Thursday, October 8, 2009

Learn About The Five Top Fat Loss Rules

By Susan S Wilson

Some people believe that "all diets work" and that our problem is not that we can't lose weight it is rather that we can't keep it off after we lose it. We get on the diet and lose the weight then we get off the diet and the weight comes back. Except for the resistant dieter who never loses a pound in the first place.

I have long tried various diets and various ways to lose weight. I would religiously follow the diet program and the scale would not move. Not a pound was lost. Some women's bodies are completely resistant to weight loss.

As a woman I am sure that I am not the only one with this difficulty. It's programmed by biology. A man will always be able to drop pounds and gain muscle easier than a woman. It is just a fact of life. Women are biologically programmed to hold onto fat because in the case of a famine, we need to not only be able to keep ourselves alive but we also need to be able to keep a fetus alive until it is born and throughout babyhood as we breastfeed. That is why it is harder for a woman to lose weight.

But in the past few years and throughout this struggle, I have learned quite a few things that can help a woman to lose weight. I will share my top five rules for weight loss here.

The first rule is simple. You must eat. You must eat at least 3 meals and even as many as 6 small meals a day. Eating at regular intervals keeps you blood sugars level and it keeps you from bingeing and eating everything in site later. Your metabolism will keep burning calories if it knows there is no lack. If your body thinks it is starving your metabolism will shut down and your body will reserve the fat.

Second is to exchange quality for quantity. Empty calories that provide no inherent nutritional value do nothing to fill you up and eating nutritionally empty food is a guaranteed way to pack on the pounds. Cravings are often caused by a deficiency of vital nutrients so it is important to choose high quality, nutritionally dense foods. Stay away from the "white stuff', meaning white flour and white sugar.

Third, be sure to add some protein with every meal. High protein diets work because protein digests slower than carbohydrates; especially simple carbohydrates and proteins will not cause a sugar spike in your bloodstream. When you add protein you are not nearly as hungry later on and you end up consuming fewer calories.

Fourth rule is to choose quality carbs. Simple carbs, like donuts, cakes and sweets of any kind and anything that is made from white flour will spike your blood sugar, which will cause more hunger, and it will just add to your fat deposits. Complex carbohydrates give you fiber and nutrients that are advantageous to your body. Complex carbohydrates include whole grains and vegetables.

And the fifth rule is to start moving. Start an exercise plan. You can start small by taking short walks and ease up to more challenging workouts. But exercise is critical for successful and healthy weight loss. Exercise is advantageous for your heart and your soul. So start an exercise program.

Long- term weight loss has to be a lifestyle change. Few people who have had weight challenges in the past are able to just lose it once and be done with it forever. It is an everyday, lifetime commitment. But if you commit to these rules most of the time you will be on your way to permanent and healthy weight loss.

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