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IntroductionLet’sbehonest:youknowthatobtainingandmaintainingahealthyweightishealthyforyou.Andyouknowthatexercisingandeatingrightareimportant.Sowhat’snew?
Althoughmanyofthebasicprinciplesofhealthyweightmanagementhaven’tchanged,weknowalotmoretodaythanwedidyearsago.
Foronething,weunderstandbetterthecomplexchallengeswefaceinmanagingourweight.We’vealsodiscoveredhowpeoplecangetaroundtheseobstacles.Andmostimportantly,we’velearnedthatwhenitcomestohealth,there’snosuchthingas“onesizefitsall.”
WeightcontrolisaboutcreatingahealthylifestylethatworksforYOU,onestepatatime,daybyday.Thishandbookwillhelpyoudoit.
WhyIsaHealthyWeightImportant?
Reachingandmaintainingahealthyweightisgoodforyouroverallhealthandwillhelpyoupreventandcontrolmanydiseasesandconditions.Weknowthatanincreaseinweightalsoincreasestheriskforheartdisease,highbloodcholesterol,highbloodpressure,diabetes,gallbladderdisease,gynecologicdisorders,arthritis,sometypesofcancer,andevensomelungproblems.
Maintainingahealthyweighthasmanybenefits,includingfeelinggoodaboutyourselfandhavingmoreenergytoenjoylife.
Aperson’sweightistheresultofmanythings—height,genes,metabolism,behavior,andenvironment.Maintainingahealthyweightrequiresenergybalance:balancingthecaloriesyougetfromfoodandbeverageswiththecaloriesyouusetokeepyourbodygoingandbeingphysicallyactive.
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• IfcaloriesINandcaloriesOUTovertimeareequal,yourweightstaysthesame
• MorecaloriesINthanOUTovertime=weightgain
• MorecaloriesOUTthanINovertime=weightloss
YourenergyINandOUTdon’thavetobalanceexactlyeveryday.It’sthebalanceovertimethatyourweightinthelongrun.It’souroverallhabits,notwhatwedooccasionally,thatdeterminesouroutcomes.
Formanypeople,thisbalancemeanseatingfewercaloriesandincreasingtheirphysicalactivity.Cuttingbackoncaloriesisamatterofchoice.Makinghealthyfoodchoicesincludingunrefined,minimallyprocessedfoodssuchasvegetablesandfruits,wholegrains,healthyfatsandhealthysourcesofprotein,andavoidinghighlyprocessedsnackfoods,sugar-sweetenedbeverages,refined(white)grains,refinedsugar,friedfoods,foodshighinsaturatedandtransfats,andhigh-glycemicfoodssuchaspotatoescanhelpyoucutbackoncalories,ascanpayingattentiontoportionsizes.
Thishandbookwillprovideyouwithinformationtofigureoutyourbodymassindexandweightrelatedriskfordisease.Itwillalsogiveyouinformationonwhenandhowtoloseweight,includingtipsonhealthyeatingandphysicalactivity,settingweightlossgoals,andrewardingyoursuccess.
First,let’sgathersomeinformation—
CheckYourBodyMassIndex
Yourbodymassindex(BMI)isagoodindicatorofyourriskforavarietyofdiseasessinceitgivesanaccurateestimateofyourtotalbodyfat.
UsethechartonthenextpagetofindyourweightandheightandthengoabovethatcolumntofindyourBMI.
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YoucanalsofindyourBMIanotherwaybydoingthis:Divideyourweightinpoundsbyyourheightininchessquaredandthenmultiplythetotalby703.
LookatthebottomoftheBMIcharttoseetheBMIrangesforunderweight,normalweight,overweight,andobesity.
WhileBMIisvalidformostmenandwomen,itdoeshavesomelimitations:
• Itmayoverestimatebodyfatinathletesandotherswhohaveamuscularbuild.
• Itmayunderestimatebodyfatinolderpersonsandotherswhohavelostmusclemass.
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Whatisyourrisk?
