Weight Loss Information
With approximately two-thirds of US adults overweight and the increasing amount of overweight children, weight loss is a concern that touches everyone, one way or another. If you’re not overweight, it’s likely that you have a friend or family member that is. While it may be said that the media and beauty industry often portray an unrealistic standard of desired weight, it can also be said that being overweight is not simply the case of “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” Being overweight should be approached as a health concern, not a beauty issue. Being overweight is considered unhealthy for your body, even by twenty pounds. It’s hard to lose weight, but the benefits of reaching and maintaining a healthy weight are worth it. We’ve all heard it before, but losing weight requires a combination of healthy eating and physical activity – with the goal of burning more calories than consumed.
If you are concerned about your weight, and want information about losing weight, we hope the information on this site will be helpful to you. Whether you have recently gained excess weight or struggled with your weight your entire life, you can lose the weight if you are determined to make changes and work at it. Remember, it is never too late or too early to start living a healthy life, improving your health, and losing weight.
Eat Healthy!
Eating healthy not only requires eating the right types of food, but controlling the amount of food that is eaten. The amount of food that most people eat is far greater than the recommended portion size. To learn about calories and portion sizes, read package labels and nutrition articles. It is important to limit the amount of food eaten to healthy portion sizes. It is also important to choose healthy foods to eat. A healthy diet includes a variety of fruits and vegetables and low-fat dairy and protein foods. Healthy foods often contain less calories per portion size, so the amount of food that you can eat is greater than for unhealthy foods. Foods to avoid are foods high in fat and those made with trans-fats, including many fast-food items, pre-packaged foods, and baked goods. Also foods with high sugar content and thus high caloric content should not be a part of the daily diet.
Many diet plans and diet programs help people choose healthy foods and learn portion sizes. Diet plans include Atkins, Zone, or South Beach methods. Diet programs include Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, and Nutri-System.
Be Active!
It is easy to be lazy, but the benefits of physical activity can’t be overemphasized. Whether it’s to maintain health or help lose weight, it’s important to include physical activity in your daily life. By not exercising, you not only increase your chances of being overweight or obese, but of developing coronary heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, and colon cancer. Exercise reduces the chance of developing many unhealthy conditions. It also helps to reduce stress and improve the overall quality of life.
It doesn’t much matter what the activity is, as long as it gets you moving. It might be an activity such as walking, bicycling, swimming, or calisthenics. It might be weight lifting, martial arts, or team sports such as baseball, soccer, or volleyball. You may prefer to exercise on your own, find a work-out buddy, or join a gym. You could sign-up for a yoga class or aerobics class. Whatever it is, the key is to find something you enjoy so you are more apt to stick with it.
The recommended amount of physical activity is at least 30 minutes for five or more times per week. With all that is to be gained by exercising, however, only about one-third of US adults actively engage in regular physical activity. If you have not been exercising regularly, it’s important to start slowly and then work up to a more moderate and vigorous workout. If you have health concerns, have a check-up by your doctor, and make sure you engage in activities that are safe for your health. And don’t give up. If you miss a day, just pick up the next day and keep moving.
Weight Loss Surgery
There is more and more talk about weight loss surgery as a way to lose weight. Weight loss surgery is a consideration for the overweight who are considered obese, generally at least 100 pounds overweight. It is generally the final step in trying to lose weight and should only be considered if diet and exercise has not been successful in obtaining substantial weight loss. Weight loss surgery is not a magical procedure to losing weight, but is a tool that can be used by the obese in the effort to lose the weight. There are several weight loss (bariatric) surgery options, including two popular methods, gastric bypass surgery and lap-band surgery. If you are obese and interested in weight loss surgery, ask your doctor if these would be viable options for you.
