While there are number of safe fast weight loss systems, most provide only a short term solution. The real secret to permanent weight loss has always been combining a healthy approach to eating with regular physical activity. The ideas offered in this article can support your quest for permanent weight loss and a healthier lifestyle.
Tip: If you are using a healthy fast weight loss diet to jump start your diet, apply the ideas in this article to help you keep the weight off.
Most health experts agree, that if you are overweight, losing just ten to fifteen percent of body fat can greatly enhance your health and well-being and may reduce your risk of weight-related health problems, such as diabetes, heart disease and stroke. If you are overweight and you weigh 200 pounds, losing just ten to fifteen pounds can greatly reduce your risk of most weight-related health issues and add to the quality of your life.
No matter what your weight loss goal, reducing your calories and increasing your activity is the only way to a permanent weight loss solution. The remainder of this article will provide you with some simple ideas for healthy eating and increasing your activity that you can immediately implement.
Healthy Eating made easy.
While a fast weight loss diet can help you lose significant weight quickly, they are usually very very difficult to continue over the long haul. What is needed instead is an approach to eating that takes includes foods that you enjoy eating, has a lot of variety, and provides you with enough calories and nutrients necessary to maintain good health.
While it’s true that if you limit the amount of food you eat, you will lose weight. It’s also true that few of us have the ability to do this as a lifestyle choice. A better approach is to select nutrient rich foods that fill you up, are low in calories and are absorbed slowly so that hunger is reduced. I’ve found that the only dietary approach that accomplishes this is one that focuses foods that are low on the glycemic index scale.
The glycemic index evaluates foods according to how quickly the body converts the carbohydrates in the foods into glucose, or blood sugar. Foods that are low on the glycemic index create a slow, moderate rise in your blood sugar that is optimal for energy efficiency.
As an individual trying to lose weight, you want to choose low GI foods, which lead to lower insulin levels following your meals. This will help keep your hunger at bay and help you feel full longer. Additionally, the slower the conversion of carbohydrates into glucose, the more efficiently your body can dissolve fat and convert it into energy. It’s a win-win situation!
In contrast, foods high on the glycemic index cause your insulin levels to spike following meals, and then crash several hours later. At this point you feel hungry and exhausted. Who isn’t familiar with that 3 p.m. sugar crash?
Make sure your healthy eating plan is one that includes:
fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products.
lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts
monounsaturated and polyunsatureate fats.
According to the Mayo Clinic, these healthy fats can lower your risk of heart disease by reducing the levels of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in your blood.
One type of polyunsaturated fat, omega-3 fatty acids appear to decrease your risk of coronary artery disease and may also protect against irregular heartbeats and help lower blood pressure levels.
Some great sources of these healthy fats are:
Monounsaturated fat: Olive oil, peanut oil, canola oil, avocados, nuts and seeds
Polyunsaturated fat: Vegetable oils (such as safflower, corn, sunflower, soy and cottonseed oils), nuts and seeds
Omega-3 fatty acids: Fatty, cold-water fish (such as salmon, mackerel and herring), flax seeds, flax oil and walnuts.
One type of fat that you want to limit are saturated fats and trans fats as they can increase your risk of heart disease by increasing your total and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol.
Some common sources of unsaturated fats are:
Saturated fat: Animal products (such as high fat meats, poultry, whole milk and dairy products made with whole, lard and butter), and coconut, palm and other tropical oils
Trans fat: Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, commercial baked goods (such as crackers, cookies and cakes), fried foods (such as doughnuts and french fries), shortening and margarine
Tips for increasing your physical activity
Frequent physical activity not only helps supports your permanent weight loss goals, it also increases your energy, enhances your mood, and reduces your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers.
If you’re not already active, start slowly and build up. Even a limited amount of activity can make a difference, and participating in any kind of physical activity will provide some health benefits.
Try to have some level of physical activity every day, even if it’s only ten minutes of walking a few times a day. Current research shows that it’s not necessary to work out for an hour to gain health benefits. Short bursts of activity throughout the day can be just as beneficial. Here are some ideas that you can incorporate into you day:
If you live close to your work, walk there. This not only enhance your health, but with today’s increasing gas prices, you save some money.
If you do drive to work, park a short distance away and then walk in.
Take a brief walk during your lunch hour.
When you take a break, walk around your office or up and down some stairs.
Go dancing once or twice a week.
Put on some lively music and just move to it.
Even house cleaning and yard work provide some health benefits. I like to listen to fast music, while I’m cleaning the house, it makes me move faster and I often take a quick dance break. Lot’s of fun and good from me as well.
Lastly, find activities that you enjoy, the lift your spirits and do them reguarly. If it’s not fun, chances are you won’t keep doing them.
While it’s not easy to change long-standing habits, try the suggestions included in this article and stick with it. Soon you’ll find yourself automatically making healthier choices that move you closer to the permanent weight loss and vibrant health you desire!
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