Ifyou’reoverweight,youhavemoreriskofhavinghealthproblemssuchasdiabetes,heartdisease,andstroke.Ifyoucarryyourextraweightaroundyourwaistline,yourriskisevenhigher.
It’salifestyle,notacrashcourse.
Iflosingweightweresimpleandeasy,everybodywouldhavedoneitbynow!Giveyourselfsomecreditforpersistinginthefaceofadversity.Thefactis,itcanbeextremelychallengingtoachieveandmaintainahealthyweight,particularlyinthiscultureofconveniences,extremesandexcesses.Plus,withsomanycomplexdietandweight-lossprogramsoutthere(andsomuchconflictingadvice),youcaneasilyspendyearsworkingyourwaythroughthemallwithouteverachievinganidealbalanceorlastingresults.
Tomakesenseofweightlossonceandforall,itmaybethatwhatyoureallyneedisahigh-altitudeoverviewofwhat’srequiredandhowitallfitstogether—andmaybeastudyguidetocoachyouthroughthecorematerial.
Inthishandbookwe’lloutlinesomeessentialideasinfourkeytopicareas—theonesyoumostneedtomasterinordertomanageyourweightsuccessfully.Wewon’tsuggestthatthesesimpleideasrepresentthebe-allandend-allcompendiumofweight-lossknowledge.Butwedocontendthatunderstandingtheseideasisanessentialstarttoobtainingandmaintainingahealthyweight.
GettingStarted
WhereveryouareisagreatplacetostartHaveyoutriedtoloseweightbefore,oristhisyourfirsttime?Haveyoubeenoverweightalongtime,ordidyouputonweightrecently?Areyoutryingtolose
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alot,orjustafewpounds?Or,areyoujusttryingtokeepfromgaininginthefuture?
Whereveryouare,theprinciplesarethesame.Asyougetstarted,keepthesethingsinmind:
1. Weightmanagementisalifestyle,it’snotadiet.Dietsaren’tpermanent–theyhaveabeginning,middle,andend.Whenyouadoptahealthyweightlifestyle,itstartstodayanddoesn’thaveanenddate.You’rechangingyourlifestyleforgood.
2. Focusonhealthandfitnessfirst,weightsecond.Thehealthieryouare,theeasierweightlossbecomes.Andifyouloseweightattheexpenseofyourhealth,you’reunlikelytokeepitoff.
3. Setrealisticgoals.Thinkaboutwhatyouwanttoachieveandwhy.Setapositive-minded,healthandfitnessorientedgoalthatyouknowyoucanaccomplish.Bespecificandrealistic,withaclearobjectivetocreatesustainablehabitsthatyou’llincorporatepermanentlyintoyourlifestyle.
4. Startwhereyouareandmakegradualchanges.Takeprideinyourprogress,learnasyougoand,mostimportant,takeslip-upsandsetbacksinstride.Everyso-calledfailureisreallyjustfeedbackaboutwhatdoesn’tworkforyou.
5. Focusononechangeatatime.Thishandbookisfullofideasforlifestylechangesthatcouldhelpyouloseweight.Butdon’ttakethemallonatonce.Focusononechangeatatime.
6. Payattentiontothedetails.Noticewhenyouaretriggeredtoovereatorskipworkouts.Observetheimpactcertainfoodshaveonyourenergy,digestion,waterretention,etc.Startreadinglabelsoneverythingyoubuy—coffeecreamers,sauces—inordertosussouttoxinsliketransfats
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(hydrogenatedandpartiallyhydrogenatedoils),artificialsweetenersandflavors,andblood-sugar-spikingsugars(e.g.,high-fructosecornsyrup).
7. Say“NO”tobigportions.Keepinmindthattheaverageadultstomachhasonlyabouta1-quartcapacity,soeatingaplatter-sizemealmakesnosense.Overstuffingalsoimpedesdigestionandgivesyourbodymorecaloriesthanitcanputtogooduseatonetime.Ifyou’vegotabigappetite,startyourmealwithalargevegetablesalad.
