Although you might imagine that all of the basics of sensible
eating to help weight loss are well-known, in reality, when talking to
dieters the reverse is often found to be true.
So, here is a quick refresher course and some basic common sense notions that you should be thinking about if you are trying to lose weight.
So, here is a quick refresher course and some basic common sense notions that you should be thinking about if you are trying to lose weight.
- You can lose weight quickly by following a strict diet regime and it won't damage your health. In fact, there is some experimental evidence to show that it can be more effective than a slower and easier diet taken over a longer period.
- Get your diet under control in order to lose weight rather than relying exclusively on exercise. Getting more physical exercise may be important for many aspects of your health but it is unlikely to help you lose a lot of weight unless it is accompanied by a diet regime.
- Don't cut out all fat from your diet in an effort to lose weight. It is now known that your body needs certain types of fat in order to function healthily. Of course, try to avoid unhealthy fats such as the trans-fats but things such as a little butter will do you no harm at all and may actually be beneficial.
- Concentrate on protein and reduce your carbohydrates. Protein, such as that found in good lean meat, is harder for your body to digest and therefore you'll burn more calories in doing so than you would with carbohydrates. Carbs can also result in a very fast spike in your body sugar levels, which is something generally best avoided.
- Eating more fruit and vegetables will not, in itself, help you to lose weight unless it is part of an overall balanced weight loss recipe and wider-spectrum regime.
- Concentrate on your waist size rather than your BMI alone. That's because there is some experimental evidence to show that being overweight around your waist can be a serious additional health risk even if your overall BMI is within a relatively normal range.
- Get your weight to within accepted healthy levels even if you are extremely physically fit. Once again, there are studies showing that even if you have a high degree of physical fitness, carrying extra weight will still prove to be a significant health risk.
- Think about the science and what you need to do to correct your problem rather than simply beating yourself up constantly. There is now a huge amount of evidence to support the view that very real physical factors, as well as psychological ones, can play a huge part in unhealthy weight gain. This is not just a case of you having poor willpower. So, consult experts for help.
- Don't disregard your doctor's thoughts about potential weight loss surgery. True, nobody likes the idea of being operated on but this can, in medically approved cases, be extremely effective and helpful.