 |
|
|
|
Men's Health | Women's Health | Children's Health | Elder Health Holistic Health | Healthy Heart | Cancer | Weight Loss Exercise & Fitness | Healthy Resources | HOME PAGE Health Club 101 DIRECT Natural Supplements | HGH Energizer | Eazol Natural Pain Relief | Revitol Cellulite Solution IBS Irritable Bowel Syndrome | Menopause Symptoms Relief | Insomnia Sleeping Aid Articles & Information Medicine | Nutrition | Exercise | Fitness Equipment | Pregnancy Bodybuilding Supplements | Weight Loss | Breast Cancer | Diabetes Category Site Map |
 |
Throw Out the Scale
Do you know someone that is obsessed with the scale? Someone who hops on the scale morning, noon and night? And stepping off each time with feelings of frustration or disappointment? With obesity on the rise and weight loss a common household topic, its easy to become obsessed with weight, diets and the scale. This multi-billion dollar industry brings about constant marketing and advertisement on the next solution or quick fix that hits sixty five percent of American's weight issues. The question is, what are the facts about losing weight that marketers are not saying? Is it that we have unrealistic goals? "How fast can I lose weight?" This is the first question most people ask before starting a diet or weight loss program. If you have this line of thinking when you start, you are just setting yourself up for failure. Sure, there are many diets out there that guarantee the loss of ten pounds over the weekend or fifty pounds in a month. The truth is, this is not realistic and for most people struggling with their weight, unobtainable. Its time to lose the quick fix mentality and realize how long change really takes. Calculate how long it took for you to get where you are today. Remember that time and know that it is going to take even longer to undo. How much can you actually lose? Losing one to two pounds per week is realistic. This will shock most people, especially if they feel they need to drop thirty pounds and in a limited time. Think about it. One pound of fat is 3500 calories. If you were to lose two pounds a week, or 7000 calories, that would be equivalent to three sticks of butter. That's a lot of calories (and hard work) to shed two pounds. Would it be realistic to think that you could shed 35,000 calories (10 pounds) over a weekend? From an exercise perspective: The average person walking on a treadmill for an hour will burn 400 calories. The average person on an elliptical for an hour will burn 600 calories. (These are just averages since fitness level plays a role in caloric expenditure). Without taking anything else into consideration that translates in 11.5 hours on the elliptical and 17.5 on the treadmill! This is excessive, unrealistic and unsafe. From a diet perspective: even if you didn't eat all weekend, this caloric amount could not be lost. The truth is that your body needs a certain amount of calories a day to function properly (basal metabolic rate). If you go below that calorie intake, your body will protect itself by metabolically slowing down and storing more calories as fat. This minimum daily food consumption makes large amounts of weight loss impossible in such a short period of time. Do you see how hard it is to lose weight? There is no overnight process or quick fix that will make it go any faster. A combination of decreased calories and exercise over time will shed the pounds. We all know someone that has gone on a diet and lost a tremendous amount of weight on the scale. If what was just said is true then how did they do that? The problem with the scale is that it measures weight, without consideration of fat and lean tissue weight. This fat and lean tissue composition is going to make the difference not the weight on the scale. Muscle is more dense than fat. You can build muscle, lose fat, and become healthier overall and still appear to have gained weight on the scale. At the same time you are "firmer" and wearing two pants sizes smaller. This number on the scale can cause frustration and disappointment in someone's attempt to lose weight. When someone first goes on a diet, which is basically a low calorie diet, they will start to drop weight (we drop weight when calories burned are more than calories taken in). A common factor of diets along with less calories consumed, is the restriction or limit in carbohydrate consumption. Glucose or carbohydrate is the fuel that feeds our brain along with our nervous and immune system. When we restrict them, our body starts to break down our storage form (glycogen) for use. Since carbohydrates are seventy five percent water this will result in the release of water from the body. A gallon of water weighs 8.5 pounds. So you can see how this could give the illusion of a victory on the scale. But remember this is just water weight, not fat weight. As soon as you return back to consuming carbohydrates (which will happen, remember glucose is the only fuel that feeds your brain, nervous system and immune system) the weight on the scale will be back. There went victory. Here's something else that is happening. When you run out of stored carbohydrates your body will start to break down muscle to feed the brain and necessary systems. This results in additional weight loss from lean tissue and the water needed to remove the wastes of protein breakdown. If lean tissue is not available, fat will be partially broken down for fuel (cannot be completely broken down unless you have glucose in your system) and additional water will be released to remove byproducts of this process. So again when you step on the scale, you will see a change in "weight", but remember it is water and your muscle that you lost, not fat. The problem with this victory is that you may have lost weight on the scale but you have also altered your body composition and not in a healthy way. Even thought the scale says you weigh less, you have lost muscle mass and now have a higher percentage of fat! Along with this change comes a sluggish metabolism and altered hormones that control your metabolic rate and appetite. Since this is a temporary fix, soon you will be back to your old ways. Chances are you will gain the weight you lost and then some. Learning healthy eating habits along with a proper exercise regimen is the key to success. Losing the weight is only the first step. Keeping it off is something that will continually have to be addressed. It should be about losing weight for a lifetime not an occasion. Working hard for three months to go back to past behaviors will be a setup for failure. Health is a never-ending process. Its time to lose the quick fix mentality, take the first step towards a new you and throw out the scale. References: Katch F.I., V. L Katch, W. McCardle. Exercise Physiology: Energy, Nutrition and Human Performance. Lippincott , Williams and Wilkins. Fourth edition, 1993. ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription. Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins. Sixth Edition, 137-164, 2000. Teri Mosey is an Exercise Physiologist and Instructor for Health & Fitness Certifications. Peak Performance Fitness; http://www.peakptfit.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Men's Health