8. Pastattemptstoloseweightarelearningexperiences.It’snotaboutsuccessorfailure.Eachattempthasgivenyouinformation,increasedyourawareness,andgivenyoutoolstobuildon.Allofthesethingscanhelpyousucceed.
9. Youcanenjoyahealthylifestyle.Anactivelife,healthyeating,andotherhealthyhabitswillmakeyoufeelbetter.Takepleasureinyournewhabitseveryday.
10. Changeyourlifeandyourbodywillfollow.Evensmallsteps—likedrinkingmorewater,walkingaroundtheblockinthemorningorrefusingtoeatwhilewatchingTV—canstartyouintherightdirection.
11. Remember,weightlossisindividual.Weallhavedifferentbodiesanddifferentmetabolisms.Sodon’tfretifyourbestfriendseemstobesheddingweightatafasterrate.Justkeepyoureyesontheprize:healthyweightlossandwhole-bodyvitalitythatlasts.
12. Therearepeoplewhocansupportyou.Findfriendsorcoacheswhocanencourageyou.Betteryet,getyourfriendstodothiswithyou.Nobodycanloseweightforyou,butyoumaynotbeabletodoitalone.
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13. Youcandothis.Tellyourself,“I’vedoneotherhardthings,andIcandothis,too.”Giveyourselfthesameencouragementyouwouldgiveafriendwhowastryingtoloseweight.
HowtoStartLosingWeightSuccessfulweightlossdoesn’trelyonanyonemagicbulletorsecretweapon.Instead,itresultsfromtakingalifestyleapproachthatcombinesfourseparatebutintertwiningcomponents:
• It’saLifestyle• WeightManagement• Nutrition• Fitness
Lifestyle
Seasonedweight-lossexpertsallagreethatpeoplewhocommittomakinglastingchangestoseveralaspectsoftheirlivesarethemostsuccessfulinlosingweightandkeepingitoff.Thismeansthatyoumustdefinethedeepmotivationandreasonyouwanttoloseweight,whetherit’slivingtoenjoyyourgrandchildren,feelingfreertoexpressyourtruenature,oranotherpriority.
Mostofuswanttolookbetter,ofcourse,butunderlyingthatdesireisalmostalwayssomeother,moreessentialmotivation,suchaswantingtofeelmoreconfident,morelikeourbestself,etc.
Researchshowsthatyouaremorelikelytosucceedatmakinglarge-scalelifechangesifyoustartgraduallyandattempttoadjustonlyonebehavioratatime.Formostpeople,tryingtodoeverythingatoncemostoftenresultsinfailure.
Whatworksbestistostartyourplanwitharelativelysimplecommitment,likecuttingoutdessertoneweek.Thenextweekaddsomeexercise,andtheweek
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afterthatmaketheswitchfromsoftdrinkstowater.Asyouaccumulatesmallsuccessesandfeeltheirimpactonyourenergyandself-esteem,itwillbecomeeasiertoundertakelargeradjustments.
Keepinmindthatyourbodyandmindarelinked.Nutritionandfitnesscanhavehugephysiologicalimpactsonyouremotionalandpsychologicalwell-being.Bothaffectthehormonesresponsibleforcommunicatingbrain-bodymessagesandforregulatingmetabolism,soit’scommonforpeopletostartexercisingandeatingbetterandsuddenlyfindthemselvesmoreenergized,optimisticandmotivatedoverall!
Ifyoureallywanttoloseexcessweightandkeepitoff(orifyoujustwanttomaintainyourcurrentweightandstayhealthyforthelonghaul),startbyputtingasideanyworriesaboutyourlovehandlesorsaddlebags.Instead,startfocusingonthespacebetweenyourears.Weightlossstartswiththebrain,notthebelly.Anyweight-lossmisconceptionsormisinformationharboredtherecouldpresentarealdangertoyourweight-managementsuccess.
Sleepwell
Notsleepingenoughcanswitchonthehormonesthatmakeyoufeelhungry.Themoresleep-deprivedyouare,themorelikelyyouaretobeoverweight.
Infact,peoplewhosleepfewerthan5hoursanightarealsofarmorelikelytohavediabetes,depression,oranxiety.Anyofthesecanmakeithardertomanageyourweight.
