Posts Tagged losing weight

Weight Loss: Reality Versus Myths

As the science of weight loss has become more and more commercial (evidenced by all the weight loss and weight loss equipment ads seen on TV and in print media), several myths have become focused around the aspect of weight loss. It seems that we all want a safe and simple solution that involves no exercise of will-power. Well, maybe one day one will appear. But, at this time, there’s really no magic cure.

But, there are several weight loss myths that need to be examined.

Perhaps you’ve seen or read this: Lose weight by eating ice cream. The idea behind this is that your body requires energy to warm up the cold ice cream, so you’re using calories to do this.

Well, certainly, warming the ice cream requires energy. It even requires energy/calories to digest it. Energy is used in any activity the body undertakes. That’s just a physiological fact. Consider the actual facts regarding this myth. Since ice cream is normally high in both sugar and fat, you consume more calories in eating the ice cream than in warming and digesting it. Sorry, you still have to watch the desserts.

This same false theory is sometimes used with ice water. Since the water has no calories, it beats eating ice cream. But – the amount of energy required to bring the water up to the temperature of your body is considerably less than with ice cream. Thus, not much effect on weight loss.

There are times you may feel hungry, when, in fact, you may just be thirsty, due to slight dehydration. Consuming water can lessen the feeling of hunger. and you’ve consumed less calories than with other alternatives, such as orange juice or soda.

Maybe you’ve run across this myth: Adding one pound of muscle causes 50 more calories to be burned by the body. Besides not even being true, this doesn’t mean much. What is meant by ’50 more calories’? Over what period of time? Your body burns approximately 70 calories in one hour, just by sitting. You’re consuming calories just to pump blood, maintain cells and temperature, etc.

What one pound of additional muscle will do is burn no more than 12 calories in an hour. Adding muscle can be good, because a high level of effort is required in vigorous activities like weight training or running. Even less rigorous exercise, like walking, is beneficial. However, this does more muscle toneing than muscle building. In a one hour workout, the average male will consume approximately 350 calories.

The body’s metabolic rate can be raised by about 250 calories a day through vigorous exercise over not exercising at all. Brisk walks will also raise the metabolic rate, but not as much. A good idea would be to have a workout every other day, and take a walk on the other days. The walking will keep muscles stretched and toned, and will help prevent the buildup of lactic acid, a cause of sore muscles.

Now for the reality. If you consume more calories than your body uses, the extra calories are stored by the body as fat. The stored fat is then used by the body when you need more energy than has been provided. This helps consume the stored fat in order to provide the additional energy. This causes less fat in the body, leading to weight loss.

That reality is most likely to be achieved through the time honored combination of exercise and the right diet.

Resveratrol and Weight Loss

Resveratrol and weight loss have been talked about in combination with each other a lot lately. A lot of companies are using this to their benefit in advertising the benefits that they serve people that are interested in losing weight by using it.

It is well known that a lot of companies use advertising in a manner that is not always the most accurate with the information that they relay to the public. Having said that we will now look into some of the facts that are known about Resveratrol and the way it works as an aid in weight loss plans for people.

Experts that have been looking into the way that Resveratrol and weight loss are connected and have found that there is definitely a link between the two. It has also been found that Resveratrol has a lot of other health benefits that can come from using it as well. It has a direct link in helping prevent the onset of diseases that affect people as they age like diabetes and certain forms of cancer and many others as well.

Resveratrol has been found to be very effective in helping to boost a person’s metabolism. A person that has an increased metabolism is also found to be able to burn more calories. So this definitely is a supportive finding in the claims regarding Resveratrol and weight loss.

Another finding that they have made is that Resveratrol can help raise a person’s energy level. We do know that the more energy that a person has that the more active they are apt to be. By having an increased activity level a person burns more calories as well. Adding to your energy level is also great for your general health as you will feel far better then you did in the past.

The last major finding is that Resveratrol has been found to help a person control their appetite. This means that they are able to control the amount that they eat far better than they would have before. It also means that they are less likely to be snacking between meals and other things similar that have a huge bearing on the amount of weight that a person gains.

Using this supplement in combination with other measures such as a proper diet and exercise program can all work well in your weight loss goals. Simple changes to your diet like reducing your salt, sugar and fat intake are easy changes that make a huge difference in your diet, which in turn can prove to be a huge benefit in your health as a whole. Some experts advise that a person take a multi complex with Resveratrol in it as a way to help improve the health that they have in general, not just help with the weight loss that they are wanting.

Taking a multi complex that contains Resveratrol can help a person improve the health that they have in general, not just the weight loss goals that they have. The key to losing the weight and keeping it off is to continue with a similar type of system after the weight is gone. Don’t return to your old bad eating habits just because the weight is gone as this will serve to be pointless. Many people do not continue with a proper eating and exercise routine after losing weight, and get upset when the pounds return.

Healthy Foods for a Healthy Diet

It may seem that everyone is pushing a healthy diet plan today. The types and kinds vary. If all the diet books were gathered together the sheer volume of pages would be enormous. Doctors, athletes and even television stars all seem to have their own ideas on how to eat to loose weight.

A factor that is more important than weight loss or gain is having a healthy lifestyle. A part of any healthy lifestyle is having a good and healthy diet. Part of that healthy diet is keeping everything in balance. Diet and exercise must be in balance or you will either gain or lose weight. You should also work to balance your portions of protein, dairy, vegetables, fruits and grains.

It is important to be sure you are dinking enough water. Every day you should have 64 ounces in order to ensure proper hydration. It doesn’t matter if you drink it in 32-2 ounce Dixie cups or have a couple of 1 liter bottles that you sip on throughout the day, you have to have your water. Lack of hydration can cause unclear thinking, kidney problems or other problems with the systems of your body. Remember 64 ounces daily and coffee, tea or soda do not count.

Balance those calories each day. Weight gain is caused by consuming too many. This weight gain can lead to more weight gain since it often hinders exercise and causes depression. If you do not eat enough calories, you loose weight, along with muscle and energy. Malnutrition is a danger if your diet is too low in calories.

Do not forget fresh foods. The fresh foods include fruits or vegetables. Vegetables add texture for our palate as well as fiber to the system. Fruit is a natural sweet, but its calories are also offset by fiber. These are both great for snack time.

Get the correct amount of protein. Protein is necessary for the body to rebuild muscles that are stretched daily. Protein is often loaded with fats. Learn the correct size of a serving of protein. Many restaurants have sold us on a serving being as much as 1 pound or even 1 1/2 pounds of steak, when 3 ounces is the correct serving size. While many of us enjoy protein, a balanced diet reminds us to eat in moderation.

This brings us to fats. There is the right kind as well as the wrong kind of fats. Olive oil and nuts contain the correct fats that your body needs for absorbing vitamins. Many of our diets are have too much of the wrong type of fat. Overly processed snacks as well as much of our fast food is prepared using hydrogenated fats. We love the taste and will as large a portion as the restaurant serves. Our love of fat is a taste we have acquired. Eating a healthy diet with good fats will cause an adjustment ion our bodies as well as a healthier lifestyle.

Changing diet is not the only requirement for healthy living but it may be a step that will help to get you on your way.