One more year has passed and if you are like millions of others across the world, you are still carrying around some unwanted pounds that you had intended to shed in 2009. Losing weight is always near the top of the list of New Year's resolutions. Making a resolution is the best first step towards truly doing something about losing weight, but in order to succeed you need to have a plan that has been proven to work and that you can, and will, follow until you meet your goals.
Failing to plan, is a plan to fail! Saying you have a plan is not enough, you have to write it down and post it where you are sure to see it every day so you can gauge your progress and make modifications when needed. Keeping a journal to help you in keeping up with a "to-do" list will be critical to your success.
PLAN BASICS
The basics in any weight loss plan are three fold. Namely, Diet/Nutrition; Exercise; Sleep.
Diet/Nutrition-Calories count. We consume calories, we burn calories and we store calories in the form of fat. In order to lose weight we must burn more calories than we consume, forcing our bodies to burn the calories in our stored up fat to balance out our energy account. What we consume is important both in terms of calorie content (potential energy) and nutritional value with regard to vitamin, mineral and essential monounsaturated fatty acid content (fat storage inhibitors).
When planning meals, we should consider eating five or six times a day, limiting total calories consumed to 1900 for men and 1500 for women. We want to stay away from foods that are high in estrogen or xenoestrogen (chemicals found in pesticides that mimic estrogen) that promote the storage of fat in the body. Eating smaller portions on a more frequent schedule helps to limit peaks in blood glucose (sugar) content and the attendant insulin spikes that are triggered by the glucose. Insulin regulates blood sugar naturally, but promotes the storage of fat.
Exercise-Metabolism is the term commonly used to describe the process whereby the body breaks down food and transforms it into energy. When trying to lose weight, it helps to boost up our metabolism and make the conversion of food to energy as efficient as we can. One way to do this is to engage in extended periods of intense movement on a regular basis. It is not necessary to become a power lifter or marathon runner but you have to get off your butt and get some exercise. Movement is the key! Duration and variation are equally important. Walking outdoors over uneven terrain, up hill, down hill, climbing and descending stairs, carrying packages, swinging your arms and walking backwards are all that is necessary. Doing normal household chores like vacuuming, sweeping, picking up after kids (or spouses), scrubbing tile counters, floors and showers; walking the dog And going square dancing are great ways to pump up your metabolism without needing to go to fitness center or spend money on fancy equipment. Studies have shown that diversity in activity challenges your body more than repetitive motion such as you get when using treadmills, ellipticals and stair steppers. You wind up getting more return for your effort in terms of calories burned when you engage in a variety of activities. The secret is to keep your limbs moving in random ways.
Sleep- Getting your proper amount of rest is as important as diet and exercise in the weight loss process. Recovery from the effects of your increased metabolism are essential to your well being and continuing success. Don't neglect sleep time in your planning!
The Plan- The first step is preparation. Make up your "to-do" list starting with learning the calorie content of your favorite, and not so favorite, foods. This is a prerequisite to planning go-together, calorie and portions, nutritious meals. The next step is to stock up your cupboard and refrigerator with your healthy food choices and remove all the junk foods that can destroy your weight loss efforts.
Plan the implementation of your weight loss efforts in workable stages that you will be more likely to embrace in your lifestyle changes. Things you might want to consider include: drinking more water; eliminating fried foods; start taking the stairs instead of using escalators or elevators; switch to diet or lite beverages; use low fat or no fat dairy products; go whole grain in all cereals and baked goods; make one day a week a vegetarian meal day . If you meet these mini goals every week, they will add up in time. These small changes made over time will become part of your daily routine.
The New Year provides us all with an opportunity to start anew with fresh inspiration and hope. Think about how satisfying it is going to be lose that unwanted fat. We will look better, feel better, be more comfortable in new clothes that fit and be healthier all around. What is even more satisfying is that we will know that our new lifestyle will keep us from regaining the weight we worked so hard to lose.
Author Resource:-
Phil is a retired aerospace engineer/executive who has an opinion on almost any subject, usually conservative and old school oriented. You can visit him at his Website/Blog ,or for more on weight loss Click Here.
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