Aimfor7to9hoursofsleepanight.Tomakesleepcomemoreeasily,setuparegularbedtimeroutine.Makesureyourroomisdarkandquietandcomfortable.Don’tdrinkcaffeineoralcoholclosetobedtime.
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Stressless
Recentresearchshowsaconnectionbetweenstressandbeingoverweight.Itseemsthathigherlevelsofcortisol,theso-called“stresshormone,”increaseourtendencytostoreexcessfat—especiallyaroundourwaist.Activitiesthatcanhelpmanagestressincludeexercise,meditation,hobbies,andbeingwithsupportivefriends.Thesethingscanmakeyourweightlosseffortsmoresuccessful.
Findsocialsupport
Familyandfriendscanimpactyourlifestylechoicesandyourweight—forbetterorforworse.Askyourfamilyandfriendstosupportandencourageyou.Betteryet,askthemtodothiswithyou.Lookforpartnersandsupportersforeachofyourgoals.
Takecareofyourmentalhealth
Feelingsofsadness,loneliness,ordepressioncanmakeithardtomanageyourweight.Inaddition,medicationsusedtotreatmentalhealthconditionssometimescauseweightgain.
Rememberthis:Exerciseisoneofthemostimportanttreatmentsforbothmentalhealthandweightmanagement.Ifyou’rehavingtroublekeepingyourspiritsup,trytoincreaseyourexercise.Trysharingyourfeelingswithatrustedfriend.
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NUTRITIONOneofthebiggestmistakespeoplemakeinlosingweightisapproachingtheireatinghabitsasadiet.Theproblemwithdietsisthattheyhaveabeginning,amiddle(thediet),andanend.Thisimpliesatemporarychange.Whenyouadoptahealthyweightlifestyle,itstartstodayanddoesn’thaveanenddate.
Forgetaboutfindinginstantfixesandmiraclecures.
Asmuchasweallmightliketheideaofa“magicbullet,”mostexpertsagreethathealthy,sustainableweightlossdoesn’tcomefromextrememeasuresorsingle-faceteddiets.Nordoesitcomefromrelyingonheavilymarketedlow-fatorlow-carbfoodsanddietdrinks(which,infact,havebeenshowntohinderweight-losseffortsbymessingupmetabolism,contributingtocravingsandunderminingenergylevels).
Itisfarmoreusefultoapproacheatingasapleasantandpositive“fueling”activity,thewholepointofwhichistoprovideyouwiththebestenergyandvitalitypossible.
Whenyoustartthinkingofeatingrightasawayofsupportingyourbody’snaturalhealthandweight-regulatingsystems—ratherthanmerelyasawayoflimitingcalories—nutritionbecomesalotmoreinteresting.
Andthemoreyoulearn,themoreempoweredandmotivatedyou’llbetomakegoodchoices.It’sasadfactthatveryfewpeopleunderstandthatgoodnutritionmakeslosingweightfareasier.
Themostbasicthingyouneedtounderstandaboutproper,healthynutritionisthatourbodiesareadaptedtoprocessfresh,wholefoods—theonlyfoodsourancestorshadavailable.Sadly,technologicaladvanceshavetransformedmuchoftheNorthAmericandiettocontaintoomuchCRAP(Carbohydrates,Refinedsugars,AdditivesandPreservatives).Ourbodiesdon’trecognizethesefoodsas
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viablesourcesofnutrients.Worse,byactingastoxins,pro-inflammatoriesandimmunesuppressorsinoursystem,theycanactivelyinterferewithweightloss.
Ahealthy,balanceddietconsistingoffresh,wholefoodsincludingvegetables,fruits,leanproteins,beans,nuts,seeds,oliveoil,wholegrains,teas,herbsandspicesprovideswhole-bodyhealthandvitality.Thehealthofourmetabolism—themachinerythatdictateshowweburnfatandproducemuscle—requireswhole,“real”foodsandthecomplex,synergisticblendofnutrientstheycontaininordertofunctionproperly.Thisiswhyreplacingwholefoodswith“diet”fare(orfoodsselectedexclusivelyonthebasisoftheirlow-calorie,lowcarb,high-proteinorlow-fatcharacteristics)tendstoworkagainstlong-termweightmanagementgoals.
