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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.