The truth behind weight-loss programs: an easy way to take control over your weight

Posted in Balanced Body, Balanced Lifestyle | February 16, 2009 | 2 Comments

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The whole world today is crazy about weight. This is a real problem for some of us and even paranoia for others. The weight-loss industry is making billions of dollars every year by selling the “latest” and “most effective”, “revolutionary” and “effortless” weight loss programs and pills. Most of them however don’t tell you the only truth behind all their marketing efforts which is the only rule that will give you control over your weight as well as the only safe and healthy road to your body balance. This truth is as old as dirt and it’s called the energy balance equation.

Body mass will stay constant when calorie intake equals energy expenditure.
Negative balance will result in weight loss; positive balance will result in weight gain

Most of you will say, “Well, it’s not that simple”, “It does not work for me” or “It’s too difficult to follow.” With a certain amount of will power and a little bit of dedication and diligence this rule can be easily and effectively used by anybody.

Following the rule is not too difficult once you know where to start. The first step is to identify whether your body mass needs to stay constant or whether it needs to be changed. If you do not know the answer to this question I would suggest that you first find your ideal weight. The following steps will differ upon your findings and goals.

If you are satisfied with your weight then you are probably not reading this article and there is nothing I can tell you besides “Good job!!! Keep it up!!!”

There are even some people out there who want to gain some weight. Most likely they are not reading this article either, but in case they do I would like to point them to a different article – Healthy Ways to Gain Weight

The majority of people today want to lose weight for medical reasons or just to simply look better. I think that most people who are reading this article are actually interested in weight loss. Giving an extensive weight-loss plan is far beyond the scope of one article and there is no one sure-proof method that will work for anybody. I would like to offer a few tips that can be used by anybody and that can lead to really good results if performed properly.

LOSE WEIGHT THE HEALTHY WAY

Analyze the energy balance equation and decide what you need to do to follow it. Energy intake depends mostly on your eating habits (when and how much you eat) and your nutrition (what you eat). Energy expenditure depends upon your lifestyle (your work, everyday routines and habits) and your exercise. In order to understand your biggest problems you should start a food diary and an activity diary. This will allow you to estimate what you can cut and what you can add to achieve the negative balance.

Be realistic about your goals. Let’s imagine that Kate has a party in a month and she wants to lose 30 pounds. Will she lose it? Losing 30 pounds in a month means that she will have to lose 1 pound every day. In order to lose 1 pound of fat she needs to spend extra 3500 kcal. She can burn 3500 kcal every day if she runs for approximately 6 hours at a constant speed. Theoretically Kate can lose these pounds, but practically it will be dangerous, unhealthy, risky and practically impossible. Healthy and realistic weight loss means losing 1-2 pounds every week.

Eat at least 1200 kcal a day. That’s how much you need to maintain your metabolic rate and to satisfy the essential energy needs of your body. When I was teaching Pilates in Ukraine one of my students asked me why she was not losing weight when she was eating like a bird. After she told me what she was eating it became clear to both of us that she was not eating enough – she was hardly consuming 1000 kcal a day! Her body turned on its protective mechanism and slowed down her metabolism. She had to consult a dietitian to raise her metabolism rate and to get back to healthy eating.

Forget about crash diets. This one comes out of the previous one as most crash diets offer about 800 kcal a day.

Walk, run, move. It’s not new, but it’s the most effective. Implement as many activities into your life as possible because sedentary lifestyle is one of the main reasons why you packed all these pounds. It is also easier to do than you think just by simply making decisions to park further away from the mall or your place of work. Forget about the elevator and take the stairs instead. If you work on the 30th floor then take the stairs maybe 5 to 10 flights then take the elevator the rest of the way. Also just by simply moving your body more you can burn extra calories. When you sit behind your desk at work bounce your legs up and down or move your feet around. Any extra movement at all helps in burning those calories and staying fit.

Don’t use any weight loss pills, powders or magical earrings. If you are looking for a magical way to eat whatever you want and lose weight then you are definitely in the wrong place. I do not support this way to weight loss and I consider it dangerous as well. It can create serious health problems and it’s not effective. This is where I would like to say ‘No pain, no gain’ (or losses in our case).

Make weight loss your job. I am not speaking about earning money by losing weight but I am talking about treating your weight loss as your job. You need to perform it daily, you need to follow certain rules, you need to do it whether you like it or not, you need to continue it no matter if you have any progress or not. Weight loss is often not fun, it can be hard, it can be exhausting both physically and mentally and it is often not rewarding. Once you complete a serious assignment at work you often feel appreciated again and fulfilled. It’s the same way with your job of weight loss. There will be bad days as well as good but like your job or anything else in life you just have to keep on keeping on and always remember to

Keep it balanced!

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