Ourbodiesrequireaconsistentbalanceofhealthymacronutrients(complexcarbs,high-qualityproteinsandhealthyfats),aswellasmicronutrients(vitamins,minerals,antioxidants,phytochemicals),plusadequateenzymes,fiber,water,andsooninordertofunctionoptimally.Whenwedon’tgetthesethings,ourenergylevelsdrop,ourhormonesandneurotransmittersgetimbalanced,andourmetabolismstopsworkingefficiently.
Whenyouunderstandhowourbodiesprocessfood,you’llseethathavingabagelforbreakfastsetsyouupforsugarcravingsintheafternoon,andmissingoutongoodnutritionatlunchmaycauseyoutoovereatatnight.Biochemicalandnutritionalproblemscanalsomakeitverydifficultforpeopletoloseweight.
Ifyourestrictcaloricintakebutfailtoproperlymanageyourblood-sugarlevelsortocorrectnutritionallyrelatedhormonalimbalances,youmayfindthatyourbodysimplyadjustsbymetabolicallyslowingdown.
Gettinganappropriatebalanceofprotein,carbsandfatsisimportant,butjustasimportantismonitoringthenutritionalcharacterandqualityofthosemacronutrients.Gettingadequateessentialfattyacidsisnecessarytosupport
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thermogenesis—yourbody’sabilitytoburnfuelforwarmth.Gettingagoodsupplyofaminoacidsiscrucialtoneurotransmitterproduction,whichinturnaffectsbothmoodandenergy.Eatinginawaythatsupportsconsistentbloodsugarlevelshelpsyoureducecravingsandsustainactivity.
Butwhilemanypeoplecanintuitivelyacceptthatgettingadequatenutritionisessentialtoweightloss,farfewerunderstandthenutritionalprinciplesinvolved.It’scomplexbecauseourbodiesarecomplex,butonceyouunderstandthebiochemistryofeating,it’sincrediblyempoweringandliberating.
Strivingforgoodvarietyandhighqualityinyourfoodchoices(freshness,wholeness,healthypreparation)isfarmoreimportantthanachievingsome“perfect”mathematicalratioofcarbs,fatsandproteins.Still,carbs(fromfruits,vegetables,legumesandwholegrains)arecriticalforenergy.Proteins(fromeggs,meats,dairy,legumesandnuts)areessentialforbuildingandmaintainingleanmuscle.Fats(naturallyoccurringandaddedintheformofhealthyoils)arecrucialforsatisfyinghungerandsupportingavarietyofimportantbiochemicaloperations—includingsome,likethermogenesis,thatarekeytolosingweight!
Emphasizingfreshwholefoods,includingplentyoffruitsandvegetables,willmakeweightlosseasierforavarietyofreasons.Thesefoodshaverelativelylowenergydensity,whichmeansthey’rehighinwateranddon’tcontainmanycalories.Youcaneatquitealotofthemtohelpsatisfyyourhunger,whichhelpsyouavoidovereatingmorecalorie-densefoods.
Youalsoneedthenutrients,phytochemicalsandfiberfromwholefruitsandvegetablestostayhealthy,tofeelenergeticandkeepyourdigestionworkingproperly.Drinkingplentyofwaterthroughoutthedaycanalsofacilitateweightlossandkeepthirstdriven“phantom”cravingsatbay.
Inadditiontomakingsmartandhealthyfoodchoices,ofcourse,youalsoneedtoconsiderhowmuchyoueat.Eatingsmallermealsandaddingtwoorthreesmall
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snackstosatisfycravingsandenergyneedscanhelpyoureduceyourdesireforlargeportions.Trytrackingyourintakeinafoodjournal.Youwillprobablynotethatasyournutritionimproves,yourdesiretoovereatwillalsonaturallydiminish.