|
Women's
Health |
Children's
Health |
Elder
Health
Medicine - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
The Papaya Diet: A Guaranteed Loser Search Yahoo for "papaya" and "kirstie" and you'll find at least a hundred sites that claim papaya is single-handedly responsible for melting literally dozens of pounds off the body of a popular actress.I can recall, from my own quality-time spent in line at the grocery store, virtually every food known to man being touted as the key ingredient in a new "miracle diet. What Low Carb Dieters Should Know About Nitrates And Nitrites Nitrates and nitrites are preservatives that are added to certain meats to affect a desirable color and preventthe growth of poisons and bacteria. When nitratesand nitrites are exposed to heat and other conditionsduring the curing process, they are sometimes transformedinto nitrosamines, which have been linked to cancerin a number of studies. Four Common Mistakes that Overweight People Make I am a Registered Dietitian who has spent over 10,000 hours researching the lifestyle habits of thin people for my book Thin People Don't Clean Their Plates. In this research, I discovered striking differences between the choices that thin people make versus those of overweight people. Weight Gain = Poor Quality of Life Gaining up to 20 pounds over four years can significantly decrease quality of life, according to a study in the Dec. 8 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. Stress Eating & Unbearable Cravings It's common to respond to stress by distracting yourself with your favorite comfort foods. Here are some ideas for healthier ways to cope when you're under pressure:1. Your Words Affect Your Weight Loss - Stop the Struggle Are you Telling Yourself It's Too Hard to Lose Weight?Telling yourself you have to "struggle with this weight issue for the rest of my life," is as good as telling yourself there's no point in trying. "Why bother? I'll just gain it right back. Anger: The Unexpected Emotion After Gastric Bypass Surgery The words I read made me furious. There it was, in black and white, the story of a fussy baby who was spoon fed ice cream to keep her quiet. Easy Weight Loss -- 5 Steps to Lose Weight Is it easy to lose weight? Yes. Losing weight is easy. Weight Loss: Its Not About the Numbers, Its Your Approach! Today obesity, diabetes, and heart disease run through us at epidemic levels. Why? The answer lies not in thethousands of different kinds of diet, weight loss and workout programs offered, the answer lies in the approach. Add High Water Content Fruits and Vegetables to Your Diet For Fast Weight Loss Include in your diet things that contain more water like tomatoes and watermelons. These things contain 90 to 95 % water so that there is nothing that you have to lose by feasting on them. Weight Loss Surgery - The Benefits and Financial Cost Generally, weight loss surgery such as the gastric bypass will cost between $20,000 to $30,000 - the clinics do make substantial profits, which is why some you see advertised offer free chauffeurs and even airplane flights to the city and clinic. As in all lines of 'business', some surgeries will do all it takes to coax you there, within the law of course. Resolve + Enthusiasm = Power Think for a moment about the highest mountain you ever climbed, the deepest valley you ever crossed, or the longest river you ever had to swim. Perhaps it was healing a relationship with an estranged loved one, closing a big deal at work, overcoming an addiction, surviving an illness, succeeding against the odds or making what seemed like an impossible dream come true. Carbohydrates: Why Size Matters If I collected a dime for each time I've seen or heard the word "carbohydrate" - or picked up a book on the subject, for that matter - I'd be a wealthy woman. And of course we've all heard the buzzwords: simple carb; complex carb; high carb; low carb; no carb. Dash Diet -- Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) Hypertension is another name for high blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force exerted on artery walls when the heart is beating and when it is at rest. Weight Loss Tips: Get Free and Effective Weight Loss Tips! Looking for Diet Programs on net is like looking for water in an Ocean. But trust me, looking for good Diet Program is like finding a pearl in the ocean. Five Ways to Stay Motivated During Your Diet You have been on diets before. You probably have lost weight. How to End the Food Cravings with EFT Breaking Down Cravings One at a TimeI know you've heard of one-day at a time, but one-minute at a time? Come on, who needs that? Hum, maybe you. If you've struggled repeatedly, yet continue to fail in your weight loss efforts, what's going wrong? Was the way you tried to stop eating a specific food too restrictive? Did you say, "I'll never eat ice cream again," or "I can't eat cookies again. Weight Loss Problems at Their Worst -America is on the Path of Delusion, Depression, and Destruction Am I missing something here? If I am, someone please email me and tell me. But, the shape of you and every person in America tells me I am not missing the boat at all. Are Low Carb Diets Good for Everyone? What's a Low Carb Diet Really Mean?When I hear low carb to me it means, "low sugar," or "less processed foods." If we'd all make an effort to avoid chips, cookies, cakes, high corn syrup drinks, and candy, then we'd be reducing our overall carbs and eating more healthfully at the same time. Avoid Weight Gain After WLS: Learn the Difference Between Snacking and Grazing Gastric bypass patients often find themselves regaining weight soon after reaching goal weight. The reason? They return to the poor dietary behaviors of snacking and grazing thus eating around the gastric bypass system.
|
|
home | site map Men's Health | Women's Health | Children's Health | Elder Health Holistic Health | Healthy Heart | Cancer | Weight Loss Exercise & Fitness | Healthy Resources |
|
|
