is time to draw up a plan. Your ideal plan will include:
- Healthy exercising.
- Healthy dieting.
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Healthy exercising
Healthy exercising is all about developing the right mix of resistance and Cardiovascular exercises.One type of exercise that you pick serves the purpose of weight loss, toning or muscle mass increase.
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- You will need to tone your muscles by stretching and mild weight-bearing exercises to help develop some strength and flexibility.
- Aerobic or Cardiovascular exercises will get your heart racing and the blood flowing in your veins. This will burn up the excess calories that are present in your fat stores. Initially, this is the form of exercise which will help you lose weight along with the toning exercises.
- After you have lost some weight and are nearing your ideal weight for your height and frame, you will need to start resistance or strength-building exercises. These will involve sit-ups, push-ups, weight-lifting etc.
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Healthy eating
The right diet will decide your frame of mind and the weight loss you undergo and define whether the options you have chosen are sustainable.
The benefits of high protein diets
Proteins are essential for the body as all our systems require them for replenishment and sustenance. Proteins are absolutely essential for cell growth and maintenance of normal musculature and tone—so essential for normal activity and health. Protein not only gives you the energy to stay healthy and active but also is helpful in weight loss.
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How protein-rich diets help lose weight
Studies have shown that diets that are rich in protein help individuals stick to their diet plan while avoiding the common pitfalls that impair most diet plans. Our body loses millions of Cells everyday as part of the normal physiological process. In addition, there are other activities that can result in untimely death of some Cells. Cell regeneration is essential to maintenance of normal body function and requires amino acids that are derived from proteins, to do so. A diet poor in protein can have you feeling tired and depressed while you struggle ineffectually to stay on the diet while keeping up with your daily activities and responsibilities. Drinking at least two liters of water per day and topping it up with skimmed milk or protein-rich health drinks whenever possible will ensure that you stay fresh and alert while at the same time having the toxins produced by fat breakdown washed out of your system.
Carbohydrates should form only a small part of the diet, and this can be achieved by focusing on dairy products as they contain plenty of protein and calcium, as well as easily digestible carbohydrates. Protein is readily available in meat and seafood, but is rather lacking in vegetables and cereals. This is a major problem in vegetarian Indian diet with its emphasis on cereals, greens, and sweets. Vegetarian sources of protein include soy bean, milk, whey, cheese, etc.
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The need for low glycemic index carbohydrates
Glycemic index is calculated based on blood glucose levels that are attained during the process of digestion. Food items with high glycemic indices increase the requirement of Insulin and are not a healthy source of calories. Food items that have a low gylcemic index include fruits and vegetables, meat, fish, eggs, nuts, milk, oils, etc. These are the foods that should form 90% of your daily diet.
It is not easy to lose weight all by yourself. You will need support in terms of appropriate nutrition counseling and support from friends and family. With the right planning, a balanced prescription of healthy eating and healthy exercising and the resolve to stay on course, you will lose weight gradually and healthily to stay slim, trim and healthy for the rest of your life. |
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