ImportantStufftoKnow
Allcaloriesarenotcreatedequal
Manyofusknowinstinctivelythatnotallcaloriesarethesame.Alollipopandanapplemaycontainsimilarnumbersofcaloriesbuttheappleisclearlybetterforus.
Itistruethatifyoutakeinmorecaloriesthanyouburn,youwillgainweight.Butit’salsotruethatthenutritionalqualityofthosecaloriesplaysabigroleinhowmanycaloriesyourbodyburns.Soifyou’resimplycountingcalorieswithoutlookingatthenutritionalvalueofwhatyou’reeating,you’reaskingfortrouble.Lookingonlyatcaloriesignoresthemetaboliceffectsofeachcalorie;thesourceofthecaloriechangeshowyoudigestitandhowyouretrieveenergyfromit.
Ratherthanlookingatcalories,it’sbettertounderstandglycemicindex(GI)asamoreaccuratemeasureofafood’svalue(goodorbad).Whensomethinghasalowglycemicindex,itraisesyourbloodsugarlevelsslowly,increasingyourinsulinlevelsgradually.That’sgood,becausetoomanyinsulinspikesresultininsulinresistance,whereyourbodystopsrespondingtoinsulinitisproducing,andresultsintype2diabetes.
High-glycemicfoods,ontheotherhand,causebloodsugarlevelsandthusinsulintorisequickly,promptingtheoverproductionofinsulinandfatstorage.Shiftyourfoodintaketolow-glycemicfoodslikewhole-grainpasta,wheatbread,fruits,beans,andnuts.High-glycemicfoodsincludecandy,sweetdrinks,croissants,andscones.Bychoosingthelow-glycemicfoodsandthustheminimallyprocessedfoods,peoplecanlosemoreweight,feelfullerlonger,andremainhealthier.
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Why?Becauseourbodiesrequireaconsistentbalanceofhealthymacronutrients(complexcarbs,high-qualityproteinsandhealthyfats),aswellasmicronutrients(vitamins,minerals,antioxidants,phytochemicals),plusadequateenzymes,fiber,water,andsooninordertofunctionoptimally.Whenwedon’tgetthesethings,ourenergylevelsdrop,ourhormonesandneurotransmittersgetimbalanced,andourmetabolismstopsworkingefficiently.
Wesimplyaren’tashealthyasweshouldbe,andourbodiesdon’tregulatemuchofanything(includingourweightandbodycomposition)aswellastheyaredesignedto.
Thehealthofourmetabolism—themachinerythatdictateshowweburnfatandproducemuscle—requireswhole,“real”foodsandthecomplex,synergisticblendofnutrientstheycontaininordertofunctionproperly.Thisiswhyreplacingwholefoodswithdietfoodsorprocessedfoodstendstoworkagainstlong-termweightmanagementgoals.
ToLoseWeight,EatHealthy
Manyweight-lossdietscallforadramaticreductionindailycaloricintake,whichtendstodeprivethebodyoftheverynutrientsitneedstoeffectivelyreleaseandprocessunwantedfat.Buteatingtoolittleorskippingmealshasanotherextremedownside:Itputsthebodyinastarvation-like“fatconservation”mode.
Whenyoutakeinfewercaloriesthanarenecessarytofuelyourrestingmetabolicrate(thebaseamountofcaloricenergyyourbodyrequireswhileatrest),yourbodysimplycompensatesbyreducingyourmetabolicrate.Goodbye,caloricburn.
Yourbodythinksit’sstarvingtodeath,soitnotonlycutsbackontheenergyyouneedtoexerciseandmoveabout,italsosetsoffchemicalprocessesinsideyouthatforceyoutoeatmore.
Netresult:weightgain.
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Youcangetaveryroughestimateofyourrestingmetabolicratebymultiplyingyourweightinpoundsby10(ifyouweigh150pounds,forexample,yourrestingmetabolicratewouldbeapproximately1,500caloriesperday.Ifyoueatlessthanthatamount,yourbodywillinstantlyperceivedangerandturnonthealarmsystemthatprotectsyoufromstarvationandslowsyourmetabolism.
