Weightloss - Diet and Exercise
Did you know that 95% of people who go on quick weight loss diets fail and often end up in worse shape than when they started? They do not realise that crash diets can be ineffective and potentially harmful. It is the long-term health-oriented programs that are the way to go. Achieving target weight requires lifestyle changes. These changes include regular exercise, a sensible approach to healthy eating and the right mental attitude.
Low calorie diets, result in muscle loss, in preference to fat so that the most useful tissue is preserved for times of starvation. However, muscle determines the overall metabolic rate of the body, so if muscle is lost, the metabolic rate will be reduced. This means that when the dieter returns to a normal pattern of eating again, the lower metabolic rate will result in rapid weight gain. Having a low level of lean muscle tissue brings the feeling of fatigue when doing simple exercise tasks, as the muscles and the liver both store energy supplies.
Dieting caution. There are many weight reduction programs and diet pills than proclaim to produce rapid weight loss. However, this weight loss isn't likely to last as it probably involves dehydration and loss of muscle tissue. The ill and bed ridden show similar results in only 48 hours, especially if one has food poisoning. Not much weight in the form of excess unhealthy adipose fat tissue is lost this way. And if much of the weight loss is muscle tissue, this is a disaster for keeping the weight off in the long term because muscle is five times more active metabolically than fat tissue.
Exercise is important. You should aim to lose fat without losing muscle and without reducing metabolic rate. The exercise needs to be customized to your fitness level and to a specific goal of fat loss. Aerobic exercise and resistance training are the ideal combination of exercise to achieve fat loss and it should be part of your lifestyle.
- Inactive people lose about 10 % of their muscle mass every 10 years after the age of 25, but with regular resistance training it is possible to regain this muscle mass. Include aerobic exercise as it helps metabolizes calories and raises the metabolic rate. The heart rate needs to be raised to a comfortable level for 20 - 30 minutes at least 3 times per week. But if you are a complete beginner to fitness, you should start training at your own steady pace for as long as comfortably possible.
- By exercising aerobically, calories will be burnt at a rate of 300 + per hour depending on your weight and fitness level. Aerobic exercise will also raise the metabolic rate for up to 24 hours after you have finished training. This helps to burn up extra calories and prevents the metabolic rate declining.
Healthy Eating is very important for fat loss especially when you are including weight loss supplements or diet pills. Focusing on health and health promoting foods is far more productive than obsessing about fat loss, diet programs and denial of favourite foods.
Ideally adopt a whole food diet, especially including fruit and vegetables. Avoid salt, fat, sugar, additives, and preservatives, processed and refined foods. You need to gradually make this part of a life style change. A whole food diet has a much higher vitamin and mineral content than a typical diet containing processed and refined foods. By increasing natural foods with a high fibre and water content, more food can be eaten to appease the appetite without gaining weight.
TIP. Try to avoid using the scales, unless they can monitor your body fat as well. You can measure your body at various points e.g. your hips, chest, stomach and thighs. Using an item of clothing is also a good way to measure yourself, as with a bit of time and dedication, you will find that the clothing fits you properly.
Additional Reading
Check out our "books" section for additional information on some popular food and diet programs.
