Weight Loss is a topic you see and hear more often than anything. Losing weight is a problem EVERYBODY has. More and more of us are becoming overweight by the second of each and everyday. When we become obese we are at risk for other co-morbid diseases such as Heart Disease, Diabetes, Hypertension, Cancer, and others. This fact we understand clearly from the outset. When we continually punish our bodies with eating too much we predispose ourselves to a myriad of diseases and conditions which make our daily living difficult for us. There are, however, factors we need to address when it comes to weight loss. I can go on and on about how dieting and exercise simply doesn't work for the majority of us but that would cover half a dozen posts and perhaps more. What we will cover here in this post is the basics and how we can leverage on the fundamentals to better understand what our bodies go through as we try losing those unwanted pounds. Firstly, lets talk about key facts:
1. The foods we eat are essentially proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Each macronutrient serves different purposes such as for energy, for cellular building blocks and replenishing, and for energy stores. Our body regulates how we take up and utilize food by many factors, some of which are internal and genetically controlled, but also, some are dictated by how much work we do on a daily basis; how many calories do we need to go through our typical day. So besides hormones and our metabolic rate, the environment also plays a key role in dictating how much food we need to consume on a daily basis.
2. Our diets are mostly cultural. We eat more foods from our ethnic backgrounds more so than from other ethnic groups. That being said it is then safe to assume that some foods are richer than others, at least from a cultural standpoint. HOW we eat and WHAT we eat is also dictated by WHO we are.
3. Less in, more out. This is the basic premise of dieting. This is also the reason why diets do not work. Lets take this in perspective and use an example. If, for instance, a person has been 30-45 pounds overweight consuming, on the average, around 4000 calories a day. Then we subject that individual to just 2300 calories a day and ask him or her to limit caloric intake to that. Then we turn around to complete the other half of the equation by asking the individual to exercise more in order to increase his or her metabolism and burn those stored fat. Do you see where the struggle is ensuing? Metabolism is not just dictated by the amount of activity we are subjected to. It is also hormonal. You see, after a while, our body adjusts to the kind of eating habits we have. In order to lose weight by dieting alone you would have to understand how to control and suppress your hunger. Satiety is key. When you feel full, the less you eat. That makes sense, right? Well, it's easier said than done. More on that on future posts.
4. The YOU factor. Losing weight also depends on you. What I mean by that is gender, age group, presence of other co-morbid diseases, vices and habits, among others. So when you read the label of any health product or weight loss supplement and see "RESULTS MAY VARY", this is what they mean.
5. Reprogram the program. In order to lose weight effectively we have to start from the ground up. We need to understand and put into effect why changing eating habits is not the first step to losing weight. It is the second step. The first step is changing our perspective of food. We need to inculcate a clear mental picture of how we see food. Do we see it to nourish and replenish our bodies or do we see it as something else? Eat only what you need.
6. Water is the key. When we metabolize our food our body's metabolic processes puts into play hundreds of enzymatic proteins which play key roles in breaking down nutrients, replenishing cells, and storing energy. The glue which makes all this happen is water. Water is required in our cells in order for metabolism to take place as well as waste disposal. What I am essentially getting at here is that overweight individuals need to drink more water in order to BURN THE FAT. Without proper hydration, losing weight will be a difficult and painful experience.
So there you have it. The basics you need to understand in order to formulate an attack plan on losing weight. Also, understand that there are foods that naturally speed up your metabolism, foods that selectively allows you to absorb other nutrients and prevent others from being absorbed, foods that decrease cancer risk, foods that make your skin look younger, foods that gives the most energy. But more on these food types on future posts. I covered some of these on my previous posts as well. Be well and until our next post, JowelMD signing off but not out.