Thebestapproachistoadoptalifestylewhereyouchoosefresh,wholefoods,andchooseonceandforalltoeathealthyforlife.Enjoydelicious,high-qualityfoodsinwaysthatnurtureyourbodyandyoursensesforthelonghaul.
FocusonGoodFats
Thehumanbrain–yourbrain–is60%fat.Withthatinmind,doesitmakesensethatfatisevil?Ordoesitmakemoresensethatavoidingfatsisamistake?Thefactis,takinginanadequatesupplyofhealthyfatsisessentialtoproperbodycomposition,whole-bodyhealthandlong-termweightmanagement.
Oneofthekeystolosingweight,istounderstandthedifferencesbetweenbadfats(notablytransfatsandrancidfats,foundinmostprocessedfoods)andgoodfats(includingmonounsaturatedfats,likethosefoundinnuts,seedsandfish.It’salsookaytoeatsmalltomoderateamountsofsaturatedfat,thekindfoundinrealbutter,cream,grass-fedmeatsandvirgincoconutoil).Itmayseemcounterintuitivethatourbodiesneedfatinordertoburnfat,butnutritionexpertsagreethathavetoconsumegoodfatsifourbodiesaretofunctionproperly.
Yourbodyneedsnotonlythemuch-toutedomega-3fats,theysay,butalsosomeplant-basedomega-6sandacertainamountofthemuch-malignedsaturatedfat,inordertonourishyourbrain,heart,nerves,hormonesandcellstructures.
Failtogetthesefatsandbothyourhealthandweight-losseffortswillsufferforit.Ifyoufailtogetadequatehealthyfatsyourenergydrops,yournervesdon’tfire
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efficiently,glandsmalfunction,andyourhormonesandmetabolismceasetofunctionproperly.
Whileeatinganexcessiveamountofanykindoffatwillcompromisebodilyfunctionandleadtoweightgain,eatingamoderateamountofthegoodfatsfoundinwholefoodsnotonlyhelpsourbodiesstayhealthyandvibrant,italsodeliversthebenefitofcontrollingblood-sugarlevelsandappetite,bothofwhichhaveadirectimpactonsuccessfulweightlossandmaintenance.
Mostnutritionexpertssuggesttakinginbetween15and25percentofyourdailycaloriesasfat.Ifyou’revigilantaboutincludingfatintheformofnutritious,wholefoodslikeavocados,nuts,fish,healthyoilsincludingcold-pressedolive,seed,andnutoilandsmall-scalesaturated-fatindulgenceslikerealbutterandcream,grass-fedmeats,andcoconut,you’llgetalloffat’sweight-managementbenefits,withoutcompromisingyourwaistline.You’llalsofinditeasiertosaynotofattyprocessedfoodsandotherunhealthyindulgencesofallkinds.
ReduceInflammation
Whileinflammationisnewtothelexiconofobesity,itsroleinweightgainispiquinginterestamongtopscientists.NutritionresearchersatHarvardMedicalSchoolconcludethatinflammationprecedesobesity.
Here’sasimplifiedexplanation:
Theimmunesystem’sinflammatoryresponseisagoodthingwhenithappensonasmallscale.Alocalizedcutorinfectioncallsforanoutpouringofwhitebloodcellstomopupthemess.Youseesomeswelling,someirritation,butwithinafewdays,thingsarebacktonormal.
Whentoxinsinthedietirritatetheliningofthegutonaconstantornear-constantbasis,however,theimmunesystemmaygointooverdriveandcandomoreharmthangood.Swellingandirritationmayoccurthroughoutthebody.
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Antibodiesbuildupandstartconfusingandcompromisingthebody’sorganandendocrinesystems,whichcanresultininflammatoryreactions
Overtime,afoodsensitivitiescantriggeraninflammatoryresponse,resultingindisruptedhormonelevels,brainchemicalsandtheimmunesystem.Theendresultisweightgain—andincreasedriskforchronicdiseasesofallsorts.
