Obesity among Americans continues to be a threat and is expected to reach epic proportions by the year 2020. One way to avoid this situation is to make people aware of the risks of being overweight or obese.
Here are some important diseases that you are putting yourself at risk if you are obese:
1. heart disease
2. diabetes
3. cancer
4. arthritis
5. hypertension
Losing weight helps to prevent and control these diseases. The methods of rapid weight loss that have spread like fire these days do not provide long lasting results. More often, the methods that are involved like diet pills, so called magic potions or concoctions do not work and can potentially cause more harm than good. If they do work, the results are only temporary. Eliminating and losing weight is a lifelong commitment and a complete change in lifestyle that should happen gradually.
It is better to rely on an option to healthy weight loss that will last a lifetime. You must set realistic goals and not expect to lose many pounds in a short time.
Here are some tips on how you can lose those extra kilos in a healthy way:
First of all, do not starve yourself. You may seem happy and feel that you are losing those unwanted fat on your belly and thighs by skipping meals. But remember that it would not last long. Your body can not tolerate the lack of food to feed the energy you use up every day. If you do not eat meals at the right time, your body's natural reaction is to slow down your metabolism. In other words, it conserves body energy by burning your stored fat slower. In the end, no weight loss occurs.
Second, eat a healthy breakfast. Mothers always say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Take a healthy meal in the morning to boost your metabolism. That is why it is called breakfast. You need to break the overnight fasting you experienced. Also, eating breakfast prevents you from binging on your lunch leading to obesity. Lastly, food intake after you wake up is used to burn fat throughout the day, preventing obesity.
Third, eat small healthy meals often. Do not just sit down and finish all that is on top of the table. Five small meals per day are better than three hearty meals. Eat more often and in small servings, this in turn prevents overeating. This will also increase your metabolism and burn calories faster. Also notice that when you overfeed yourself, right after eating, you feel very sleepy and will be unable to do your work effectively. Going to sleep slows down your metabolism and leads to again, obesity ruining your goals of achieving weight loss.
Fourth, decide how you want to lose weight. Keep your goals realistic. In the long term, it is impossible to lose 40 pounds in 2 weeks. Losing weight and avoiding obesity is a commitment. It does not happen overnight. You have to be determined and persistent that you are willing to do the sacrifices needed to achieve your goals. Once you have decided on a weight loss plan or program, stick to it and make sure you follow what you have decided upon for yourself.
Fifth, drink plenty of water. Around eight glasses per day. Your body needs water to burn fat and keeps the cells hydrated and healthy.
Sixth, avoid excess sugar. Plan your meals around lots of fruits and vegetables, bread, rice or pasta for that carbohydrate fix that you need, as well as lean meat and protein rich foods. Sweets, sodas and pastries should be once-in-a-while indulgences only. Reward yourself with the sweets over the weekend. Only once a week of course.
Seven, eat the right amount and type of fat. Fat is not the culprit among obese persons. You will need this to keep your weight at an appropriate level. There is such a thing as healthy fats. When buying from the supermarket, check the label, eat fat of the polyunsaturated fatty acids type (PUFA). Olive oil, peanut and canola have these. Tuna, salmon and mackerel have omega-3 fats that are also good for the heart.
Lastly, leave your car in the parking spot farthest from the entrance of your work place, take the stairs instead of the elevator, jog, bike or skate. Use these simple activities and other chores if you are too lazy or do not have enough money to go to the gym and exercise regularly. You just have to make a constant and conscious effort to lose weight. Make sure you do it regularly and over time you will not even notice you're already losing a few pounds with these mundane activities.
Take it easy on yourself. If you have already lost 5 or 6 pounds, give yourself a little break then try to lose the next 5 pounds.
Live the life you want with a diet plan you can live with. Avoid obesity consciously and lose weight gradually.
http://goarticles.com/article/Obesity-And-Weight-Loss-Awareness-Is-The-Key/5713279/
