By: Rem Lace Reyes
Obesity can lead to a number of diseases such as heart diseases, stroke, coronary artery diseases, diabetes and even colon cancer. It can even lead to osteoporosis and joint injuries. Studies have shown that obese people are 15 to 25% more likely to tear their cartilage. This is due to the fact that the knees bear 75-85% of body weight. To prevent these from occurring, people who are overweight should lose weight. But should it be in a way that could be harmful to our health? Most people want to lose weight the quickest way possible. They opt to choose taking in diet pills and submitting themselves to diet programs that only deprive them of other essential nutrients that their body require. The best way to lose weight is through natural weight loss.
One way of losing weight naturally is through regular exercise. Exercise aims to achieve optimal oxygen circulation thus giving adequate amount of oxygen most especially to your vital organs such as the heart, lungs and the brain. Receiving adequate amount of oxygen to these areas not only helps to prevent cardiovascular disease, but could also improve your endurance and by having adequate oxygen intake to your brain, could also improve your memory. Exercise also increases your metabolism, reduces blood pressure and your blood levels of total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein (LDL) or the so-called “bad cholesterol”. A daily 30 to 60-minute walk is adequate and gradually progress to brisk walking then running and so on. If you feel that you are experiencing muscle cramps due to previously performing an exercise, allow your muscles to rest for 48 hours in order for your muscles to heal and become stronger. For those with medical conditions, exercise should only be done after you have sought counsel from your physician.
Another way of losing weight is through diet modification. When a person eats, he either replaces the energy lost or store energy for future consumption. In order to lose ½ pound of fat, you should reduce your caloric intake by 200 lesser calories than what your body uses for that day.
In order for a diet to be healthy, it should contain the same calories as with a normal diet. You can do this by supplying more of what you need such as providing more fiber in your diet. Having a low-fat, low-carbohydrate and high-fiber diet can be a healthy way to lose weight. A low-fat diet is important in protecting your heart. This type of diet is also the most effective way of losing weight. With a reduction of only 10 grams of fat from your diet, you spare your body of having to take in 900 calories. A high-fiber diet helps to achieve weight loss by providing bulk in the diet therefore the stomach empties at a slower rate. You would have a longer feeling of fullness, limiting the amount of food consumed during a meal. Eating fiber also aids in the elimination of cancer-causing substances in the colon and helps to regulate changes in the amount of cholesterol and sugar in the blood that take place after a meal. The recommended amount of fiber intake is 30 grams daily. Carbohydrates stimulate the production of insulin. High levels of insulin promote fat deposition and increased appetite. Therefore, it is important that carbohydrate in the diet be controlled.
Other Tips on Natural Weight Loss
1) Avoid caffeine. Just like carbohydrates, caffeine stimulates the production of insulin suppressing the breakdown of body fat.
2) Stop Smoking. Smoking can reduce the oxygen-carrying capacity of red blood cells thus there would be less oxygen circulating throughout your body.
3) Combine exercise and diet modification. This increases weight loss as calories are expended during exercise.
4) Keeping Track. Having a food and weight diary is important to monitor your progress. Never ever skip meals as this will tell your body that you are starving and will only slow your metabolism.
5) 8 Glasses of Water Daily. This will also help boost your metabolism.
6) Eat Slowly. Your stomach registers that you are full only after 20 minutes of chewing.
7) Have Patience. Weight loss does not just happen in a blink of an eye. You might notice that as more weeks pass your weight loss tends to become slower, that is because weight loss during the first weeks of exercise is usually water and not fat. Fat takes a longer time to be eliminated from the body so take time. Losing weight slowly is not so bad after all because this means that you are getting rid of what you are aiming to get rid of: fat.
8) Conquer Your Self. Knowledge on ways to lose weight is only put to waste if you do not have self-discipline. Be optimistic and say “I can” this will keep you motivated and help you achieve your goal.
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