Weight loss

Weight loss

Our body weight is determined by the amount of energy that we take in as food and the amount of energy we expend in the activities of our day. Energy is measured in calories. If your weight remains constant, we are probably taking in the same amount of calories that we burn each day. If we're slowly gaining weight over time, it is likely that our caloric intake is greater than the number of calories we burn through our daily activities.

By adopting sensible eating habits and practicing portion control, we can eat nutritious foods so that we take in as many calories as we need to maintain our health and well-being at our ideal weight. Often, weight loss occurs on its own simply when we start making better food choices, such as avoiding

• processed foods,

• sugar-laden foods,

• white bread and pasta (substitute whole-grain varieties instead),

• foods with a high percentage of calories from fat,

• and alcoholic drinks.

We should drink six to eight glasses of water a day.Water itself helps cut down on water retention because it acts as a diuretic.Taken before meals,it dulls the appetite by giving us that ‘full feeling.”

Over 90% of people who exercise consistently, exercise in the morning. If we want to exercise consistently, odds are in our favor if we exercise first thing in the morning.

When we exercise early in the morning, it "jump starts" our metabolism and keeps it elevated for hours, sometimes up to 24 hours! That means we're burning more calories all day long just because we exercised in the morning!

Weight fluctuations are normal, and they happen to everybody. They can be caused by many different factors, such as consumption of a big meal, excess salt intake, water retention, constipation and hormonal changes.

Weight fluctuations can result in a temporary weight increase of up to 5 pounds a day. It takes some time for our digestive system to process the food, fluids and salt that we consume, and the substances that are still being processed will contribute to our weight. If we had a big dinner the previous evening, our weight will still be up in the morning if we have not had a bowel movement. This is especially so if we consumed foods that contain a lot of sodium. Even if we had eaten more than we should, our true body weight should not increase significantly overnight.

One way to prevent stress that results from weight fluctuations is to refrain from weighing ourself daily. Weigh ourself once a week, and do this without wearing clothes and shoes, which can add one or two pounds to the scale. Try to weigh ourself after we have emptied our bowels in the morning. If we find that our weight is still fluctuating when we weigh once a week, we should drink a lot of water to reduce the amount of sodium in our body. Then, weigh ourself again in the next two mornings. If the results are still elevated, we may have to reassess our diet and exercise programs to make sure that we are not consuming more calories than we are burning.

We should remember, weight loss doesn't always mean fat loss. A certain amount of fat is essential to bodily functions.  Fat regulates body temperature, cushions and insulates organs and tissues and is the main form of the body's energy storage.  The following table describes body fat ranges and their associated categories:

Classification Women (% fat) Men (% fat)

Essential Fat 10-12% 2-4%

Athletes 14-20% 6-13%

Fitness 21-24% 14-17%

Acceptable 25-31% 18-25%

Obese 32% plus 25% plus

Laxatives come in many forms — tablets, powder, syrups, and drinks. Their goal is to stimulate the bowels. Diuretics, often pills, are meant to remove water from the body and are prescribed for, among other problems, high blood pressure.

The truth is, laxatives are not an effective weight-loss tool, and the effects of diuretics are only temporary. Laxatives stimulate the nerve endings in the colon (the large intestine), but by the time food has moved from the small intestines into the large intestine, its calories have already been absorbed. “Diuretics do remove fluid from the body, causing dehydration, and dehydration makes people feel thin,” Rago says. “However, a rebound effect occurs. After a certain period of time, the body swells and retains water to make up for the loss of moisture, and this makes a person feel fat. This is why diuretics are so addictive.”

We all know that proper accountability and teamwork are essential to accelerate any weight loss efforts.Here 7 tips for successful weight loss

1.The desire to lose weight must come from the individual.

2. Don't blame ourself if we aren't perfect.

3. Avoid surroundings where we know we're tempted to make poor food choices.

4. Surround ourself with people who support our efforts.

5. Decide on some nonfood rewards for ourself when we reach interim goals.

6. Stock our pantry and refrigerator with healthy foods.

7. Set small goals and focus on these rather than the "big picture."