Nature Aid's To Managing Your Weight

At some point in our lives, almost all of us will decide to go on a diet. Considering what we've discussed in this chapter, many of us will meet with mixed success and we will be left scratching our heads and wondering why we just can't seem to find the diet that works. Actually the problem is probably related to the fact that we even think about losing weight in terms of "dieting" rather than as an adjustment to our lifestyle and eating behaviors. It has been well documented that hypocaloric (low-calorie) diets produce only temporary losses and may actually produce disordered binge eating or related problems.33 Although the repeated bouts of restrictive dieting may not be physiologically harmful, the sense of failure that we get each time we try and fail may have far-reaching psychological costs Drugs and intensive counseling have contributed to positive weight losses, but even then, weight is often regained after treatment.

The failure to produce lasting weight loss and the subsequent reduction of self-esteem have led some health
professionals to focus on optimizing psychological and physical health rather than on weight loss Goals of modern weight management programs should focus on the following:

• Helping people establish tolerable, enjoyable, and stable eating and exercise patterns
• Focusing on small gains and benefits to health and wellbeing initially; later focusing on long-term functional improvements, improvements in energy, and reduced risk from disease
• Establishing maintainable goals
• Making a lifetime commitment to a healthful lifestyle that includes exercise, food choices, and stress management Seeking continued support from professionals and loved ones
• Improving access to low-cost, healthful foods and broadening ones perspective on food possibilities, such as eating more grains and fewer processed foods Deemphasizing food as a central focus and learning to enjoy other activities that bring joy
• Becoming a wise food consumer

Whether dieting for vanity or for your health, it's important to begin by finding a program of exercise and healthy eating behaviors that will work for you now and in the long term.

What Is a Calorie?

A calorie is a unit of measure that indicates the amount of energy we obtain from a particular food. One pound of body fat contains approximately 3,500 calories. So each time you consume 3,500 calories more than your body needs to maintain weight, you gain a pound. Conversely, each time your body expends an extra 3,500 calories, you lose a pound. So if you add a can of Coca-Cola (140 calories) to your diet and make no other changes in diet or activity, you would gain a pound in 25 days (3,500 calories -;. 140 calories/day = 25 days). Conversely, if you walked for half an hour each day at a 15 minute per mile pace (172 calories burned), you would lose a pound in 20 days 0,500 calories -;. 172 calories/day = 0.3 days).

The two ways to lose weight, then, are to lower caloric intake (through improved eating habits) and to increase exercise (expending more calories).

Don't forget it took time to gain weight; it will take time to lose it. The best strategy is to go slow, set short -term goals, and stick to them.

About The Author:
Learn how to manage your weight with your lifestyle.

Tags: WEIGHT GAIN, WEIGHT, WEIGHT LOSS, OBESITY

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Title:	Nature Aid's To Managing Your Weight
Author:	Rold Kaffy
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Nature Aid's To Managing Your Weight