Natural Weight Loss and ManagementWhen we try to lose weight but can't...Lose it, but gain it right back--or gain even more!... Then maybe we need some help. Here are some important considerations about weight loss and maintenance... Diets don't work!!!At least not for very long and not by themselves for the majority of people. Most dieters regain their lost weight only after a year or so. Or worse yet, they gain back even more than before.You want a realistic healthy diet, not a "give-up-food" diet. As soon as your body "thinks" you are on a diet, what happens? It goes into panic/starvation mode. You become obsessed with food and eating. Ugh! Also, the first thing it starts digesting is not the fat. It is the PROTEIN--the important component in muscle and organs. The very thing you don't want to lose! The irony is, as soon as you start cutting way back on your food intake, your body starts shutting down, lowering your metabolism so that you burn less energy than usual. This is an old survival mechanism left over from our ancestors for whom starvation was often a serious problem. It goes way back in our genes, probably back to the early beginnings of life itself. Reducing Calories and/or Increasing ActivityTo loose weight calories in must be less than calories out. Mathematically this means,Cin/Cout<
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The only way to actually lose weight is to reduce the number of calories you intake so that you are expending more calories than you take in. Or, you can increase your calories output by increasing your activity. Or, best yet, do both! "Activity" (a.k.a. exercise) does not have to be overwhelming. With hypnosis, you can enhance your motivation to become more active. We have all seen "The Biggest Loser" show on TV, right? Come on, admit it. At least it was on long enough for you to get the idea. There basic strategy there involves a lot of exercise and a restricted, healthy diet. Both are important. Have realistic goalsIt took you a long time to add all that weight; be patient and persistent about taking the extra weight off. A goal of 0.5-1 lb per week requires a decrease of about 300-500 calories per day. A goal of 1-2 lbs will require a decrease of 500-1000 calories per day.Your initial goal should be a 10% reduction in body weight at six months. This will require a reduction of 300-500 calories per day (usually). For severely obese patients, a reduction of 500-1,000 calories per day may be required to achieve this goal. Maintenance programA weight loss program is no good without a corresponding weight maintenance program. After six months a weight maintenance program should be started. If more weight loss is desired, a second phase can then be started after a period of weight maintenance. A weight maintenance program should include a reduced calorie, reduced fat, and high fiber diet. A reduction in calories is necessary because, once excess weight is removed, it takes fewer calories to maintain your smaller body mass. It should also include maintaining an active lifestyle (a.k.a. exercise).Important health benefitsFor obese people, even a modest (e.g. 10%) weight loss can have important positive impact on your health. This includes decreases in hypertension (blood pressure), heart disease, stroke, gall bladder disease, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, respiratory problems, type 2 diabetes, and endrometrial, breast, prostrate, and colon cancers.Emotional and psychological factors often play an important role in why you gained the extra weight in the first place and how successful you are at taking it off and keeping it off. | ||||||||||||||
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