Sothebottomlineisthatifyouaren’tfollowingananti-inflammatorydiet,anythingelseyouaredoingtoliveahealthierlife,suchasexercisingandtakingvitamins,doesn’tworknearlyaswellasitcould.
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FITNESSNoweight-lossprogramiscompletewithoutanadequatefitnessplan.Fitnesshelpsyouburnlotsofcaloriesanddevelopleanmusclemass–andsincemusclesburncalories,themoreleanmuscleyouhavethemorecaloriesyouburn,evenatrest.Moderateexercisebuildsimmunityandkeepsyouhealthieroverall.Exercisegivesyouenergy,balancesblood-sugarlevelsandhelpsyoubuildself-esteem.Andoneofthebestpartsaboutimprovingyourfitnessisthatitmakeslosingweighteasierandmoreenjoyableoverall.
Studiesshowthatroughlyeightypercentofpeoplewhosucceedinlosingweightlistexercisingthreeormoretimesperweekastheirprimarystrategy.
Howmuchexercisedoyouneedtoloseweight?Thatdependsinpartonwhatyouareeating,butmostexperts,includingtheAmericanCollegeofSportsMedicine(ACSM),theCenterforDiseaseControl(CDC),theNationalInstituteofHealth(NIH)andtheWorldHealthOrganization(WHO)allrecommendyougetatleast30minutesofcardiovascularexercisefivetimesperweek.
Personally,Istronglyrecommendyougetmorethan30minutesperday.Whyisthat?Thelongest-livedpeopleintheworldhaveseveralthingsincommon,andoneofthemisthattheymoveregularlythroughouttheday.Thinkaboutit:ifyousleep8hoursperday,andgetjust30minutesofexerciseperday,whatareyoudoingtherestofyourday?Sitting?Sittingfor15½hoursperday?Doesthatsoundliketherecipeforahealthy,leanbody?
getatleast30minutesofexercisefivetimesperweek.
Andafter50,itbecomesextremelyimportantthatyouincludeabalanceofstrengthtraining,highintensityintervaltraining,balancetrainingandflexibilityworkinyourexerciselifestyle.Ifitfeelsoverwhelmingtoundertakeallofthatatonce,startwithwhatappealstoyouandwhatyoucando.
Plantoperiodicallyreviewandexpandyourfitnessprogramasyougetstronger,moreconfidentandmoremotivated.Themostimportantthingisjusttostart.It’s
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aninterestingfactthatNewton’sfirstlawappliestopeople:Newton’sfirstlawsays“Anobjectatreststaysatrestandanobjectinmotionstaysinmotion.”You’llfindthatasyoubegintogetregularexercise,you’llfindthat
Apersonatreststaysatrest,andApersoninmotionstaysinmotion
Thetrickisstartingtogetyourselfinmotion.Itbecomeshabitforming.Asyoustarttogetregularmovement,educateyourselfabouthowyourbodyworksandhowyoucanhelpitworkbetter.
Mostexpertsrecommendmonitoringyourprogressinaweeklyjournalorfitnesslog,notingwhenyouworkedout,howlong,whatyoudid,pluschangesinyourdietandanyweightyoumayhavelost.Ifyou’vebeensedentaryforalongtime,andyou’rejuststartinganexerciseroutine,don’tbesurprisedifyoudon’tloseweightrightaway,sinceyou’llbeaddingleanmusclemassasyoulosefat,andmuscleismoredensethanfat–sodon’tgetobsessiveaboutweighingyourselfallthetime.
Instead,startpayingcloserattentiontohowyourbodyfeels,howyourclothesfit,andtothechangestakingshapebeneaththesurface.Bereadytoadjustandfine-tuneyourprogramasyougoalong,andrememberthatevenifyoudoeverythingright,yourweightislikelytofluctuateupanddownbyafewpoundsonaregularbasis.
Asyouputonmuscleandlosefat,youwillseeandfeelapositivedifference.Andifyoudon’t?Morethanlikelysomethingismissing:Itcouldbealifestyleorpsychologicalthing,afoodornutritioncomponent,orsomecombinationofalloftheabove.