Fitness For You

Weight Loss - How To Look And Feel Your Absolute Best

--->

We live in a world of diet fads, drinks and pills. Our beauty standards are often defined by an air brush, so it is an easy thing to feel like our weight is entirely out of control and that we will never be healthy and happy. Weight loss experts agree that the best route to weight loss is by making healthy diet and exercise habits for the long term.

Weight loss isn’t just about improving our self image. Losing weight helps us in many ways. When shedding those extra pounds we are increasing our health tremendously. We decrease the chances of developing health related issues, such as, heart disease, strokes, pregnancy complications, certain types of cancer and type 2 diabetes by just losing 7-10% of our body weight.

What determines our weight? Two main factors are the amount of energy we consume in terms of food and how much energy we expend in our daily activities. If our weight doesn’t change we are consuming as much energy as we are using. If we start to gain weight over time, we are consuming more energy than we are using and if we are losing weight, we are using up more of the energy than we are taking in.

What is the single most important thing to do when dieting? Keep a food diary. It is very easy to do and what you will learn will most likely be quite surprising. You need to keep a written record of everything you ate or drank throughout the day. This includes any samples or taste you may have had. For best results, try to use exact portion sizes. Keeping a diary is the best way to actually understand exactly how much you are eating in a day.

Your metabolism plays an important role in weight loss. To lose weight you want to increase your metabolic rate. Try to eat at least 4 medium size meals a day and constantly change what you eat. This will trick your metabolism into thinking you are not dieting. The benefit is that your metabolism doesn’t slow down and continues to burn food efficiently.

Our diet should consist of lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and be low in fat, sugar and salt. To understand how much of each group you need to eat, think of your plate divided in to three parts. One part is for fruits and vegetables, another is for your meats, dairy, beans and foods which are sugary or high in fat. The last part if for your whole grains and other starches.

Your exercise requirement depends on your fitness goals, age and overall health. Experts agree that we should be active for at least 30 minutes a day and gradually increase the length and intensity of our activity to an hour. Exercise can include walking, swimming or house work, providing it is raising our heart rate. Studies have shown that the more active you are, the healthier you become.

When looking for a weight loss program to help you lose weight, find one that includes regular physical activity, a balanced diet and is easy to maintain. You may want to join a support group and speak with a registered dietician if you need more help.

Article Source: http://www.uberarticles.com/articles

When beginning a weight loss program, learn what programs are most recommended for effective and fast weight loss.